Hollywood has long been under fire for only representing a certain portion of The United States population. People feel as though a large amount of citizens are being neglected when it comes to movies and tv shows, or they are being portrayed in a negative light, through the use of stereotypes. While some productions still choose to feature only white, heterosexual, individuals, many are taking leaps and bounds to include those who often are underrepresented.
The LGBTQ community has recently become more prominent in film. Disney has worked to include both individuals and families that are LGBTQ. In the film “Finding Dory”, many were shocked to see a family that appeared to portray two mothers with their daughter. This part of the movie passed very quickly, and left many wondering whether or not Disney was attempting to make a statement. Finding Dory director, Andrew Stanton, was often questioned about this scene. Stanton never confirmed nor denied that the movie was depicting a lesbian couple. He said, “They can be whatever you want them to be. There’s no right or wrong answer.”
Disney shared that they were going to be including a gay character in the live action remake of Beauty and the Beast, which led to controversy around the world. Countries shelved the movie, while others increased the rating, and the movie was even boycotted by a drive-in in Alabama. Since the movie has now been released, many are talking about Lefou, portrayed by Josh Gad. Overall many are saying they are disappointed and expected Lefou’s sexuality to be more apparent. The “big scene” briefly showed Lefou dancing with a man at the end of the movie, and there were other hints scattered throughout the movie.
Another scene included in the movie showed three men that had been put in dresses by the wardrobe, Madame de la Grande Bouche. Two of the men left in disgust, but one of the males liked his new outfit. Overall, viewers were underwhelmed with Disney’s attempt, but were glad that they had at least made an effort.
Julia, a muppet with autism, has recently been added to the cast of Sesame Street, and she is being greeted with open arms. Julia has appeared on two episodes and is now an official part of the gang. Maggie Cory, senior, was excited to see this new muppet. Cory said, “This new muppet will help kids learn how to respectfully communicate and treat students that are different from them without making them feel as though they are superior just because they don’t have a disability.” The characters have all learned about Julia’s disorder in different ways and have modified how they act in order to make sure Julia feels included and knows that she is just as important as the other characters. Many families with children who are on the spectrum have reached out to say that they are so grateful to see mental disorders being normalized. Not only does this help their own children feel as though they aren’t that different after all, but it also helps other children know how to interact with children on the spectrum. “What Sesame Street wants to highlight is that Julia is just like the other characters on the show,” writer Christine Ferraro said. Ferraro added, “I would love her to be not Julia, the kid on Sesame Street with autism. I would like her to be just Julia.”
