USA TODAY, New York Tim review 'Strange World,' gay Disney character

Contents:

• “POLILLY CORRECT” SNOW WHE PHOTOS SPARK BACKLASHPHOTOS POSTED BY THE DAILY MAIL STIRRED UP IRE ONLE FRIDAY.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJULY 14, 2023AXELLE/BER-GRIFFSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEONCE UPON A TIME, A DISNEY LIVE-ACTN REMAKE SPARKED BACKLASH. NO, THIS WASN’T THE RACIST DISURSE AROUND THE LTLE MERMAID, OR BATE OVER POTENTIALLY QUEER BETY AND THE BEAST CHARACTERS, BUT NEWFOUND OUTRAGE ABOUT THE UPG REIMAGG OF SNOW WHE STARRG RACHEL ZEGLER.IT ALL STARTED WH A RECENT DAILY MAIL ARTICLE FEATURG WHAT THE PUBLITN SAID WERE SET PHOTOS OM THE FILM PUBLISHED UNR THE HEADLE, “EXCLUSIVE: SNOW WHE AND THE SEVEN... POLILLY-CORRECT COMPANNS? FIRST PICTUR OF NEW LIVE-ACTN REMAKE OF DISNEY CLASSIC SHOWS STAND- PRCS WALKG WH DIVERSE BAND OF MERRY MEN AND WOMEN AFTER ROW OVER G DWARF ACTORS.”THE OUTLET PUBLISHED SHOTS PURPORTEDLY PTURED ON THURSDAY OM THE MOVIE’S UK SET. THEY SHOW MULTIPLE ACTORS, SEEMGLY SNOW WHE’S WHIMSILLY NAMED NFIDANTS, AS DIFFERENT “GENRS, ETHNICI, AND HEIGHTS,” WHICH UPSET CERTA RNERS OF THE TER. THE SNOW WHE THE PHOTOS IS NOTABLY NOT ZEGLER OF WT SI STORY AND THE UPG HUNGER GAM PREQUEL, WHO ANNOUNCED, PER COLLIR, THAT SHE HAD PLETED FILMG ON THE PROJECT JULY 2022.A DISNEY SOURCE TOLD VF THAT WHILE THE ARE NOT OFFICIAL PHOTOS, THEY ARE OM THE PRODUCTN, WH STAND-S FOR SOME ST MEMBERS. THE DAILY MAIL TOLD VF STANDS BY S STORY.THE SNOW WHE REMAKE IS DIRECTED BY MARC WEBB, AND STARS GAL GADOT AS THE EVIL QUEEN AND TONY WNER ANDREW BURNAP. IT WILL REPORTEDLY CLU SONGS OM THE ORIGAL 1937 FILM, AS WELL AS NEW ON PENNED BY BENJ PASEK AND JT PL, BT KNOWN FOR THE MILS DEAR EVAN HANSEN, AND THE GREATT SHOWMAN.SCE PRODUCTN ON THE PROJECT WAS ANNOUNCED, HAS WEATHERED NTROVERSY. PETER DKLAGE PREVLY LLED THE STORY “FUCKG BACKWARD” FOR S POTENTIAL PICTN OF DWARFISM. IN A STATEMENT TO DEADLE, A DISNEY SPOKPERSON REPLIED WH THE FOLLOWG: “TO AVOID RERCG STEREOTYP OM THE ORIGAL ANIMATED FILM, WE ARE TAKG A DIFFERENT APPROACH WH THE SEVEN CHARACTERS AND HAVE BEEN NSULTG WH MEMBERS OF THE DWARFISM MUNY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARG MORE AS THE FILM HEADS TO PRODUCTN AFTER A LENGTHY VELOPMENT PERD.”ZEGLER HERSELF TOLD VANY FAIR LAST OCTOBER: “PEOPLE ARE MAKG THE JOK ABOUT OURS BEG THE PC SNOW WHE, WHERE ’S LIKE, YEAH, IS—BEE NEED THAT. IT’S AN 85-YEAR-OLD RTOON, AND OUR VERSN IS A REHG STORY ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAS A FUNCTN BEYOND ‘SOMEDAY MY PRCE WILL COME.’”THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSAVANNAH WALSH
• IS BARBIE GAY AND WHY IS THE NEW MOVIE RATED PG-13?
• DISNEY RELEAS ‘GAYT KIDS MOVIE YET,’ PRODUCED LONG BEFORE FLORIDA GROOMG CONTROVERSY
• ‘STRANGE WORLD’ IS DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD. WHY IS IT BEG BURIED?
• DISNEY'S FIRST FILM FEATURG OPENLY GAY MA CHARACTER FLOPS AT BOX OFFICE
