Pixar’s Lu isn’t a gay romance, or a romance at all, says director - Polygon

Contents:

• SORRY, FOLKS, PIXAR’S LU ISN’T GAY
• LU MAY NOT BE A GAY NARRATIVE, BUT ’S ABSOLUTELY A QUEER ONE
• DO DISNEY’S ‘LU’ HAVE A GAY CHARACTER?
• I'M SORRY, BUT "LU" IS TOTALLY A GAY MOVIE, AND THE 18 TWEETS PROVE IT
• IS LU A GAY METAPHOR?
• IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE
• 'LU' DIRECTOR ADMS THEY 'TALKED ABOUT' MAKG THE LEADS GAY BUT CID TO FOC ON A 'PRE-ROMANCE' IENDSHIP
• DISNEY INSISTS IT’S NOT GAY, BUT ‘LU’ IS ABOUT TWO BOYS IN LOVE SAVAS ABADSIDIS JUNE 25, 2021SHARE IN A WEEK WHERE LOKI ME OUT AS BISEXUAL ON HIS EPYNOMO SERI ON DISNEY+, PIXAR RELEASED THE MOST BETIFUL ALLEGORY FOR AT THE VERY LEAST ACTUALIZATN OF ROMANTIC LEANGS BETWEEN TWO BOYS LU.FROM TOPPS CARDS LU EDN.BUT DISNEY VEHEMENTLY NI LU IS GAY.AND I N’T HELP BUT WONR WHY?IF LU IS NOT OR DO NOT HAVE ANY “GAY OVERTON” AS DISNEY/PIXAR KEEP SAYG, THEN WHAT THE FUCK IS ?SO I WATCHED LU YTERDAY — YOUR FAVE IS MLM! (@FAVEISGAY) JUNE 20, 2021LU IS FACT ONE OF THE MOST BETIFUL STORI ABOUT TWO BOYS LOVE MASTERFULLY WROUGHT TO PTURE ADOLCENT NON-SEXUAL ROMANCE THAT I’VE EVER SEEN.YOUNG GAY PEOPLE OFTEN FEEL VERY DIFFERENT OM OTHERS BEFORE SUCH FEELGS VELOP, WHICH N OCCUR SQUARELY THE AGE BRACKET THE STORY PLAC LU AND ALBERTO. AND THE TWO BOYS/SEA MONSTERS GO THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER, MIRRORG THE FDG OF FAY THAT OFTEN OCCURS THE LIV OF YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. AS LU’S GRANDMA SAYS, “SOME PEOPLE, THEY’LL NEVER ACCEPT HIM. BUT SOME WILL. AND HE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FD THE GOOD ON.” AND THEY’RE NOT THE ONLY POTENTIAL QUEER CHARACTERS THE MOVIE – THE TWO SEPARABLE ELRLY WOMEN AT THE BEGNG OF THE STORY ALSO E OUT AS SEA MONSTERS THE CLIMACTIC SCENE AFTER THE RACE. NOT TO MENTN GIULIA’S POSN AS AN ALLY AND FENR OF THE BOYS AT SEVERAL POTS THE FILM.VANY FAIR: IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE A SUMMERY G-OF-AGE FABLE MIGHT BE LAN WH ALLEGORY, OR NOT? IN A DAZZLG ITALY SOME S AGO, TWO YOUNG MEN MEET AND EXPERIENCE A SWEEPG, HAPPY-SAD SUMMER OF SELF-REALIZATN TOGETHER. THAT MAY SOUND ROUGHLY LIKE THE PLOT OF LU GUADAGNO’S 2017 FILM CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, BUT IS ALSO THE STORY OF THE PERHAPS CINTALLY NAMED LU, THE LATT BTERSWEET ANIMATED FILM OM DISNEY AND PIXAR (ON DISNEY+ JUNE 18).THE FILM IS ABOUT TWO KIDS, LU (JAB TREMBLAY) AND ALBERTO (JACK DYLAN GRAZER), WHO SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME AS GILLED AND FNED CREATUR LIVG UNR THE SPARKLGLY WE-DARK LIGURIAN SEA. IF THEY MAKE THEIR WAY ONTO LAND, THEY MAGILLY TRANSFORM— APPEARANCE, AT LEAST—TO HUMANS, EE TO TERACT WH THE LANDLUBBERS OF A SMALL FISHG TOWN POPULATED WH WHIMSIL CHARACTERS. LU AND ALBERTO SHARE AN TENSE, FG, AND WORLD-CRACKG-OPEN BOND, BUT MT HI WHO THEY REALLY ARE THE PRENCE OF JUDGMENTAL, FEARFUL OTHERS.THAT OUTLE HOLDS AN OBV POTENTIAL FOR QUEER ALLEGORY, AND ED MANY PIXAR FANS TRACKG THE FILM’S VELOPMENT QUICKLY LABELED LU AS THE STUD’S “GAY MOVIE”—A G-OUT STORY TO BE PLACED ON PIXAR’S MANTLE ALONGSI S MEDATNS ON GRIEF, ARTISTIC EXPRSN, LONELS, AYN RAND-IAN OBJECTIVISM, AND PARENTG. FALLY, DISNEY MIGHT ACTUALLY VENTURE TO QUEER STORYTELLG, A VAST LANDSPE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE THAT THE STUD HAS ONLY MEEKLY (AND SMUGLY) GTURED TOWARD RECENT YEARS.