Why Did Disney’s Jungle Cise Have to Go Gay?

Contents:

• A GAY CHARACTER SPARKS BATE AND A REFORMED TRAR SAM EMERG DISNEY'S 'JUNGLE CISE'
• ‘JUNGLE CISE’S’ GAY CHARACTER IS YET ANOTHER BABY STEP FROM DISNEY
• JUNGLE CISE: DISNEY’S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER (AND COMG OUT SCENE) EXPLAED
• JUNGLE CISE'S GAY CHARACTER ISN'T PERFECT, BUT HE'S PROGRS
• 'JUNGLE CISE' 'S JACK WHEHALL SAYS HE'S 'PROUD' OF GAY CHARACTER'S COMG-OUT MOMENT FILM
• A CHARACTER DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE IS GAY, OR SO WE’RE TOLD
• WHY DID DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE HAVE TO GO GAY?
• DISNEY INJECTS GAY AGENDA 'JUNGLE CISE' FLICK WH 'PROUD' COMG-OUT SCENE
• DISNEY'S 'JUNGLE CISE' HAS COMG OUT SCENE WH OPENLY GAY CHARACTER
• ‘JUNGLE CISE’ STAR JACK WHEHALL IS ‘PROUD’ OF HIS GAY CHARACTER’S COMG-OUT SCENE DISNEY FILM
• THE CONTROVERSIAL GAY REPRENTATN IN DISNEY’S “JUNGLE CISE” WAS MEH!
• WHY DID DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE HAVE TO GO GAY?
• DID DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE GO FAR ENOUGH WH S GAY REPRENTATN?
• COMG OUT SCENE JUNGLE CISE WON’T USE WORD 'GAY'
• JUNGLE CISE'S GAY CHARACTER INCH DISNEY THE RIGHT DIRECTN
• WHY DID DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE HAVE TO GO GAY?
• JUNGLE CISE RECEIV BACKLASH FOR STEREOTYPILLY GAY ROLE

A GAY CHARACTER SPARKS BATE AND A REFORMED TRAR SAM EMERG DISNEY'S 'JUNGLE CISE'

”Whehall’s MacGregor Houghton “ out” a “Jungle Cise” scene wh Dwayne Johnson’s Frank Wolff (never g the word "gay") film featur a rebooted Trar Sam, a character recently removed om the Disney Parks’ Jungle Cise after cricism over the ri’s racist pictn of Indigeno "Jungle Cise" has some notable passengers.

‘JUNGLE CISE’S’ GAY CHARACTER IS YET ANOTHER BABY STEP FROM DISNEY

Brish edian Jack Whehall plays Lily's brother MacGregor Houghton, who is gay, even g out  a scene wh Wolff (though notably whout employg the word "gay"). Meanwhile, ntroversial shnken head aler Trar Sam, recently removed om the Jungle Cise ri after cricism for s racist pictn of Indigeno people, reappears onscreen the reimaged form of Mexin actrs Veroni Falcó's how the characters took their plac onboard "Jungle Cise" which took $90 ln  worldwi box office and Disney+ Premiere Accs over openg Rock, Ey Blunt: Reveal that most awkward 'Jungle Cise' kiss, dirty jok cut by DisneyMacGregor Houghton subtly out to his Jungle Cise ptaDisney has been cricized for the lack of LGBTQ film reprentatn movi, and lled out for blk-or-you'll-miss- gay character moments films such as "Bety and the Beast" and "Onward.

JUNGLE CISE: DISNEY’S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER (AND COMG OUT SCENE) EXPLAED

" The word "gay" is not mentned the scene that further explas MacGregor's bond to his sister: dienc learn MacGregor's remag fay, and society, have turned their back on him "all bee of who I love.

JUNGLE CISE'S GAY CHARACTER ISN'T PERFECT, BUT HE'S PROGRS

"'Bety and the Beast': That 'gay moment' may have been much ado about nothg"We didn't want to e across like we're standg on a soapbox, " Johnson adds, notg the scene shows diversy and cln were "owned and held regard" the praised screenwrer Michael Green for craftg the scene "wh licy and simplicy.