• ‘STRANGE WORLD’ IS DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD. WHY IS IT BEG BURIED?INVISIBLEJABOIE YOUNG-WHE VOIC THE FIRST OUT, QUEER LEAD CHARACTER A DISNEY ANIMATED FILM. THE PROBLEM: YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THE MOVIE, “STRANGE WORLD,” EXISTS.ALLEGRA FRANKDEPUTY ENTERTAMENT EDORUPDATED NOV. 26, 2022 5:02AM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 23, 2022 7:00PM EST DISNEYDISNEY HAS TWO MOVI THEATERS RIGHT NOW STARRG QUEER CHARACTERS—BUT YOU’D BE HARD-PRSED TO NAME BOTH OF THEM. IN BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, MICHAELA COEL PLAYS A WARRR WH A FEMALE PARTNER, A RELATNSHIP GIVEN THE MOST CURSORY OF NODS TOWARD THE END OF THE MOVIE WHEN THE PAIR LLS EACH OTHER “LOVE.” THAT FET TOWARD SEXUAL DIVERSY IS PAR FOR THE URSE WH DISNEY MOVI THE DAYS: SPRKLE A LTLE QUEERNS THERE FOR THE FOLKS AT HOME, BUT NOT TOO MUCH, SO THAT N BE EASILY EXCISED FOR THE OVERSEAS RELEASE. (EHER WAY, BIGOTS ARE UNHAPPY.)VERY MUCH NOT PAR FOR THE URSE, THOUGH, IS THE OTHER DISNEY MOVIE WH A QUEER HERO PLAYG THIS WEEKEND. STRANGE WORLD BOASTS NOT ONLY A QUEER TEEN LEAD, VOICED BY IRL QUEER EDY IN JABOIE YOUNG-WHE, BUT THAT QUEER TEEN IS ALSO BIRACIAL. BETWEEN THE EXPLIC QUEERNS AND THE TERRACIAL FAY AT S CENTER, STRANGE WORLD IS SHOCKGLY PROGRSIVE—WELL, AS FAR AS HOLLYWOOD FAY FILMS GO. ESPECIALLY ON OM DISNEY.YET STRANGE WORLD HAS LAND NEHER WH A BANG NOR A WHIMPER. INSTEAD, THE BIGGT STUD THE WORLD HAS RELEASED A NEW FEATURE FILM WH PRACTILLY ZERO FANFARE. THERE ARE NO STRANGE WORLD TOYS AT MCDONALD’S RIGHT NOW. YOUTUBE ISN’T BOMBARDG WH TRAILERS. REVIEWS DROPPED TWO DAYS BEFORE THE FILM’S RELEASE, GENERATG NO NVERSATN. AND EVEN FOX NEWS HAS MA NARY A PEEP ABOUT STRANGE WORLD’S DISURSE-READY STG.IT’S EASY TO SPECULATE AS TO WHY STRANGE WORLD HAS BASILLY BEEN DUMPED TO THEATERS. THE DISPIRG EXPLANATN ULD BE THAT DISNEY, FEARG UPROAR OM ALL MATTERS OF THE RIGHT, HAS CHEWED ANY BIG PROMO S MORE HOMOGENO FILMS RECEIVE. ALL PRS IS GOOD PRS, UNLS ’S ABOUT A RTOON WHERE TWO PEOPLE OF THE SAME GENR HOLD HANDS. THAT’S WHEN THE BAD CHATTER N GET BOTH TOXIC FOR SOCIETY AND POISONO TO THE BOX OFFICE. (LIGHTYEAR, I’M LOOKG AT YOU.) DISNEY THAT THE FILM CENTERS AN TERRACIAL UPLE (DAD SEARCHER, VOICED BY JAKE GYLLENHAAL, AND MOM MERIDIAN, VOICED BY GABRIELLE UNN) AND THEIR QUEER SON, ETHAN (YOUNG-WHE), SHOULD FEEL LS EXCG THAN IS; BY REAL-WORLD STANDARDS, THIS ULD BE A REGULAR-GULAR AMERIN FAY. BUT PALISM IS NOT THE REAL WORLD, JT A LN UPON SOCIETY’S BRA, AND ONE FLUENCED BY THE MYOPIC END OF THE SOCPOLIL SPECTM. WHICH IS WHY UNR THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM, STRANGE WORLD UNTS AS SPECTACULARLY DIVERSE. CRICS SEEKG TO UPHOLD THE OUTDATED STAT QUO OF WHE, CISGENR HETERONORMATIVY N’T HELP BUT REMARK UPON ANY SEMBLANCE OF DIVERSY. TH, ’S EASIER FOR DISNEY TO SHY AWAY OM STRANGE WORLD’S MAKP THAN POT AT . GOTTA LOVE THE FLUENCE OF VTORS ON THE CREATIVE PROCS!BUT AFTER WATCHG THE MOVIE, THERE SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLER EXPLANATN FOR DISNEY’S SHYNS AROUND STRANGE WORLD. SIMPLY PUT, STRANGE WORLD IS THE MOST BORG MOVIE DISNEY HAS RELEASED YEARS.FOR ALL THAT TALK ABOUT WHAT MAK EXCG, THE MOVIE SELF IS CREDIBLY FORMULAIC. STRANGE WORLD IS SET 25 YEARS AFTER SEARCHER’S REVOLUTNARY DISVERY OF A NEW ROURCE, PANDO, UPON WHICH THE FICTNAL WORLD OF AVALONIA N RELY. HE ONLY MAK THIS