@ELMUNDOALVARONEWSLU PAGURO ##PIXARLU ##LU ##PIXARLUMOVIE ##LUPIXAR ##LUED ##DISNEYPIXARLU ##LUPAGURO ##PIXARED ##DISNEYLU ##PIXAR ##DISNEYPIXAR♬ SONIDO ORIGAL – PIXAR LUTHERE IS ENOUGH THERE TO GRAFT A QUEER READG ONTO—LU’S DOTG PARENTS (VOICED BY MAYA RUDOLPH AND JIM GAFFIGAN) ARE SRED ABOUT HOW LU’S INTY MAY BE GREETED BY THOSE WHO DON’T UNRSTAND HIM, FOR STANCE—BUT THE FILM ULD JT AS EASILY BE SEEN AS AN ALLEGORY FOR OTHER SORTS OF DIFFERENCE. THE BOYS’ WASHG ASHORE BRGS TO MD THE RECENT IMMIGRATN AND REFUGEE CRISIS GRIPPG EUROPE, AS PEOPLE FLEEG WAR-TORN LANDS ARE MET WH HOSTILY AND SHUNNED BY ERNMENTS AS THEY SIMPLY TRY TO SURVIVE. OR THE FILM ULD MORE BROADLY JT BE ABOUT A PARTICULAR TIME EARLY ADOLCENCE, WHEN KIDS TEND TO LEAPOG OVER ONE ANOTHER ON THEIR WAY TO YOUNG ADULTHOOD, SOMETIM LEAVG EACH OTHER BEHD AS THEY GROW TO THEIR TE SELV AND RACE DOWN NEWLY OPEN PATHS.WRER/DIRECTOR ENRI CASAROSA HAS EXPLICLY SAID THAT THE FILM IS NOT A QUEER STORY, THAT IS ALL “PLATONIC” AND TERMEDLY “PRE-PUBCENT.” THAT SUGGTS A LIMED UNRSTANDG OF GAY GROWG UP, PARTICULARLY OF WHEN OUR FEELGS OF AFFECTN AND SPECIAL CLOSENS AND DIFFERENCE N FIRST VELOP. IT WOULD SEEM, AS SO OFTEN DO, THAT CASAROSA’S (AND PERHAPS DISNEY’S) VIEW, QUEERNS MT SPECIFILLY VOLVE SEX TO BE QUEERNS AT ALL. AND, OF URSE, PIXAR IS NEVER GOG TO MAKE A MOVIE, OSTENSIBLY FOR KIDS, THAT EVEN HTS AT SEX.BY THE WAY CASAROSA ALSO EXPLAED THE LAST THG ALBERTO SAYS TO LU AT THE END, WHICH MANY THOUGHT WAS PERHAPS SOME SWCHG: “PIACERE, GIROLAMO TROMBETTA,” ALBERTO SAYS AS HE SHAK LU’S HAND.THE BOY LGHS AS HE ASKS, “SERLY, WHAT DO THAT MEAN?”“NO IA; GO FD OUT FOR ME, WILL YA?” ALBERTO RPONDS.THE PHRASE THAT ALBERTO SAID TO LU AT THE END OF THE MOVIE ROUGHLY TRANSLAT TO “NICE TO MEET YOU. MY NAME IS TWISTY TROMBONE.” THIS LU MOVIE ITALIAN TRANSLATN ALSO APPEARS THE FILM WHEN THE TWO BOYS MEET EACH OTHER.PIACERE GIROLAMO TROMBETTA.IT’S A SILLY KIDS THG OM WHEN I GREW UP. IT’S AT S BASE A PUN WH A HAND SHAKE THAT GO WH . IT’S ITALIAN ROUGHLY FOR“NICE TO MEET YOU MY NAME IS TWISTY TROMBONE!” AND AS YOU SAY YOUR NAME YOU MIMICK THE NAME THE HAND SHAKE MOVEMENT. — ENRI CASAROSA (@SKETCHCRAWL) JUNE 19, 2021AFTER TRANSLATG THE ITALIAN PHRASE THAT ALBERTO SAID TO LU AT THE END OF THE PIXAR FILM, VIEWERS ARE STILL NFED. WHY DID HE SAY THAT? THE TWO BOYS ALREADY MET, AND ALBERTO’S NAME ISN’T TWISTY TROMBONE. IT DON’T MAKE ANY SENSE. LUCKILY, THE DIRECTOR ENRI CASAROSA FIELD NUMERO QUTNS OM FANS ABOUT THE MOVIE AFTER DROPPED ON DISNEY+. HE EXPLAED WHY ALBERTO SAID THE ITALIAN PHRASE TO LU. “IT’S A SILLY KIDS THG OM WHEN I GREW UP,” CASAROSA TWEETED ABOUT THE PHRASE. “IT’S AT S BASE A PUN WH A HANDSHAKE THAT GO WH . AND AS YOU SAY YOUR NAME, YOU MIMIC THE NAME THE HANDSHAKE MOVEMENT.”BACK TO