"Early reactn to the gay character was mixed, wh one Twter er statg, "Disney will really do anythg to avoid g the word 'gay' s mastream ntent.

It’s another step om Disney toward LGBTQ+ reprentatn that feels big the ntext of the opprsively heterosexual rporatn—certaly, ’s an improvement over some of the lghably meangls Disney “gay moments” recent years—but small the ntext of the year 2021. McGregor Houghton (Whehall) had already been d as a gay man, somewhat stereotypilly, throughout the film—fsy, effemate, and a ltle too to skre.

'JUNGLE CISE' 'S JACK WHEHALL SAYS HE'S 'PROUD' OF GAY CHARACTER'S COMG-OUT MOMENT FILM

) But about an hour to the film, Frank and McGregor share a quiet moment together, which McGregor reveals— so many words— that he recently me out as gay to his fay. In 2017, Bety and the Beast director Bill Condon promised an “exclively gay moment a Disney movie, ” which turned out to be a two-send shot of LeFou—as played by Josh Gad—dancg wh a man the film’s fal ball sequence, jt before the creds roll. Two years later, Avengers: Endgame -director Joe Rso revealed the film would feature the Marvel Cematic Universe’s first-ever openly gay character, which turned out to be a random du (played by Rso) g male pronouns to refer to his romantic partner.

A CHARACTER DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE IS GAY, OR SO WE’RE TOLD

Unlike Bety and the Beast, his “gay moment” is an actual, hont-to-God scene that lasts for longer than two sends, and is not thrown at the very end of the film.

) There’s even a good exce to avoid the word “gay, ” given that Jungle Cise tak place the early 1900s, a time when the term “gay” ually meant feelg happy and nothg more.

The word "gay" is never said, as is expected for a rerved, upper class Brish man 1916, but the nversatn mak MacGregor’s sexualy clear. The rather tastels joke, and Frank’s clear disfort, effectively eras the moment of support the two shared before and 's pound by a few more double entendre jok built around subtle gay panic. This blk-and-you’ll-miss- moment, which neverthels garnered much ntroversy, was meant to imply Josh Gad's LeFou is gay, but ’s only ever implied.

WHY DID DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE HAVE TO GO GAY?

So often, g out scen are amed as unveilg a shameful secret, like when Stranger Thgs’ Rob tearfully rejects Steve and nfs she's gay (though he easily accepts the fact she is a lbian). It's a phenomenon so md-bogglgly persistent that 's bee a nng joke onle: Disney keeps announcg, and re-announcg, and re-re-announcg their first-ever gay character.

DISNEY INJECTS GAY AGENDA 'JUNGLE CISE' FLICK WH 'PROUD' COMG-OUT SCENE

From Bety and the Beast's LeFou to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's blk-and-you'll-miss-them lbians, Disney has e unr some unrstandable fire for their apparent abily to produce a film wh a gay character of substance — until Jungle Cise. Though when the film was first announced, many were skeptil that Jack Whehall's purportedly gay character the actn-adventure flick would jt be another name to add to the baker's dozen of so-lled "first" gay characters, but what dienc were treated to stead broke the mold: a nfirmed queer character wh signifint screentime and a substantial scene explicly acknowledgg his sexualy (even if the label is unattached).

DISNEY'S 'JUNGLE CISE' HAS COMG OUT SCENE WH OPENLY GAY CHARACTER

Though Jungle Cise's McGregor Houghton certaly isn't a perfect attempt as far as gay reprentatn Disney films go, he's a step (albe a small one) the right directn — and that's somethg worth talkg about.

‘JUNGLE CISE’ STAR JACK WHEHALL IS ‘PROUD’ OF HIS GAY CHARACTER’S COMG-OUT SCENE DISNEY FILM

When news broke that Brish standup edian Jack Whehall had joed the st of Jungle Cise and would be playg Disney's first major gay character, the cisn received signifint cricism and phback om fans and crics alike. The cisn to make Jungle Cise's gay character f this mold, which has an unfortunate number of overlappg tras wh historilly damagg pictns of gay men, is still one that rais qutns of the film's ias of gay men and masculy. In that ntext, Whehall isn't cidg to make this character choice for the first time and for the sole purpose of brgg to life a gay character.