DISVERY, HOWEVER, AFTER GOG AGAST THE WISH OF HIS EXPLORER FATHER, JAEGER (DENNIS QUAID). SEARCHER AND JAEGER HAVE BEEN TRANGED EVER SCE. THIS DAMAGED FATHER-SON RELATNSHIP TO THE FORE WHEN SEARCHER MT JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE PLA TO HELP ERADITE WHATEVER HAS BEEN DRAG THE PANDO THEY NEED. WHEN SEARCHER ENUNTERS JAEGER ON THAT MISSN, THEY RNE AND HAVE TO LEARN TO ACCEPT EACH OTHER FOR WHO THEY ARE. DISNEY SEARCHER HAS A PARALLEL STGGLE GOG ON WH HIS OWN SON, ETHAN, WHO DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE HIS GRANDPA OR HIS DAD. ETHAN WANTS TO CHART HIS OWN PATH, STUDYG THE WORLD’S ABUNDANT CREATUR AND FLORA. BUT THAT PLOT IS DOWNPLAYED FAVOR OF ETHAN’S EFFORTS TO REPAIR SEARCHER’S RELATNSHIP WH HIS FATHER—AND SAVE THE WORLD AT THE SAME TIME.IN THE FILM, ETHAN IS ALREADY ACCEPTED AND LOVED FOR WHO HE IS WAYS THAT WE ARE FORCED TO NSIR REMARKABLE: ETHAN LIK ONE OF HIS (MALE) IENDS, AND HIS IEND LIK HIM BACK. AN EARLY SCENE SHOWS ETHAN FLTERED AS HIS CSH FLIRTS WH HIM; SEARCHER SHOWS UP AND TRI TO WGMAN FOR HIS SON. EVERYONE IS ROOTG FOR ETHAN AND THIS NICE YOUNG FELLA TO GET TOGETHER, CLUDG HIS OTHERWISE STUBBORN GRANDPA. STRANGE WORLD’S GOT MORE LEGIMATE PROBLEMS TO AL WH THAN ETHAN’S SEXUALY. WHICH IS WONRFUL, EVEN IF SHOULD WARRANT A BIG “WELL, DUH.”BUT THE VERY MONPLACE PROBLEMS OF DADS AND SONS NOT VIBG SEIZE THE FILM’S SPOTLIGHT, TO S TRIMENT. THIS IS A MOVIE WH A LEGIMATELY EPIC SPE TO PLAY WH. WHILE ETHAN IS TELLG HIS DAD THAT HE DON’T WANT TO HARVT PANDO WHEN HE GROWS UP, HE DON’T JT WALK AWAY AND SLAM THE DOOR TO HIS ROOM. HE JUMPS OFF THEIR SPACHIP AND SAILS TO THE UNKNOWN UPON THE BACKS OF A SCHOOL OF EXTRATERRTRIAL FISH CREATUR. HE BEIENDS A LIFE SIZE BACTERIUM, WHO SAV ETHAN OM BEG NSUMED BY SENTIENT TENTACL. ETHAN AND HIS DAD RENCILE THEIR DIFFERENC WHILE STARG TO A GIGANTIC EYEBALL. YET ’S NOT THE EYEBALL OR THE TENTACL OR THE FISH THAT THE FILM PRRIZ, BUT THE STAID “YOU DON’T GET ME, DAD!” DRAMA. THIS IS A FILM THAT WANTS TO BE MORE VTED SEARCHER AND JAEGER’S RELATNSHIP THAN A LIGHTFULLY SIGNED “WALKG LANDMASS” CREATURE. PERHAPS THAT’S ANOTHER TENTNAL CHOICE, MEANT TO SHIELD THE FILM OM NSERVATIVE CRIQUE. IT TOYS WH A STRONG ENVIRONMENTALIST MSAGE TOWARD THE END, WH A LATE-STATE REVEAL RAISG QUTNS ABOUT ETHIL NSUMPTN OF NATURAL ROURC. THE WORLD OF STRANGE WORLD IS ALIVE, VIBRANT, LH, AND VAST, BUT THE MOVIE’S SEEMGLY WELL-TENTNED HUMANS HARDLY NOTICE. IT’S IRONIC THAT THE FILM IS SIARLY IGNORANT OF S GEOLY ANIMATED ENVIRONMENTS; CLIMATE CHANGE NIERS WILL CERTALY APPRECIATE HOW UNTERTED THE SCRIPT IS ENGAGG WH THE FILM’S LANDSP, OPTG FOR NSTANT QUIPS AND EXPLANATORY DIALOGUE STEAD. LS TALK ABOUT SAVG THE PLA, MORE TALK ABOUT HOW AWOME DADS ARE!BUT THIS IS GIVG DISNEY TOO MUCH CRED HERE. STRANGE WORLD WAS NEVER STED TO BE A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE WH ANTI-GAY, RACIST, FOSSIL FUEL-LOVG PUNDS. THAT WOULD REQUIRE ANYONE WATCHG THE FILM FEELG ANYTHG AT ALL—SOMETHG STRANGE WORLD ISN’T PABLE OF DOG. ALLEGRA FRANK
• DISNEY FILM FEATURG GAY MA CHARACTER BOMBS AT BOX OFFICE
• LIST: 'STRANGE WORLD' REVIEWS ABOUT DISNEY'S FIRST OUT GAY, CHARACTER, BIRACIAL QUEER TEEN