THE GAY STUFF:ASI OM WHO MAY OR MAY NOT REPRENT, THE FILM IS A NICE TRODUCTN TO SUMMER S TOXITG WASH OF BLU AND GREENS AND ORANG, THE WAY NJUR UP THE HEADY MOMENTUM OF YOUTH, THE THRILLG SH OF LIFE’S PAG TURNG. LU DO WELL THAT REGARD, THOUGH PERHAPS MAY BE MORE MEMORABLE FOR WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THAN FOR WHAT ACTUALLY IS.UPON RE-WATCHG LU KNOWG ALL THIS I STILL FEEL LIKE ’S SO GOOD AND I’M LIKE WHY NOT JT SAY … A MONTH WHERE NEARLY ALL OF RPORATE AMERI WENT GAY-FOR-PAY OR AT THE VERY LEAST “WOKEWASHG/PKWASHG-WHATEVER-THE-PHRASE” OF THE MOMENT IS— THIS SE, THIS IS A MOVIE THAT PIXAR, DISNEY AND ANYONE VOLVED S CREATN, N BE PROUD OF.SO WHY AREN’T THEY?WRER/DIRECTOR DEKKER DREYER SAYS, “THERE’S THIS WHOLE IA THEY’RE RIDG ABOUT THEM BEG TOO YOUNG TO HAVE SEXUAL FEELGS… LOOK, HERE’S THE THG… KIDS SHOULDN’T BE HAVG SEX, BUT THAT DON’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT KIDS AS YOUNG AS PRCHOOL HAVE ROMANTIC TERTS AND CLATNS.” A QUICK ANECDOTAL (AND SLIGHTLY TONGUE--CHEEK) CHECK LIST OF GAY SIGNAL VIRTUE-G LU: THE SCENE WHERE THEY MEET, THE SECRET OF THEIR SOLIDARY INTY, ALBERTO AGAST EATG RBS (THE PART WHERE THE PASTA EATG PART OF THE VPA PETN IS EXPLAED), WHEN ALBERTO IS OUTED, WHEN LU BETRAYS ALBERTO WHEN HE’S OUTED… THE LIST GO ON.@PIXARSLUDO YOU LIKE LU ##LUED ##LU ##PIXARSLU##DISNYLU ##VIRAL ##???? ##LUDANIELAPAGURO ##FYP ????????????♬ ORIGAL SOUND – PIXARLU“IT’S VERY CLEARLY AN ALLEGORY FOR THE ACTUALIZATN OF ROMANTIC LEANGS,” DREYER SAYS. DREYER BELIEV THAT THE RPORATE RPONSE IS A FEAR OF  BRAND PEDOPHIL. “BEE OF THE AGE OF THE CHARACTERS. THE THG IS THEY NEVER SAY ’S NOT GAY THEY JT KEEP SAYG ‘THEY’RE CHILDREN BLAH BLAH… NO SEXUAL OVERTON.’ SOMEONE THERE IS WORRIED THAT THEY’LL GET THE PEDOPHILIA STAMP IF THEY ENDORSE AN IA OF SEXUAL INTY UNRAGED CHARACTERS, EVEN IF THOSE CHARACTERS AREN’T HUMANS. FUCK, FOR ALL WE KNOW SEA MONSTERS SEXUALLY MATURE YOUNGER THAN THAT… THEY’RE SEA MONSTERS.”  “IT’S WEIRD THAT THEY’D MAKE THIS FILM THIS TIME AND PLACE WHOUT BACKG UP S SUBTEXT AND TO A VERY REAL EXTENT, S TEXT,” DREYER NCLUS.POLYGON, HOWEVER, THKS: IT ISN’T A ROMANTIC QUANDARY AT ALL. INSTEAD, LU PLAYS WH THE IA THAT ANYONE N HAVE DIFFERENT EMOTNALLY SATISFYG RELATNSHIPS WH DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGG HOW HARD THAT N BE TO ACCEPT.WHILE MANY MORY GROUPS AND OUTSIRS ATTRACT THE KD OF REACTN THE SEA MONSTERS ELIC OM THE TOWNSFOLK OF PORTOROSSO, FEW FOLLOW THE PATH OF HIDG THE THG THAT MAK THEM DIFFERENT ORR TO F , SOMETHG QUEER PEOPLE STGGLE WH THROUGHOUT THEIR LIV – MOST CERTALY BEFORE G OUT, BUT OFTEN FOR A LONG TIME AFTER, TOO. THE PARALLELS OF THE BOYS SECRETLY BEG SEA MONSTERS AND GAY AND BEG FORCED TO HI THEIR INTI CUTS CLOSER THAN OTHER MORY GROUPS, RATNALIZG A QUEER READG OF THE MOVIE. SO WHILE PIXAR NI LU IS A GAY STORY DUE TO S SETTG AND THE AGE OF S CHARACTERS, VIEWERS SHOULD READ THE QUEER NARRATIVE FOR WHAT IS.
• HOW GAY IS PIXAR’S LU?
• DISNEY’S LUCA DIRECTOR CONFIRMS ’S NOT GAY. CARTOON SHIPPERS ARE SALTY.
• LU FANS ARE NVCED 'S A GAY LOVE STORY AND THE MEM ARE INIC