As many a headle has noted, though, the film skirts around McGregor actually tellg Frank "I'm gay, " stead optg for a more perd-appropriate assurance that "My terts happily lie elsewhere. " At the same time, though, 's worth notg that such verbiage ntu Disney's trend of reprentatn that clears the "we have a gay character" thrhold while still remag palatable for nservative viewers and foreign markets wh anti-LGBTQ+ legislatn. "\u201cJack Whehall opens up about playg a gay character #JungleCise, teasg a "signifint scene the movie" that was "thought about and talked about a lot" behd the scen.

At this pot I feel like we should have a boilerplate article pre-wrten to fill as need: “Disney character X is gay as evinced one blk-and-you miss scene/reference/throwaway le that n be easily excised for ternatnal markets.

THE CONTROVERSIAL GAY REPRENTATN IN DISNEY’S “JUNGLE CISE” WAS MEH!

When Whehall was st as McGregor Houghton 2018, was announced wh fanfare that McGregor would be Disney’s “first gay character, ” a tle a dozen other characters have been given before and sce wh vanishg returns. It’s not strange that McGregor wouldn’t say “gay”—the movie is set the early 20th century, and that word didn’t emerge as a fn embraced by gay men until the 1960s.

” As our Briana Lawrence wrote her brilliant article back May, “Congratulatns to Disney’s 7th Openly Gay Character“(we were talkg about Cella then), so often the prs blz around the apparent cln of queer characters is “a chance for the bare mimum to get a pat on the back. ” Once aga the same old story is happeng wh Whehall’s McGregor, wh Slashfilm’s headle readg, “‘Jungle Cise’ Star Jack Whehall on Playg Disney’s First Major Gay Character” while Pk News is tired of the sp and their headle is “Disney slammed for fallg short yet aga wh Jack Whehall’s gay Jungle Cise character.

WHY DID DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE HAVE TO GO GAY?

Johnson is the boat pta, and the woman (Ey Blunt) is acpanied by her utterly wimpy, fear-filled brother (Jack Whehall), who, turns out, is why, oh why, mt the brother be gay?

DID DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE GO FAR ENOUGH WH S GAY REPRENTATN?

’”Acrdg to the USA Today article, “Disney has been cricized for the lack of LGBTQ film reprentatn movi, and lled out for blk-or-you'll-miss- gay character moments films such as ‘Bety and the Beast’ and ’Onward.

’”And lt there be any misunrstandg, sce the word "gay" is not mentned the scene, MacGregor explas why he, who is anythg but urageo by nature, would follow his sister to such dangero terrory. And while some olr children might pick up on immediately, is obvly there for the parents and olr, to repeat, other than playg to the negative stereotype of gay men beg prissy, pampered, fearful and weak, nothg is gaed by the gay disclosure. That is unls you believe that Hollywood screenwrers and producers and directors uld only thk of one reason for the brother and sister’s close ti: namely, he was gay and she stood by me a still are the double entendre jok implyg oral and anal sex, aga, somethg that would certaly be missed by younger viewers but providg vulgar gay humor for the adults.

Acrdg to the USA Todayarticle, wrten by Bryan Alexanr: “Producer Hiram Garcia says the ‘Jungle Cise’ filmmakers never set out to clu a gay character the perd piece. ’”Y, Alexanr reported, “Early reactn to the gay character was mixed, wh one Twter er statg, ‘Disney will really do anythg to avoid g the word 'gay' s mastream ntent. ”As exprsed by Anna Menta on The Decir:“It’s another step om Disney toward LGBTQ+ reprentatn that feels big the ntext of the opprsively heterosexual rporatn — certaly, ’s an improvement over some of the lghably meangls Disney ‘gay moments’ recent years — but small the ntext of the year 2021.