“POLILLY CORRECT” SNOW WHE PHOTOS SPARK BACKLASHPHOTOS POSTED BY THE DAILY MAIL STIRRED UP IRE ONLE FRIDAY.BY SAVANNAH WALSHJULY 14, 2023AXELLE/BER-GRIFFSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEONCE UPON A TIME, A DISNEY LIVE-ACTN REMAKE SPARKED BACKLASH. NO, THIS WASN’T THE RACIST DISURSE AROUND THE LTLE MERMAID, OR BATE OVER POTENTIALLY QUEER BETY AND THE BEAST CHARACTERS, BUT NEWFOUND OUTRAGE ABOUT THE UPG REIMAGG OF SNOW WHE STARRG RACHEL ZEGLER.IT ALL STARTED WH A RECENT DAILY MAIL ARTICLE FEATURG WHAT THE PUBLITN SAID WERE SET PHOTOS OM THE FILM PUBLISHED UNR THE HEADLE, “EXCLUSIVE: SNOW WHE AND THE SEVEN... POLILLY-CORRECT COMPANNS? FIRST PICTUR OF NEW LIVE-ACTN REMAKE OF DISNEY CLASSIC SHOWS STAND- PRCS WALKG WH DIVERSE BAND OF MERRY MEN AND WOMEN AFTER ROW OVER G DWARF ACTORS.”THE OUTLET PUBLISHED SHOTS PURPORTEDLY PTURED ON THURSDAY OM THE MOVIE’S UK SET. THEY SHOW MULTIPLE ACTORS, SEEMGLY SNOW WHE’S WHIMSILLY NAMED NFIDANTS, AS DIFFERENT “GENRS, ETHNICI, AND HEIGHTS,” WHICH UPSET CERTA RNERS OF THE TER. THE SNOW WHE THE PHOTOS IS NOTABLY NOT ZEGLER OF WT SI STORY AND THE UPG HUNGER GAM PREQUEL, WHO ANNOUNCED, PER COLLIR, THAT SHE HAD PLETED FILMG ON THE PROJECT JULY 2022.A DISNEY SOURCE TOLD VF THAT WHILE THE ARE NOT OFFICIAL PHOTOS, THEY ARE OM THE PRODUCTN, WH STAND-S FOR SOME ST MEMBERS. THE DAILY MAIL TOLD VF STANDS BY S STORY.THE SNOW WHE REMAKE IS DIRECTED BY MARC WEBB, AND STARS GAL GADOT AS THE EVIL QUEEN AND TONY WNER ANDREW BURNAP. IT WILL REPORTEDLY CLU SONGS OM THE ORIGAL 1937 FILM, AS WELL AS NEW ON PENNED BY BENJ PASEK AND JT PL, BT KNOWN FOR THE MILS DEAR EVAN HANSEN, AND THE GREATT SHOWMAN.SCE PRODUCTN ON THE PROJECT WAS ANNOUNCED, HAS WEATHERED NTROVERSY. PETER DKLAGE PREVLY LLED THE STORY “FUCKG BACKWARD” FOR S POTENTIAL PICTN OF DWARFISM. IN A STATEMENT TO DEADLE, A DISNEY SPOKPERSON REPLIED WH THE FOLLOWG: “TO AVOID RERCG STEREOTYP OM THE ORIGAL ANIMATED FILM, WE ARE TAKG A DIFFERENT APPROACH WH THE SEVEN CHARACTERS AND HAVE BEEN NSULTG WH MEMBERS OF THE DWARFISM MUNY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARG MORE AS THE FILM HEADS TO PRODUCTN AFTER A LENGTHY VELOPMENT PERD.”ZEGLER HERSELF TOLD VANY FAIR LAST OCTOBER: “PEOPLE ARE MAKG THE JOK ABOUT OURS BEG THE PC SNOW WHE, WHERE ’S LIKE, YEAH, IS—BEE NEED THAT. IT’S AN 85-YEAR-OLD RTOON, AND OUR VERSN IS A REHG STORY ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAS A FUNCTN BEYOND ‘SOMEDAY MY PRCE WILL COME.’”THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSAVANNAH WALSH

