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

[farchivist.livejournal.com]

Did you know that Brave is anti-princess because it's anti-boy? (Source: kidfocused.com/brave-proves-its-anti-princess-by-being-anti-boy/)

Or how about this movie review from MovieGuide, the discerning movie entertainment guide for Christians:

Content:
(RoRo, FeFe, OO, C, B, VV, N, A, M) Strong Romantic, feminist worldview with strong occult elements stressing following your heart rather then doing what is right, with a witch creating spells and spirits leading the main character to the witch and guiding her, with a redemptive, moral scene of repentance and forgiveness; no foul language, some burping; several scenes of men fighting, man punches other man, bear attacks; kissing; upper male nudity, male rear nudity, man “moons” other men; drinking; no smoking or drug use; and, young children steal food and rebellious children talk back to parents and authority figures

Summary:
BRAVE is an animated movie about a princess who wants to change her destiny when her parents want her to get married, so she asks a witch for a spell to change their minds. BRAVE is a surprising movie for Pixar with a clear feminist message and a strong Romantic worldview with strong occult content, mitigated by a redemptive, moral scene of repentance and forgiveness. Strong caution is recommended.

Review:
BRAVE is a surprising movie for Pixar with a clear feminist message, Romantic worldview, and strong occult content.

Growing up as a Princess, Merida has been training all her life to one day be Queen. Her mother, Queen Elinor, loves her dearly, but also gives her directions on how to be the best princess. Her father, King Fergus, enjoys her tomboy ways, including her skill at archery and riding. This creates in Merida a longing to make her own way and not listen to the concerns of others.

Suitors come to the castle to compete for Merida. They are the first born boys of the three neighboring tribes. Appalled at their poor archery skills, Merida decides to take on the challenge for herself, and clearly beats out the men competing. The suitors don’t seem suitable, and Merida wants to take action and follows the magical “wisp” spirits that lead her to a witch. Merida has a wish and asks the witch to create a spell that will change her mother’s mind so she won’t have to marry.

Taking the spell which looks like a delicious cake, Merida is so overjoyed that she doesn’t get to hear the downside to the spell from the witch and quickly gives it to her mother. Almost instantly, Queen Elinor turns into a bear. Of course, this wasn’t what Merida expected at all! The King hunts bears for revenge because he lost his leg to a bear saving his family years before. Merida has to escape with her mother, now a bear, from the castle to save her mother. Merida has to try to reverse the spell before it becomes permanent. She learns from a message from the witch that she and her mother have to reconcile. Each has to learn to love, listen, and humble themselves in order to work together and fight the spell.

BRAVE is beautifully animated, as is the fashion for Pixar. The interesting thing about BRAVE is that, aside from the animation quality, it doesn’t feel like a Pixar movie. BRAVE is definitely for older children. A clear message is the main character wanting independence from marriage and free will to create her own destiny. Merida is not a charming, sweet young girl, but rather whines about having to follow her mother’s principles of being a princess. Though she does humble herself and ask forgiveness, children shouldn’t replicate most of Merida’s behavior.

BRAVE has a strong Romantic, feminist worldview about following your heart first rather than God’s Kingdom or God’s Righteousness. Merida fights to create her own destiny, rather than do what is right. She also lets spirits guide her actions, which is occult. As God warns in Deuteronomy 18:10,11: “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.”

Thus, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong caution regarding BRAVE.

(Source: movieguide.org/reviews/movie/brave.html)

[neemarita.livejournal.com]

Those Christian movie guides are nuts. My husband was never allowed to watch anything Disney growing up because it's supposedly anti-Christian. Yeah, whatever. We saw Brave and enjoyed it. Our kid will see it and other films. Oh noes, fairy tales have witches and spirits in them! .... Yeeeah.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I once read a Christian movie guide site for sh*ts & giggles and the ONLY movie that got a free pass (out of basically every movie EVER MADE) was Mary Poppins. Despite the fact that Mary clearly rides around on an enchanted umbrella and Bert is obviously some kind of dimension-hopping warlock.

[farchivist.livejournal.com]

Those Christian movie guides are nuts.

Completely. I remember when I was a kid there was one Catholic-only reviewer that saw E.T. and went down the path of "ALIENS are just FALLEN ANGELS and this movie has ALIENS in it and the child is seduced by SATAN." (That one got the slow head-shake from my mom.) I get a perverse joy out of reading whackaloon stuff like that. It's just so entertaining.

Yeah, whatever. We saw Brave and enjoyed it. Our kid will see it and other films.

Haven't gotten to it yet, but it's on the list.

Oh noes, fairy tales have witches and spirits in them! .... Yeeeah.

Yup. I'm totally going to Hell for liking "Ladyhawke" and fanning on the Bishop.
Dang it, now I'm in the mood for the Dungeons & Dragons Chick tract.