SORRY, FOLKS, PIXAR’S LU ISN’T GAY

When Pixar first revealed the plot synopsis of s upg movie Lu — a tale of two sea-monster boys named Lu and Alberto, and an “unfettable” summer on the Italian Rivera — many people quickly pared to Call Me By Your Name, the 2017 gay romance that also took place durg an unfettable summer Italy. But 2020, Pixar released “Out” through s SparkShorts program, which centered around a gay uple. Eager for reprentatn, many fans have clung to the possibily that Lu might give them openly gay ma characters, and not jt one-note si characters.

The New York Tim their review of Lu, saw the queer allegory plaly, offerg the cheeky alternate tle of Calamari By Your Name — a reference to Call Me By Your Name (2017), the Amy Award-wng gay g-of-age film starrg Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer. Related: Anthony Mackie Com Unr Fire For Homosexualy Comments. Another story makg headl this week related to a Disney property’s perceived reprentatn of a gay relatnship volved Marvel’s new Capta Ameri, Anthony Mackie.

When asked about the relatnship between Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Bucky Barn (Sebastian Stan) The Faln and The Wter Soldier, the actor was ls than enthed by fans sertg a homosexual subtext.

LU MAY NOT BE A GAY NARRATIVE, BUT ’S ABSOLUTELY A QUEER ONE

The ia of two guys beg iends and lovg each other 2021 is a problem bee of the exploatn of homosexualy.

In rponse to viewers who reacted to trailers by hopg the film might be a childhood gay romance, Lu director Enri Casarosa rapidly shut the notn down, sayg “I was really keen to talk about a iendship before girliends and boyiends e to plite thgs. The Deep is portrayed as horrible place of self-nial, but they’re willg to make him suffer to keep him away om what they see as immoral, a clear parallel to the nversn therapy or wilrns therapy that so many young LGBTQ+ people are subjected to by homophobic muni.

His rponse was simple: “I’d say is meant to be terpreted by the viewer […] If you thk Le is gay, of urse he is. ” Hal regnized that some people benefted om readg the character as gay, and acknowledged that there isn’t a sgle rrect terpretatn of Le. Jt a ltle over halfway through Pri Month, we are seeg people flock to Twter to prent their theori on why and how the lead duo Disney and Pixar’s latt g-of-age animated feature film, Lu, is, fact, gay.

DO DISNEY’S ‘LU’ HAVE A GAY CHARACTER?

So do Lu have a gay character after all, or is this jt a se of fans creatg a headnon that’s gag tractn and onle clout? Do Lu have a gay character? While Disney has not e on the rerd sayg that Lu and Alberto are gay, we (and many a Twter er!

I'M SORRY, BUT "LU" IS TOTALLY A GAY MOVIE, AND THE 18 TWEETS PROVE IT

) believe that the great mds at Pixar may have meant for the movie’s plot to be an overall metaphor for gayns and acceptance. I KNOW #Lu isn’t an explicly gay movie. So while no character Lu has been intified by Disney outright as gay, we n very well read the subtext, metaphors, and straight-up visual evince (all of those nocent touch!

IS LU A GAY METAPHOR?

Can’t 2 boys be close and iendly wh each other whout beg gay? Lu is a gay movie.

This movie is 1, 000% a metaphor for the growg up gay experience. I'm jt stg here after watchg #Lu unable to stop thkg about how was a metaphor for beg gay. Jt saw Lu, & I don’t re what anyone else says, ’s the first gay animated film by Disney/Pixar.