Wh s reactn to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, the removal of LGBTQ+ characters seri like Gravy Falls and the ncellatn of LGBTQ-led The Owl Hoe, and Pixar employe allegg that executiv have censored queer characters out of their films, there has been an outcry om the LGBTQ+ muny for Disney to improve s LGBTQ+ reprentatn. Out was Disney's first short to follow a gay ma character and showed their first same-sex kiss on-screen. The film was the one to troduce the first openly gay superhero — Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) — to the MCU, but that isn't the only thg that mak Eternals the perfect addn to a celebratn of Pri.

IS BARBIE GAY AND WHY IS THE NEW MOVIE RATED PG-13?

LeFou (Josh Gad) may seem like nothg more than Gaston's sikick, but he ma history 2017 as Disney's first openly gay character.

Siarly Onward featured Pixar's first openly gay character, where Officer Specter (Lena Wahe) referenc her girliend. Is Barbie gay the new movie and why is rated PG-13?

DISNEY RELEAS ‘GAYT KIDS MOVIE YET,’ PRODUCED LONG BEFORE FLORIDA GROOMG CONTROVERSY

PicturIs Barbie gay the new movie? Barbie isn’t gay the new movie, nor is she heterosexual, actually.

”The terviewer mented that he thks the film has a really big gay followg, askg Margot why she thks that is. Disney has released what has been scribed as the “gayt kid’s movie yet, ” as ntu to pay fealty to radil queer activists wh s attacks on Florida’s anti-groomg law that giv parents a say their children’s tn.

While the movie never affix the label of “gay” to s young star, acrdg to the Daily Beast, the movie is an homage to every gay kid who lov stage plays and mils. “Better Nate Than Ever, which jt may be the most gay-posive and enuragg youth programmg that Disney has ever released, ” the Beast reported on Friday. The Daily Beast ghed over the gayns of the film.

‘STRANGE WORLD’ IS DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD. WHY IS IT BEG BURIED?

“It’s a love letter to kids—to theater kids, and most specifilly theater kids who were ma to feel shy or ashamed about who they were and how they acted, and who probably, almost 100 percent of the time, grew up to be gay.

In a sea of nned cktails, Gay Water wants to stand out.

