Disney makes itself known for over the top stories that defy expectations. In some cases, that can mean powerful stories with epic adventures and mythic beasts to fight. They are also known for not being afraid to tackle real-world issues like stereotypical gender roles with “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast”; religious topics with “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”; and depression with “Big Hero 6”.
They tackle these issues with heart and that does not change in their next epic tale. Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” tells the story of a suburban fantasy, where the world that we know is not housed by humans, but mythical fairy tale creatures, and magic is considered a lost form of art. When sixteen-year-old elf Ian Lightwood (voiced by Tom Holland) attempts to use a magic spell meant to bring back his deceased father for one day, it backfires. He and his older brother Barley have only twenty-four hours to set things right. Even before the movie had arrived in theaters, Disney was heavily promoting it just like most of their other films.
A week before the release date, they began promoting “Onward” with one specific character: Officer Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe from “Ready Player One”. They have been using her saying that she will be the first LGBT character seen on screen in a Pixar production. At first glance, it looks like this is a massive step forward for the Walt Disney Corporation. However, it is not entirely what it seems.
It turns out that Specter is not Walt Disney’s first LGBT character. She is not even the first confirmed character. There have been plenty of other examples of the LGBT community in Disney-owned media. For example, the TV show “Andi Mack” on Disney Channel. In 2017, Andi Mack made national news because of Cyrus Goodman (portrayed by Joshua Rush) who was the first confirmed gay main character on Disney Channel. Also, Le Fou from the 2017 remake of “Beauty and the Beast” was confirmed by the director Bill Condon to be gay before the movie’s release and had a “gay moment” where he danced with another man.
So why has Disney been telling media that Specter is the first openly gay character when there are other characters in their media platforms? Could Disney only be using Specter as a way to gain profit on the movie? What if they are only using this character to queer bait us into going to see this movie?
Queerbaiting is using a character who is or is assumed to be a part of the LGBT community to promote a company’s products. But why? Disney is one of the most influential companies on the planet. Their characters are so moving and powerful that they inspire little girls and boys to be just like them when they grow up. Having an LGBT character on screen for kids to see would be just as strong because it would be so amazing for kids who do not know about LGBT to see characters like Specter living their best lives and people not looking at them like they are weirdos or even freaks. It can show these kids that love is love, no matter what happens. With everything going on in the media right now, why would Disney resort to such a tactic?
Onward is on its way to being a big success, with the sneak preview making over 650 thousand dollars, the opening weekend projected to make 50 million, and it’s earned a “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. If Onward is going to be such an enormous success, then why would they sell this character so much and make it seem like such a massive step even though they have already taken it before?
We may not know what the famous company’s methods are for promoting this character when they already have other characters on the spectrum of sexuality, but what we can say is this: as inclusive as Disney portrays itself, can they remember to recognize their own characters enough to take a step forward? And if not. . .what’s the future of the company?
Photo: Tate Walden/ The Johnsonian
