Photo by Karine Zenda from Unsplash
Queerness is much more taboo to talk about than a disability. Both can invite unwanted questions about your personal life.
There are also harmful stereotypes, including the tropes of the gay best friend and bound wheelchair user.
I am not comparing minority groups to argue one faces more challenges than the other. Though statistically, the gay community has higher rates of suicide, anxiety, and depression.
Film Shortcuts
Stereotypes are, unfortunately, integral to the storytelling.They are cinematic shortcuts.
They were accentuated during the Hays Code era, but those stereotypes persist as one of the cardinal rules of storytelling.
It shows and doesn’t tell. These stereotypes cause real harm to real people. People are more complex than stereotypes.
But, filmmakers have the plot to get to, and stereotypes facilitate telling their story.
“Whether that means breaking them or buying into them, this is simply a fact.” (University of Washington)
In the case of Luca, whose plot is “ to break down the instances of coding, it’s wise, to begin with, the overarching plot.
A young boy dreams of being something he knows he’s not allowed to be, something his parents disapprove of.
He meets a slightly older boy who shows him that it is actually possible to have what he wants, and they end up becoming very close.
This speaks to a trope in cinema of a wiser, older queer person showing the ropes to a younger, unsure person.” (University of Washington)
Hidden Details in Luca
When examined more closely, Luca is about more nuanced issues than it first appears. The director based the film on his life and denied any intentional gay allegories.
In the surface-level plot, the main characters compete in a triathlon for prize money that Luca and Alberto want to use to buy a Vespa and see the world. It seems simple, and once on land, Luca and Alberto stay on land.
This is like saying that being sea monsters isn’t part of the plot. And that’s part of the problem. Many people who are part of the LGBT+ community feel pressure to “pass” as cisgender straight people because of bigotry.
Other Films From Pixar
In 2022 outward discrimination against diversity by Disney is not part of their brand. That might alienate part of their audience. Diversity sometimes seems to be a “hook” to get people into theaters.
This is known as queer baiting. The distinction between queer coding and queer baiting is the promise of explicit representation implied by queer baiting.
The allegories are part of marketing the story. In the case of Luca, the trailers mainly showed scenes with Alberto and Luca together with a shared secret.
“Disney has recognized a“‘gay market’ for its product, and not a ‘gay agenda.’” In other words,
Disney is willing to create animated films and television shows that suggest queer content, but only so long as it doesn’t damage its conservative image.” (Maier)
Queer baiting does not condemn being gay like the implication of gay villains.
It can’t celebrate either because of mainstream opinions. Queer baiting instead uses the desire of the community to see representation against them by making people work for it.
Sources
University of Washington. CODING, BAITING, AND FISHING: A TALE OF QUEERNESS IN PIXAR’S LUCA.
Maier , Kodi. “Luca, Disney and Queerbaiting in Animation.” The Conversation, 15 July 2021, theconversation.com/luca-disney-and-queerbaiting-in-animation-164349.