In other words, where Bud Light has buckled unr prsure as bigotry grows agast the LGBTQ+ muny, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hodson wants his new boozy brand to be the anthis of that. “The key issue that Bud Light tapped to was the fact that they didn’t unrstand their re dience and know enough about them,” Hodson, a gay man, told CNN about the ntroversy that began when the Anhser-Bch beer brand sent fluencer Dylan Mulvaney a n of beer. Gay Water, however, is out and proud.

DISNEY'S FIRST FILM FEATURG OPENLY GAY MA CHARACTER FLOPS AT BOX OFFICE

The nned cktail is named after a lloquialism given to the popular mixed drk (vodka and soda) orred at bars by the gay muny.

“Puttg a product wh the word gay the tle is reprentatn self,” which he hop reclaims the word om the negativy ’s sometim associated wh.

‘STRANGE WORLD’ IS DISNEY’S FIRST ANIMATED MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD. WHY IS IT BEG BURIED?INVISIBLEJABOIE YOUNG-WHE VOIC THE FIRST OUT, QUEER LEAD CHARACTER A DISNEY ANIMATED FILM. THE PROBLEM: YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THE MOVIE, “STRANGE WORLD,” EXISTS.ALLEGRA FRANKDEPUTY ENTERTAMENT EDORUPDATED NOV. 26, 2022 5:02AM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 23, 2022 7:00PM EST DISNEYDISNEY HAS TWO MOVI THEATERS RIGHT NOW STARRG QUEER CHARACTERS—BUT YOU’D BE HARD-PRSED TO NAME BOTH OF THEM. IN BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, MICHAELA COEL PLAYS A WARRR WH A FEMALE PARTNER, A RELATNSHIP GIVEN THE MOST CURSORY OF NODS TOWARD THE END OF THE MOVIE WHEN THE PAIR LLS EACH OTHER “LOVE.” THAT FET TOWARD SEXUAL DIVERSY IS PAR FOR THE URSE WH DISNEY MOVI THE DAYS: SPRKLE A LTLE QUEERNS THERE FOR THE FOLKS AT HOME, BUT NOT TOO MUCH, SO THAT N BE EASILY EXCISED FOR THE OVERSEAS RELEASE. (EHER WAY, BIGOTS ARE UNHAPPY.)VERY MUCH NOT PAR FOR THE URSE, THOUGH, IS THE OTHER DISNEY MOVIE WH A QUEER HERO PLAYG THIS WEEKEND. STRANGE WORLD BOASTS NOT ONLY A QUEER TEEN LEAD, VOICED BY IRL QUEER EDY IN JABOIE YOUNG-WHE, BUT THAT QUEER TEEN IS ALSO BIRACIAL. BETWEEN THE EXPLIC QUEERNS AND THE TERRACIAL FAY AT S CENTER, STRANGE WORLD IS SHOCKGLY PROGRSIVE—WELL, AS FAR AS HOLLYWOOD FAY FILMS GO. ESPECIALLY ON OM DISNEY.YET STRANGE WORLD HAS LAND NEHER WH A BANG NOR A WHIMPER. INSTEAD, THE BIGGT STUD THE WORLD HAS RELEASED A NEW FEATURE FILM WH PRACTILLY ZERO FANFARE. THERE ARE NO STRANGE WORLD TOYS AT MCDONALD’S RIGHT NOW. YOUTUBE ISN’T BOMBARDG WH TRAILERS. REVIEWS DROPPED TWO DAYS BEFORE THE FILM’S RELEASE, GENERATG NO NVERSATN. AND EVEN FOX NEWS HAS MA NARY A PEEP ABOUT STRANGE WORLD’S DISURSE-READY STG.IT’S EASY TO SPECULATE AS TO WHY STRANGE WORLD HAS BASILLY BEEN DUMPED TO THEATERS. THE DISPIRG EXPLANATN ULD BE THAT DISNEY, FEARG UPROAR OM ALL MATTERS OF THE RIGHT, HAS CHEWED ANY BIG PROMO S MORE HOMOGENO FILMS RECEIVE. ALL PRS IS GOOD PRS, UNLS ’S ABOUT A RTOON WHERE TWO PEOPLE OF THE SAME GENR HOLD HANDS. THAT’S WHEN THE BAD CHATTER N GET BOTH TOXIC FOR SOCIETY AND POISONO TO THE BOX OFFICE. (LIGHTYEAR, I’M LOOKG AT YOU.) DISNEY THAT THE FILM CENTERS AN TERRACIAL UPLE (DAD SEARCHER, VOICED BY JAKE GYLLENHAAL, AND MOM MERIDIAN, VOICED BY GABRIELLE UNN) AND THEIR QUEER SON, ETHAN (YOUNG-WHE), SHOULD FEEL LS EXCG THAN IS; BY REAL-WORLD STANDARDS, THIS ULD BE A REGULAR-GULAR AMERIN FAY. BUT PALISM IS NOT THE REAL WORLD, JT A LN UPON SOCIETY’S BRA, AND ONE FLUENCED BY THE MYOPIC END OF THE SOCPOLIL SPECTM. WHICH IS WHY UNR THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM, STRANGE WORLD UNTS AS SPECTACULARLY DIVERSE. CRICS SEEKG TO UPHOLD THE OUTDATED STAT QUO OF WHE, CISGENR HETERONORMATIVY N’T HELP BUT