WTF review of 'Brave': EW article says "Girl not wanting arranged marriage=LESBIAN"

[brendala.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine pointed me to this article. It's Entertainment Weekly's review of Pixar's Brave. Well, it's not a "review" so much as a manifesto declaring that the main character is a lesbian because....she refused an arranged marriage and disliked wearing gowns that limited her mobility.
I think it's pretty telling that films starring single females who remain single for the entire film are so rare that, the moment a big studio makes one, everyone (including paid professional reviewers) goes nuts and assumes the girl MUST be gay or sexually confused or whatever.




I hate the implication that a girl who doesn't immediately want to date/marry once they hit the proper age must have some deep-rooted issue with her sexuality. Heck, Merida herself never said "I don't want to get married to a man EVER". She just hated the idea of being given out like a carnival prize to some bozo she's never met!

This article reminds me of how Velma from Scooby Doo (one of my favorite fictional characters, btw) has been pegged as a butch lesbian for ages simply because she's "ugly" (translation: she doesn't fit the Barbie mold that 90% of female protagonists fit into) and didn't act like a typical "token girl" character. Even as a kid, I never got why people pegged her as a tomboy (what self respecting "tomboy" would prance about in a red mini-skirt?). Her overall demeanor and behavior was rarely any less feminine than Daphne's. I guess it's because she had non-girl interests like....being smart. :P

While I sympathize with gay folks who want to find a character they can relate to; it still bugs the crap out of me when dumb stereotypes are used to prove that a character is a gay icon (even if their canon has established them as straight).

Comments

[oronoda.livejournal.com]

The Avatar universe is renown for having some of the best female characters around. It and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic are showing that girls come in all varieties and you should never be called out for being something a bit different. Toph and Rainbow Dash are oftentimes pegged as being lesbians (the latter more than the former, especially due to the color scheme, but have you HEARD of Lisa Frank?), while they're characters I pretty much identify with the most. Strong, kind of a jerk, but still a good heart - that's me. I wish they were around when I was growing up, where instead I was told to stop playing DBZ with my Barbie dolls.

This! Okay, so rainbows mean lesbian? I guess Punky Brewster must have been a lesbian too along with everyone in the 80's.

As for Toph, it is pretty clear that she has a crush on Sokka.

As I said before, there is nothing wrong with thinking "I like the idea of..." but when you start to think it is true in canon, that is when there are problems.

Also, I really wish we had MLP as a kid. Maybe I wouldn't have run into as many bitch cliches as I did.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

As for Toph, it is pretty clear that she has a crush on Sokka.

Plus, she had a kid. So she must have been with a guy at some point. ~_^

[animenutcase.livejournal.com]

Admittedly, her crush on Sokka doesn't necessarily prove anything, but it does suggest that yes, Toph does have an interest in men.

Don't be silly. The character chart shows Toph as Lin's only parent. She clearly earthbended her into existence.

Having MLP when I was little. GOD, YES.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Don't be silly. The character chart shows Toph as Lin's only parent. She clearly earthbended her into existence.

So Lin has the same origin as Wonder Woman?
THIS MAKES PERFECT SENSE AND IS NOW MY HEAD-CANON!!!!! :)

[kataoi.livejournal.com]

I do want to throw in my pennies and say yeah I know Toph had a crush on Sokka. And I thought it was cute. 8( But fandom gonna fandom and make me flip tables.