Watchg lu and giulia sayg all three of them "drs weird" when they llectively look like a gay iend group 2021................ Also me, watchg Lu: gay?

IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE

Cryg joyful gay tears for all the nfed LGBTQ+ kids who will watch Pixar's LUCA and have their ner world validated. I feel like Lu will make a lastg imprsn on the LGBTQ muny bee even though the characters weren’t stated gay clearly draws on many experienc that gays face adolcence and even after speakg as a 19-year-old out guy I uld relate to #Lu #PixarLu. Alberto and lu not beg able to let go of each others hands is the most heart breakg thg omfg i love gays.

'LU' DIRECTOR ADMS THEY 'TALKED ABOUT' MAKG THE LEADS GAY BUT CID TO FOC ON A 'PRE-ROMANCE' IENDSHIP

Lu is marketed as a "metaphor for anythg" but the sea monster setup is a perfect allegory for a gay story, and LGBTQ viewers n read that way. Lu has arrived on Disney+ and, spe what Pixar says, the movie prents a strong allegory for growg up gay and fdg a nnectn wh other LGBTQ people. This elis the fact that beg gay, queer, or LGBTQ+ is not simply a matter of partners or relatnships or sex.

Young gay people often feel very different om others before such feelgs velop, which n occur squarely the age bracket the story plac Lu and Alberto. In the ments, Casarosa is enuragg such terpretatn, meang that, if you see there, Lu is a gay story, Pixar's first feature film wh LGBTQ+ leads. The parallels of the boys secretly beg sea monsters and gay and LGBTQ+ people beg forced to hi their inti cuts closer than other mory groups, ratnalizg a queer readg of the movie.

So while Pixar ni Lu is a gay story due to s settg and the age of s characters, viewers should read the LGBTQ+ narrative for what is.

