Queer Coding and the Cultural Appeal of Disney Villains

The Evolution and Impact of the Disney Villain

• In February of $1938$, Walt Disney introduced the first iconic film villain with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
• The Evil Queen established a template for cinematic antagonists that has endured for nearly a century, encompassing various archetypes:
  • Fierce and fabulous witches.
  • Sneaky scoundrels.
  • Odious outcasts.
• Despite being designed as characters for the audience to root against, Disney villains often become more beloved and memorable than the heroes.
• As of the start of $2020$, there have been $749$ Disney films, though the most iconic villains originate from the main theatrical features.
• A significant phenomenon exists where gay audiences, particularly gay men of certain generations, feel a deep affinity for these antagonists, often described as having a "gay aura" despite none being canonically gay.

The Hays Code and the Origins of Queer Coding

• From the beginning of motion pictures, characters existed that were intended to be read as gay, even if not explicitly stated.
• Censorship changed significantly in $1934$ with the implementation of The Hays Code (The Motion Picture Production Code).
• Restrictions of the Hays Code:
  • Banned the depiction of interracial couples.
  • Prohibited showing disrespect toward priests or police officers.
  • Banned "sex perversion," which was the contemporary term for homosexuality.
  • Mandated that depiction of "sin" must only involve villains.
  • Required that all "sinful" characters receive punishment by the end of the film.
• Consequences for Representation:
  • Sympathetic queer characters were effectively forbidden.
  • Filmmakers used "queer coding"—applying stereotypes to villains—to signal to the audience that a character was "unnerving," "indecent," or "unwholesome."
  • These tropes tapped into cultural anxieties of the time which framed homosexuals as threats to children and traditional family structures.

Case Studies in Queer-Coded Villains

• The Evil Queen (Snow White, $1938$):

  • Originally planned to be a goofy/silly character, the concept was changed to a more serious, coded persona.
  • Coded traits: Older, unmarried, holds a position of power traditionally reserved for men, cold/unemotional, tall with a strong jaw and deep voice.
  • Her character is framed as "unwomanly" compared to Snow White's "feminine beauty."
  • Her motive involves possessing Snow White’s heart, which carries symbolic undertones of destructive fixation.

• Captain Hook (Peter Pan, $1953$):

  • Displays traits considered "unmanly" by $1950s$ standards: fancy, vain, dressed in feathers, ruffles, and pink.
  • He is cowardly, deceptive, and maintains a close, intimate relationship with a male confidant (Smee).
  • His obsession with capturing a young boy mirrored contemporary stereotypes regarding gay men and youth.

• Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty, $1959$):

  • Created during the waning years of the Hays Code.
  • Coded as an outcast who lures a girl on the cusp of womanhood away from her family and intended marriage, using a "deadly prick" (the spindle) to bring her to ruin.

• Prince John (Robin Hood, $1973$):

  • Incorporates the "classic fop" archetype: cowardly, vain, and fussy.
  • Includes the stereotype of an unseemly attachment to his mother (Eleanor of Aquitaine), which was a contemporary pseudo-scientific "cause" for homosexuality.
  • He is obsessed with the male hero, Robin Hood, and actively attempts to prevent the heterosexual union of Robin and Maid Marian.

• Professor Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective, $1986$):

  • A "fussy fop" who hides a secret about his true nature: he is a rat desperately trying to pass as a mouse, mirroring the experience of being "closeted."

• Ursula (The Little Mermaid, $1989$):

  • Her design is explicitly based on Divine, the famous drag queen from Baltimore and star of John Waters' films.
  • Producer/songwriter Howard Ashman pushed for this inspiration.
  • She possesses a deep voice and occupies a status of an unmarried, powerful social outcast.

• Jafar and Scar ($1992$ and $1994$):

  • Jafar is presented as feminine and refined, wearing eyeliner.
  • Scar is depicted with a "limp wrist" (or paw), dramatic affectations, and as a moody, unathletic loner in contrast to the "jock" archetype of Mufasa.

The Appeal of the Villain to Queer Audiences

• Visibility: For decades, queer audiences had to choose between seeing themselves as a tragic figure who dies or a powerful, scenery-chewing villain. Harvey Fierstein noted, "visibility at any cost."
• Relatability as Outcasts: Villains are often shunned by society or their families. Characters like Prince John and Scar express the pain of Being the "black sheep," a common experience for queer youth seeking family approval.
• The Concept of Camp:
  • Susan Sontag defined Camp as seeing the world in terms of artifice and stylization rather than just beauty.
  • Camp is a performance: larger-than-life, exaggerated, and often so serious it becomes silly.
  • Disney villains revel in the freedom of not conforming. Characters like Cruella de Vil (based on Tallulah Bankhead) prioritize style over social norms, literally "living (and killing) for furs."
  • Exaggeration in camp can be a way to question or mock gender stereotypes.

Villains as Agents of Change and Real-World Parallels

• Challenging the Status Quo: Heroes typically work to restore or maintain the existing order. Villains, unable to live in a world that rejects them, seek to tear down and change the status quo.
• John Waters and the Dreamlanders:
  • In the $1960s$, Waters bypassed censorship by making low-budget, taboo-breaking films with his friends.
  • The Maryland film censor board viewed them as villains and "dangerous filth," but the resulting publicity helped transform American cinema.
• Crystal LaBeija and the Ballroom Scene:
  • Featured in the $1968$ documentary The Queen, Crystal LaBeija challenged the racist standards of New York drag balls which favored white contestants.
  • After being edited as a "villain" for her temperament, she started her own pageants and houses (The House of LaBeija), creating the foundation for the drag house systems seen in Paris is Burning and Pose.
• The Stonewall Riots ($1969$):
  • Led by figures like Storme DeLarverie, patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back against illegal police raids.
  • Although news coverage initially painted them as villains, their refusal to accept the world as it was created the modern movement for liberation.

Questions & Discussion

• Prompt: Why would gay audiences love characters depicted as dangerous perverts?
• Response: Because for a long time, it was the only representation available. Furthermore, the traits meant to make them creepy—being an outsider, being flamboyant, wanting to overthrow the system—are exactly what make them relatable to people who have been pushed to the margins.
• Prompt: What makes Disney villains so popular with the gays?
• Response: They are go-getters. They don’t accept their situation; they come up with a plan to change it. This resonates with the history of queer folks standing up to an unfair world.
• Prompt: What about the physical tropes of these villains?
• Response: From the Evil Queen's "vamping" and cape-sweeping to Ursula's drag-inspired aesthetic, the flamboyance and cutting shade ("How quaint. Even the rabble.") provide a sense of fun and freedom that heroic characters often lack.