REMARK UPON ANY SEMBLANCE OF DIVERSY. TH, ’S EASIER FOR DISNEY TO SHY AWAY OM STRANGE WORLD’S MAKP THAN POT AT . GOTTA LOVE THE FLUENCE OF VTORS ON THE CREATIVE PROCS!BUT AFTER WATCHG THE MOVIE, THERE SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLER EXPLANATN FOR DISNEY’S SHYNS AROUND STRANGE WORLD. SIMPLY PUT, STRANGE WORLD IS THE MOST BORG MOVIE DISNEY HAS RELEASED YEARS.FOR ALL THAT TALK ABOUT WHAT MAK EXCG, THE MOVIE SELF IS CREDIBLY FORMULAIC. STRANGE WORLD IS SET 25 YEARS AFTER SEARCHER’S REVOLUTNARY DISVERY OF A NEW ROURCE, PANDO, UPON WHICH THE FICTNAL WORLD OF AVALONIA N RELY. HE ONLY MAK THIS DISVERY, HOWEVER, AFTER GOG AGAST THE WISH OF HIS EXPLORER FATHER, JAEGER (DENNIS QUAID). SEARCHER AND JAEGER HAVE BEEN TRANGED EVER SCE. THIS DAMAGED FATHER-SON RELATNSHIP TO THE FORE WHEN SEARCHER MT JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE PLA TO HELP ERADITE WHATEVER HAS BEEN DRAG THE PANDO THEY NEED. WHEN SEARCHER ENUNTERS JAEGER ON THAT MISSN, THEY RNE AND HAVE TO LEARN TO ACCEPT EACH OTHER FOR WHO THEY ARE. DISNEY SEARCHER HAS A PARALLEL STGGLE GOG ON WH HIS OWN SON, ETHAN, WHO DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE HIS GRANDPA OR HIS DAD. ETHAN WANTS TO CHART HIS OWN PATH, STUDYG THE WORLD’S ABUNDANT CREATUR AND FLORA. BUT THAT PLOT IS DOWNPLAYED FAVOR OF ETHAN’S EFFORTS TO REPAIR SEARCHER’S RELATNSHIP WH HIS FATHER—AND SAVE THE WORLD AT THE SAME TIME.IN THE FILM, ETHAN IS ALREADY ACCEPTED AND LOVED FOR WHO HE IS WAYS THAT WE ARE FORCED TO NSIR REMARKABLE: ETHAN LIK ONE OF HIS (MALE) IENDS, AND HIS IEND LIK HIM BACK. AN EARLY SCENE SHOWS ETHAN FLTERED AS HIS CSH FLIRTS WH HIM; SEARCHER SHOWS UP AND TRI TO WGMAN FOR HIS SON. EVERYONE IS ROOTG FOR ETHAN AND THIS NICE YOUNG FELLA TO GET TOGETHER, CLUDG HIS OTHERWISE STUBBORN GRANDPA. STRANGE WORLD’S GOT MORE LEGIMATE PROBLEMS TO AL WH THAN ETHAN’S SEXUALY. WHICH IS WONRFUL, EVEN IF SHOULD WARRANT A BIG “WELL, DUH.”BUT THE VERY MONPLACE PROBLEMS OF DADS AND SONS NOT VIBG SEIZE THE FILM’S SPOTLIGHT, TO S TRIMENT. THIS IS A MOVIE WH A LEGIMATELY EPIC SPE TO PLAY WH. WHILE ETHAN IS TELLG HIS DAD THAT HE DON’T WANT TO HARVT PANDO WHEN HE GROWS UP, HE DON’T JT WALK AWAY AND SLAM THE DOOR TO HIS ROOM. HE JUMPS OFF THEIR SPACHIP AND SAILS TO THE UNKNOWN UPON THE BACKS OF A SCHOOL OF EXTRATERRTRIAL FISH CREATUR. HE BEIENDS A LIFE SIZE BACTERIUM, WHO SAV ETHAN OM BEG NSUMED BY SENTIENT TENTACL. ETHAN AND HIS DAD RENCILE THEIR DIFFERENC WHILE STARG TO A GIGANTIC EYEBALL. YET ’S NOT THE EYEBALL OR THE TENTACL OR THE FISH THAT THE FILM PRRIZ, BUT THE STAID “YOU DON’T GET ME, DAD!” DRAMA. THIS IS A FILM THAT WANTS TO BE MORE VTED SEARCHER AND JAEGER’S RELATNSHIP THAN A LIGHTFULLY SIGNED “WALKG LANDMASS” CREATURE. PERHAPS THAT’S ANOTHER TENTNAL CHOICE, MEANT TO SHIELD THE FILM OM NSERVATIVE CRIQUE. IT TOYS WH A STRONG ENVIRONMENTALIST MSAGE TOWARD THE END, WH A LATE-STATE REVEAL RAISG QUTNS ABOUT ETHIL NSUMPTN OF NATURAL ROURC. THE WORLD OF STRANGE WORLD IS ALIVE, VIBRANT, LH, AND VAST, BUT THE MOVIE’S SEEMGLY WELL-TENTNED HUMANS HARDLY NOTICE. IT’S IRONIC THAT THE FILM IS SIARLY IGNORANT OF S GEOLY ANIMATED ENVIRONMENTS; CLIMATE CHANGE NIERS WILL CERTALY APPRECIATE HOW UNTERTED THE SCRIPT IS ENGAGG WH THE FILM’S LANDSP, OPTG FOR NSTANT QUIPS AND EXPLANATORY DIALOGUE STEAD. LS TALK ABOUT SAVG THE PLA, MORE TALK ABOUT HOW AWOME DADS ARE!BUT THIS IS GIVG DISNEY TOO MUCH CRED HERE. STRANGE WORLD WAS NEVER STED TO BE A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE WH ANTI-GAY, RACIST, FOSSIL FUEL-LOVG PUNDS. THAT WOULD REQUIRE ANYONE WATCHG THE FILM FEELG ANYTHG AT ALL—SOMETHG STRANGE WORLD ISN’T PABLE OF DOG. ALLEGRA FRANK

