Movies
Ben Shapiro Rages Over Casual Inclusion of Gay Teen in New Disney Film
Strange World/Disney
It's not an agenda, Ben. It's real life.
rachelkiley
November 16 2022 2:25 PM EST
February 01 2023 12:07 PM EST
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It's not an agenda, Ben. It's real life.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro is once again losing his mind over the possibility of children being aware that gay people exist.
Shapiro’s latest meltdown revolves around a clip from Disney’s Strange World, which features the first out gay teen character in an animated movie from the company.
Strange World follows a legendary family of explorers who travel to a mysterious planet. The two and a half minute trailer focuses on the family-friendly plot, but one of three clips screened during France’s Annecy Animation Festival over the summer showed Ethan Clade (voiced by Jaboukie Young-White) flirting with a guy from his school, according to Variety.
Young-White has since spoken about the opportunity to voice an out gay character in a Disney film, and how it’s just a casual part of the movie — Strange World is not a coming out story, it’s not centered around his queerness or queer themes, him being gay is just part of Ethan’s character.
In other words, it sounds exactly like the kind of minor romantic flirtation that one would normally find in a non-princess Disney film, just with a queer character rather than heterosexuality as the default setting.
Of course, that’s exactly what Shapiro took issue with.
\u201cAs Disney begins pushing "Strange World" for next week's release, here's the reminder that their "not-at-all-secret gay agenda" to target kids is ongoing. It's a part of the plot of this movie, just as it was with "Lightyear." Your kids, your choice. https://t.co/lMjsaDF8Lp\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1668517712
He then tried to pre-empt any criticism of his homophobia with a couple of confusing tweets that basically amount to him yelling into the clouds.
\u201cAlso an excellent example of "IT'S NOT HAPPENING AND IT'S GOOD THAT IT IS."\u201d— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1668517712
There are only so many ways one can point out that LGBTQ+ people existing in fiction — the same way we do in reality — is neither an “agenda” nor innately sexual or inappropriate for children, and certainly isn’t going to turn anyone queer who wasn’t already on that path to begin with.
It’s also hilarious that people like Shapiro will pull out a statement like “your kids, your choice,” in reminding parents they don’t have to allow their kids to see Strange World (true!), but want to have Christianity taught in public schools. Wait, who has the agenda?
Strange World follows a family of legendary explorers as they head to a mysterious planet called Avalonia.
Yes, despite Ben Shapiro's pearl-clutching, Strange World is a family-friendly film intended to be enjoyed by the entire family, including young children.
Strange World comes to theaters on November 23, 2022, and will presumably eventually be available to stream on Disney+ after its theatrical run.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.