COMG OUT SCENE JUNGLE CISE WON’T USE WORD 'GAY'

And if you intify as LGBTQ and want to see someone like yourself on the screen, you n readily do , right up to beg a gay or bi or trans would do bt to give up throwg “gay bread cmbs” to their LGBTQ viewers and simply make fay-iendly movi that will not offend the historic moral sensibili of their viewers — unls they have phed most of them away already.

Back 2018 when Disney announced the st for 's Jungle Cise movie, an adaptatn of the famoly slow and fairly racist Disneyland ri, the big news was that Brish actor and edian Jack Whehall had been st as the first major openly gay character a Disney, the first trailer for Jungle Cise has dropped, and for anyone holdg their breath, exced to see what Disney's first gay character will sound and act like, I've got some bad news.

One of the stars of Disney’s upg Jungle Cise adaptatn has pronounced himself “proud” of his character’s g-out as gay scene the flick.

JUNGLE CISE'S GAY CHARACTER INCH DISNEY THE RIGHT DIRECTN

Brish actor and edian Jack Whehall, who is not gay, told reporters that he did not know the character was gog to be portrayed as a gay man when he dned for the film. Jack Whehall opens up about playg a gay character #JungleCise, teasg a "signifint scene the movie" that was "thought about and talked about a lot" behd the scen. The revelatn outsi the source material that McGregor is gay is jt another example of Disney’s mment operatn wh radil gay activist groups to put as many LGBTQ characters every productn as possible.

Jt last month the entertament giant noted that was rebootg s kid’s rtoon seri, The Proud Fay, to feature gay fathers stead of a tradnal fay.

In more adult fare, Disney has phed gay ntent to 2019’s Rise of the Skywalkers which featured a lbian kissg scene (which was removed for Asian distributn), and add “transgenr Jedi Knights” to s Star Wars: The High Republic ic book seri. A tt screeng of the film took place last week -- 'll get a wi release 2020 -- and sourc who attend tell TMZ Disney avoids g the word "gay" when Jack Whehall's character, McGregor, out to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Unclear if the scene will make the fal cut -- but ya gotta image will, given how signifint a move is for Disney to clu a gay character an actn blockbter.

WHY DID DISNEY’S JUNGLE CISE HAVE TO GO GAY?

There was already backlash om the LGBTQ muny over Whehall's stg earlier this summer -- he's a straight guy playg a gay character -- and now, 's obv Disney's watchg s step even closer as tipto to the 21st Century. After facg years of ntroversy regardg s gay reprentatn, Disney’s Jungle Cise fally got a theatril and Disney+ Premiere Accs release the US on July 30, 2021.

In ntrast, Downton Abbey, set the same era as Jungle Cise, has done a far better job of givg a gay lead character wh Thomas Barrow.

JUNGLE CISE RECEIV BACKLASH FOR STEREOTYPILLY GAY ROLE

Even though the characters didn’t e the term “gay” due to the time perd, at least, many of them were clearly aware of Thomas likg men. All all, you n go ahead and nsir the so-lled gay reprentatn Jungle Cise as another baby step for the Hoe of Moe when to showsg queer reprentatn on the big screen. Acrdg to the USA Today article, “Disney has been cricized for the lack of LGBTQ film reprentatn movi, and lled out for blk-or-you'll-miss- gay character moments films such as ‘Bety and the Beast’ and ’Onward.

And lt there be any misunrstandg, sce the word "gay" is not mentned the scene, MacGregor explas why he, who is anythg but urageo by nature, would follow his sister to such dangero terrory. But, to repeat, other than playg to the negative stereotype of gay men beg prissy, pampered, fearful, and weak, nothg is gaed by the gay disclosure.

That is, unls you believe that Hollywood screen wrers and producers and directors uld only one thk of one reason for the brother and sister’s close ti: namely, he was gay and she stood by him. Worse still are the double entendre jok implyg oral and anal sex, aga, somethg that would certaly be missed by younger viewers but providg vulgar gay humor for the adults. Acrdg to the USA Today article, wrten by Bryan Alexanr, “Producer Hiram Garcia says the ‘Jungle Cise’ filmmakers never set out to clu a gay character the perd piece.