He thought of creatg Gay Water about a year ago while on a vatn wh his iend that had got a job wh the beverage dtry.

DISNEY FILM FEATURG GAY MA CHARACTER BOMBS AT BOX OFFICE

The two chatted about the limed amount of gay people wh , and wh Hodson burnt out om his tradnal day job tech, started the nned cktail. Hodson built up a strong social media followg on TikTok and Instagram durg Covid-19 and is g some of the money om that (as well as om iends and fay) to help fund Gay Water. “Gay is an umbrella term and the ia behd the brand is to be as clive as possible, which means we want alli, we want straight people to be part of this muny we’re buildg.”.

LIST: 'STRANGE WORLD' REVIEWS ABOUT DISNEY'S FIRST OUT GAY, CHARACTER, BIRACIAL QUEER TEEN

For now, Gay Water is sold largely onle (wh a few retailers) and four sugar-ee flavors — watermelon, lime, peach and grapeu — at lnch. Gay Water might not have the ep pockets pared to s petors, like Whe Claw, but “even at small sle, pani of many siz are havg succs makg spir-based seltzers and premixed cktails,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and edor of the alhol beverage newsletter, Sightl+, told CNN.

“There’s lots of space the spir-based seltzer tegory which Gay Water n play, pecially if the brand n offer a cultural or emotnal nnectn that will feel more excg than the prospect of another peapple-flavored vodka seltzer om natnal or ternatnal rporatns,” Roth said. Of urse, other drks e the word “gay,” too, cludg Gay Beer and So Gay Rosé, Hodson noted, which are also tryg to reach the queer muny and offer them an alternative the straight-domated space. The dispirg explanatn uld be that Disney, fearg uproar om all matters of the right, has chewed any big promo s more homogeno films receive.

Strange World was never sted to be a hot button issue wh anti-gay, racist, fossil fuel-lovg punds. Strange World was never sted to be a hot-button issue wh anti-gay, racist, fossil fuel-lovg punds.