DISNEY INSISTS IT’S NOT GAY, BUT ‘LU’ IS ABOUT TWO BOYS IN LOVE SAVAS ABADSIDIS JUNE 25, 2021SHARE IN A WEEK WHERE LOKI ME OUT AS BISEXUAL ON HIS EPYNOMO SERI ON DISNEY+, PIXAR RELEASED THE MOST BETIFUL ALLEGORY FOR AT THE VERY LEAST ACTUALIZATN OF ROMANTIC LEANGS BETWEEN TWO BOYS LU.FROM TOPPS CARDS LU EDN.BUT DISNEY VEHEMENTLY NI LU IS GAY.AND I N’T HELP BUT WONR WHY?IF LU IS NOT OR DO NOT HAVE ANY “GAY OVERTON” AS DISNEY/PIXAR KEEP SAYG, THEN WHAT THE FUCK IS ?SO I WATCHED LU YTERDAY — YOUR FAVE IS MLM! (@FAVEISGAY) JUNE 20, 2021LU IS FACT ONE OF THE MOST BETIFUL STORI ABOUT TWO BOYS LOVE MASTERFULLY WROUGHT TO PTURE ADOLCENT NON-SEXUAL ROMANCE THAT I’VE EVER SEEN.YOUNG GAY PEOPLE OFTEN FEEL VERY DIFFERENT OM OTHERS BEFORE SUCH FEELGS VELOP, WHICH N OCCUR SQUARELY THE AGE BRACKET THE STORY PLAC LU AND ALBERTO. AND THE TWO BOYS/SEA MONSTERS GO THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER, MIRRORG THE FDG OF FAY THAT OFTEN OCCURS THE LIV OF YOUNG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE. AS LU’S GRANDMA SAYS, “SOME PEOPLE, THEY’LL NEVER ACCEPT HIM. BUT SOME WILL. AND HE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FD THE GOOD ON.” AND THEY’RE NOT THE ONLY POTENTIAL QUEER CHARACTERS THE MOVIE – THE TWO SEPARABLE ELRLY WOMEN AT THE BEGNG OF THE STORY ALSO E OUT AS SEA MONSTERS THE CLIMACTIC SCENE AFTER THE RACE. NOT TO MENTN GIULIA’S POSN AS AN ALLY AND FENR OF THE BOYS AT SEVERAL POTS THE FILM.VANY FAIR: IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE A SUMMERY G-OF-AGE FABLE MIGHT BE LAN WH ALLEGORY, OR NOT? IN A DAZZLG ITALY SOME S AGO, TWO YOUNG MEN MEET AND EXPERIENCE A SWEEPG, HAPPY-SAD SUMMER OF SELF-REALIZATN TOGETHER. THAT MAY SOUND ROUGHLY LIKE THE PLOT OF LU GUADAGNO’S 2017 FILM CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, BUT IS ALSO THE STORY OF THE PERHAPS CINTALLY NAMED LU, THE LATT BTERSWEET ANIMATED FILM OM DISNEY AND PIXAR (ON DISNEY+ JUNE 18).THE FILM IS ABOUT TWO KIDS, LU (JAB TREMBLAY) AND ALBERTO (JACK DYLAN GRAZER), WHO SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME AS GILLED AND FNED CREATUR LIVG UNR THE SPARKLGLY WE-DARK LIGURIAN SEA. IF THEY MAKE THEIR WAY ONTO LAND, THEY MAGILLY TRANSFORM— APPEARANCE, AT LEAST—TO HUMANS, EE TO TERACT WH THE LANDLUBBERS OF A SMALL FISHG TOWN POPULATED WH WHIMSIL CHARACTERS. LU AND ALBERTO SHARE AN TENSE, FG, AND WORLD-CRACKG-OPEN BOND, BUT MT HI WHO THEY REALLY ARE THE PRENCE OF JUDGMENTAL, FEARFUL OTHERS.THAT OUTLE HOLDS AN OBV POTENTIAL FOR QUEER ALLEGORY, AND ED MANY PIXAR FANS TRACKG THE FILM’S VELOPMENT QUICKLY LABELED LU AS THE STUD’S “GAY MOVIE”—A G-OUT STORY TO BE PLACED ON PIXAR’S MANTLE ALONGSI S MEDATNS ON GRIEF, ARTISTIC EXPRSN, LONELS, AYN RAND-IAN OBJECTIVISM, AND PARENTG. FALLY, DISNEY MIGHT ACTUALLY VENTURE TO QUEER STORYTELLG, A VAST LANDSPE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE THAT THE STUD HAS ONLY MEEKLY (AND SMUGLY) GTURED TOWARD RECENT YEARS.@ELMUNDOALVARONEWSLU PAGURO ##PIXARLU ##LU ##PIXARLUMOVIE ##LUPIXAR ##LUED ##DISNEYPIXARLU ##LUPAGURO ##PIXARED ##DISNEYLU ##PIXAR ##DISNEYPIXAR♬ SONIDO ORIGAL – PIXAR LUTHERE IS ENOUGH THERE TO GRAFT A QUEER READG ONTO—LU’S DOTG PARENTS (VOICED BY MAYA RUDOLPH AND JIM GAFFIGAN) ARE SRED ABOUT HOW LU’S INTY MAY BE GREETED BY THOSE WHO DON’T UNRSTAND HIM, FOR STANCE—BUT THE FILM ULD JT AS EASILY BE SEEN AS AN ALLEGORY FOR OTHER SORTS OF DIFFERENCE. THE BOYS’ WASHG ASHORE BRGS TO MD THE RECENT IMMIGRATN AND REFUGEE CRISIS GRIPPG EUROPE, AS PEOPLE FLEEG WAR-TORN LANDS ARE MET WH HOSTILY AND SHUNNED BY ERNMENTS AS THEY SIMPLY TRY TO SURVIVE. OR THE FILM ULD MORE BROADLY JT BE ABOUT A PARTICULAR TIME EARLY ADOLCENCE, WHEN KIDS TEND TO LEAPOG OVER ONE ANOTHER ON THEIR WAY TO YOUNG ADULTHOOD, SOMETIM LEAVG EACH OTHER BEHD AS THEY GROW TO THEIR TE SELV AND RACE DOWN NEWLY OPEN PATHS.WRER/DIRECTOR ENRI CASAROSA HAS EXPLICLY SAID THAT THE FILM IS NOT A QUEER STORY, THAT IS ALL “PLATONIC” AND TERMEDLY “PRE-PUBCENT.” THAT SUGGTS A LIMED UNRSTANDG OF GAY GROWG UP, PARTICULARLY OF WHEN OUR FEELGS OF AFFECTN AND SPECIAL CLOSENS AND DIFFERENCE N FIRST VELOP. IT WOULD SEEM, AS SO OFTEN DO, THAT CASAROSA’S (AND PERHAPS DISNEY’S) VIEW, QUEERNS MT SPECIFILLY VOLVE SEX TO BE QUEERNS AT ALL. AND, OF URSE, PIXAR IS NEVER GOG TO MAKE A MOVIE, OSTENSIBLY FOR KIDS, THAT EVEN HTS AT SEX.BY THE WAY CASAROSA ALSO EXPLAED THE LAST THG ALBERTO SAYS TO LU AT THE END, WHICH MANY THOUGHT WAS PERHAPS SOME SWCHG: “PIACERE, GIROLAMO TROMBETTA,” ALBERTO SAYS AS HE SHAK LU’S HAND.THE BOY LGHS AS HE ASKS, “SERLY, WHAT DO THAT MEAN?”“NO IA; GO FD OUT FOR ME, WILL YA?” ALBERTO RPONDS.THE PHRASE THAT ALBERTO SAID TO LU AT THE END OF THE MOVIE ROUGHLY TRANSLAT TO “NICE TO MEET YOU. MY NAME IS TWISTY TROMBONE.” THIS LU MOVIE ITALIAN TRANSLATN ALSO APPEARS THE FILM WHEN THE TWO BOYS MEET EACH OTHER.PIACERE GIROLAMO TROMBETTA.IT’S A SILLY KIDS THG OM WHEN I GREW UP. IT’S AT S BASE A PUN WH A HAND SHAKE THAT GO WH . IT’S ITALIAN ROUGHLY FOR“NICE TO MEET YOU MY NAME IS TWISTY TROMBONE!” AND AS YOU SAY YOUR NAME YOU MIMICK THE NAME THE HAND SHAKE MOVEMENT. — ENRI CASAROSA (@SKETCHCRAWL) JUNE 19, 2021AFTER TRANSLATG THE ITALIAN PHRASE THAT ALBERTO SAID TO LU AT THE END OF THE PIXAR FILM, VIEWERS ARE STILL NFED. WHY DID HE SAY THAT? THE TWO BOYS ALREADY MET, AND ALBERTO’S NAME ISN’T TWISTY TROMBONE. IT DON’T MAKE ANY SENSE. LUCKILY, THE DIRECTOR ENRI CASAROSA FIELD NUMERO QUTNS OM FANS ABOUT THE MOVIE AFTER DROPPED ON DISNEY+. HE EXPLAED WHY ALBERTO SAID THE ITALIAN PHRASE TO LU. “IT’S A SILLY KIDS THG OM WHEN I GREW UP,” CASAROSA TWEETED ABOUT THE PHRASE. “IT’S AT S BASE A PUN WH A HANDSHAKE THAT GO WH . AND AS YOU SAY YOUR NAME, YOU MIMIC THE NAME THE HANDSHAKE MOVEMENT.”BACK TO THE GAY STUFF:ASI OM WHO MAY OR MAY NOT REPRENT, THE FILM IS A NICE TRODUCTN TO SUMMER S TOXITG WASH OF BLU AND GREENS AND ORANG, THE WAY NJUR UP THE HEADY MOMENTUM OF YOUTH, THE THRILLG SH OF LIFE’S PAG TURNG. LU DO WELL THAT REGARD, THOUGH PERHAPS MAY BE MORE MEMORABLE FOR WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THAN FOR WHAT ACTUALLY IS.UPON RE-WATCHG LU KNOWG ALL THIS I STILL FEEL LIKE ’S SO GOOD AND I’M LIKE WHY NOT JT SAY … A MONTH WHERE NEARLY ALL OF RPORATE AMERI WENT GAY-FOR-PAY OR AT THE VERY LEAST “WOKEWASHG/PKWASHG-WHATEVER-THE-PHRASE” OF THE MOMENT IS— THIS SE, THIS IS A MOVIE THAT PIXAR, DISNEY AND ANYONE VOLVED S CREATN, N BE PROUD OF.SO WHY AREN’T THEY?WRER/DIRECTOR DEKKER DREYER SAYS, “THERE’S THIS WHOLE IA THEY’RE RIDG ABOUT THEM BEG TOO YOUNG TO HAVE SEXUAL FEELGS… LOOK, HERE’S THE THG… KIDS SHOULDN’T BE HAVG SEX, BUT THAT DON’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT KIDS AS YOUNG AS PRCHOOL HAVE ROMANTIC TERTS AND CLATNS.” A QUICK ANECDOTAL (AND SLIGHTLY TONGUE--CHEEK) CHECK LIST OF GAY SIGNAL VIRTUE-G LU: THE SCENE WHERE THEY MEET, THE SECRET OF THEIR SOLIDARY INTY, ALBERTO AGAST EATG RBS (THE PART WHERE THE PASTA EATG PART OF THE VPA PETN IS EXPLAED), WHEN ALBERTO IS OUTED, WHEN LU BETRAYS ALBERTO WHEN HE’S OUTED… THE LIST GO ON.@PIXARSLUDO YOU LIKE LU ##LUED ##LU ##PIXARSLU##DISNYLU ##VIRAL ##???? ##LUDANIELAPAGURO ##FYP ????????????♬ ORIGAL SOUND – PIXARLU“IT’S VERY CLEARLY AN ALLEGORY FOR THE ACTUALIZATN OF ROMANTIC LEANGS,” DREYER SAYS. DREYER BELIEV THAT THE RPORATE RPONSE IS A FEAR OF  BRAND PEDOPHIL. “BEE OF THE AGE OF THE CHARACTERS. THE THG IS THEY NEVER SAY ’S NOT GAY THEY JT KEEP SAYG ‘THEY’RE CHILDREN BLAH BLAH… NO SEXUAL OVERTON.’ SOMEONE THERE IS WORRIED THAT THEY’LL GET THE PEDOPHILIA STAMP IF THEY ENDORSE AN IA OF SEXUAL INTY UNRAGED CHARACTERS, EVEN IF THOSE CHARACTERS AREN’T HUMANS. FUCK, FOR ALL WE KNOW SEA MONSTERS SEXUALLY MATURE YOUNGER THAN THAT… THEY’RE SEA MONSTERS.”  “IT’S WEIRD THAT THEY’D MAKE THIS FILM THIS TIME AND PLACE WHOUT BACKG UP S SUBTEXT AND TO A VERY REAL EXTENT, S TEXT,” DREYER NCLUS.POLYGON, HOWEVER, THKS: IT ISN’T A ROMANTIC QUANDARY AT ALL. INSTEAD, LU PLAYS WH THE IA THAT ANYONE N HAVE DIFFERENT EMOTNALLY SATISFYG RELATNSHIPS WH DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGG HOW HARD THAT N BE TO ACCEPT.WHILE MANY MORY GROUPS AND OUTSIRS ATTRACT THE KD OF REACTN THE SEA MONSTERS ELIC OM THE TOWNSFOLK OF PORTOROSSO, FEW FOLLOW THE PATH OF HIDG THE THG THAT MAK THEM DIFFERENT ORR TO F , SOMETHG QUEER PEOPLE STGGLE WH THROUGHOUT THEIR LIV – MOST CERTALY BEFORE G OUT, BUT OFTEN FOR A LONG TIME AFTER, TOO. THE PARALLELS OF THE BOYS SECRETLY BEG SEA MONSTERS AND GAY AND BEG FORCED TO HI THEIR INTI CUTS CLOSER THAN OTHER MORY GROUPS, RATNALIZG A QUEER READG OF THE MOVIE. SO WHILE PIXAR NI LU IS A GAY STORY DUE TO S SETTG AND THE AGE OF S CHARACTERS, VIEWERS SHOULD READ THE QUEER NARRATIVE FOR WHAT IS.

Are Lu and Alberto Gay? Therefore, even while no character the film intifi as openly gay, fans strongly relate to the story of Lu and Alberto.

HOW GAY IS PIXAR’S LU?

Lu: Is Alberto meant to be gay? Unfortunately, none of the tangible romantic chemistry between Lu and Alberto was ever ma official, and Lu director Enri Casarosa explaed that while makg the film's two lead characters gay was fely a possibily, he end up wantg to make the film about a "pre-romance" part of many children's liv.

DISNEY’S LUCA DIRECTOR CONFIRMS ’S NOT GAY. CARTOON SHIPPERS ARE SALTY.

"The news of Giulia almost beg queer Lu on the heels of The Walt Disney Company beg hot water wh a lot of s LGBTQ+ fans for fundg and supportg legislators Florida who support the state's ntroversial "Don't Say Gay" bill. In the same Variety report mentned earlier, was also revealed that Pixar animators jt rtored a same-sex between two characters the upg Lightyear movie after a group of ncerned employe released a statement earlier March claimg executiv at Disney had censored all attempts to portray stanc of "overtly gay affectn" om storyl var Pixar is streamg on Disney+. That outle holds an obv potential for queer allegory, and ed many Pixar fans trackg the film’s velopment quickly labeled Lu as the stud’s “gay movie”—a g-out story to be placed on Pixar’s mantle alongsi s medatns on grief, artistic exprsn, lonels, Ayn Rand-ian objectivism, and parentg.

” That suggts a limed unrstandg of gay growg up, particularly of when our feelgs of affectn and special closens and difference n first velop.

LU FANS ARE NVCED 'S A GAY LOVE STORY AND THE MEM ARE INIC

That character, played tartly but briefly by John McCrea, is slightly ls of a scrap than the embarrassgly ballyhooed “exclively gay moment” 2017’s Bety and the Beast—but Artie still barely registered amid Cella’s cynil clamor. Last year, Disney punted Love, Victor—a seri spoff of the feature film Love, Simon, the first stud film about a gay kid g out—om Disney+ to Hulu, clarg the young adult show a better f for that more grownup streamg service.

Greg Gayne/HuluThe first season of Love, Victor very much felt like a show tend for Disney+ that somehow wound up alongsi Handmaid’s Tale. Love, Victor season two admirably exam life post-g out, as Victor (Michael Cimo) navigat his nascent relatnship wh barista Benji (Gee Sear) and tri to get his mother, Isabel (Ana Ortiz, queen of playg TV moms of gay kids), to fully accept his inty.