I'm very normal about Gaston

Hi I'm Windy (27) and I'm obsessed with Gaston. please read my pinned post! submissions of any Gaston content welcome! This is a selfship blog so be Aware. no minors pls this is occasionally not sfw, (all nsfw tagged) icon and banner by @possummush

[gastonxwindy]

Hi! Welcome to the Gaston Zone ❤️

My name is Windy and I'm down bad for Gaston

I use any pronouns, I don't care which ones :)

I follow from @that-windy-place-tho (my main)

Selfshipper and also partial to Gaston x Adam, as well as Poly Gaston x Adam x Belle

I do not have any notps that involve Gaston unless they are with minors. I don't really care about "sharing" as a selfshipper so go crazy and don't be mean.

Fave Gaston Content:

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Batb 1991

Villains Cursed Cafe

Icon and header by my lovely boyfriend! @possummush

Dividers used on this blog are by @cafekitsune

DNI: Incest or adult/minor shippers , if you are under 18, transphobes, homophobes, racists, nazis, zionists etc.

There is some 18+ content so please don't follow if you are a minor. (Everything is tagged)

Tag List Master Post

Asks and Submissions are welcome! DMs are fine as well, but be polite please :)

[questions-about-blorbos]

Which of these is your Blorbo’s worst nightmare?

Reliving the past

Failing to save the one they love

Becoming the monster

Trapped with no way out

Being misunderstood

Dying alone

Forced to do terrible things they want no part in

Getting abandoned and left behind

Drowning in shame and guilt

Haunted by the ones they’ve hurt

Trying their best and still not being good enough

Losing power and control

Remaining time: 2 days 7 hours

Every poll on this blog is about fictional characters only. This request was sent to us and we made a poll in response to it. Send any Blorbo-related question you want to our inbox and we’ll make a poll on which people can vote with their own Blorbos in minds

[bidonica]

a funny thing about having a Problematic Blorbo is that you'll periodically come across a post along the lines of "um let's not forget that [Blorbo] is a bad person..." listing their various crimes, and if you have a modicum of intellectual honesty you find yourself nodding along and saying yeah it's true... but it's the greyness of their character that makes them so compelling... At the same time though you have a little Saul Goodman in your ear going "your honor in their defense: who cares like omfgggg who caresssssss like come onnnnnn"

[stuckasmain]

I swear I’m not crazy but wasn’t there a big art book or costume book released sometime after Beauty and the beast 2017 or am I hallucinating something I really want?

[stuckasmain]

Like I’m so serious this isn’t helping… is there a book 👉👈

[gastonxwindy]

I have a bit more of Around the Fur but I'm being annoying and want to make it at least the same length as the second chapter.

I kinda shot myself in the foot by making the first chapter 8k words and the second 6k. All I have so far of chapter 3 is 2k words.

I think I just need to lay out what I want to do in this chapter besides what I have done already.

It's also a bit difficult because so far what I have written is following the storyline of batb, (although obviously canon divergent) and I have been struggling now that I'm a bit farther off the rails.

If anyone would like to be a beta reader I would love your thoughts on my draft of chapter 3 so far.

[whencartoonsruletheworld]

it's really funny when they group disney villains together for merchandise or shows or whatever bc these bitches would haaaate each other. like ignore for a second that frollo would immediately declare every single one of them heathens. facilier would kill ratcliffe on sIGHT

[angelofanimation]

My favorite part of imaging the Disney villains in one shared universe is imagining the power dynamic.

Like, on the one hand you have Grimhilde, Maleficent, and Ursula, powerful sorceresses; Facilier and the Horned King, masters of infernal power; and of course Hades, a literal freakin’ god.

Then you have ones like Frollo and Lady Tremaine, who don’t have any physical power but more than make up for it with status and influence.

But then there are the ones who are just Some Guy. You get all the villains together and tell me Gaston isn’t everyone’s punching bag.

[beauty-beast-week]

I'd love to see someone do a fanwork with Gaston combined with other villains for Beauty and the Beast Week!

Here are some ideas that are free for anyone to use:

Day 1, mirror: Gaston and the Evil Queen are arguing over who is the fairest one of all and demanding that the Magic Mirror tell them the answer. He's trying not to get involved.

Day 2, power: All the magical villains are demonstrating their magical powers, and then they get to Gaston...

Day 3, spell: Gaston trades his voice to Ursula to become even more strong and handsome, but is dismayed to find he can no longer sing songs in praise of himself at the tavern.

Day 4, witch hunt: Gaston teams up with Frollo to hunt down the blasphemous magical villains.

Day 5, disguise: Facilier turns Gaston into a frog. Then he and Naveen argue over who is a handsomer frog.

Day 6, "Prepare to be amazed": Gaston declares this to the rest of the villains before showing off his talent: expectorating. They are not amazed.

Find more ideas for how to use the daily prompts at #inspiration.

[crownprincessoftherusalkas]

@gastonxwindy come get your man he's doing things, lol

[daydreamingoveracupofcoffee]

hiii how are you?? is it okay if i requests how would yandere disney villains to their darling kissing them softly? like softly, tenderly kissing them (you decide if its out of pity or if darling just loves to kiss to greet on the cheek and they turn so its a kiss on the lips) ANYWAYS THANK YOU I LOVE YOUR WORKSSS

Ahhhh, thank you very much! I'm good, I hope you are too! ♡(´｡•ㅅ•｡`)

Captain James Hook

- The second your lips brush his, Hook freezes. His eyes go wide, the perpetual smirk wiped clean off his face. For one heartbeat he looks almost… boyish. Vulnerable. Then the madness crashes in.

- His hook shoots up to cradle the back of your head, cold metal pressing just hard enough against your scalp to remind you it could slice if he wished. 

- With his good hand he seizes your chin, forcing you to hold the kiss longer than you intended—slowly, deliberately deepening it until you’re breathless. 

- When he finally pulls away, his voice is a low, trembling growl: “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done, darling? You’ve signed your soul away with that little gesture.” 

- He’ll laugh, but it’s manic, wet with obsession. “No one else will ever feel these lips again. Not any man, not my crew, not even the wind. I’ll cut the mouth off anyone who tries.” 

- From that moment on he keeps you in his cabin at all times, humming sea shanties while polishing his hook and watching you like you’re the new treasure he’ll sink entire fleets to protect.

Gaston

- Gaston’s brain short-circuits the instant your soft kiss lands. His massive chest stops mid-heave. You can actually hear the record-scratch in his mind: “She is kissing ME… voluntarily?”  

- He grabs you by the waist with both hands and lifts you clean off the ground so fast the world spins, slamming you gently-but-firmly against the nearest wall, caging you there with his body. 

“Again,” he demands, voice rough, eyes wild. “Do it again. Now.” 

- When you hesitate, he leans in until his forehead touches yours, practically shaking with restraint. “You don’t get it yet, do you? That wasn’t just a kiss. That was you choosing me. Forever. No take-backs.” 

- He kisses you back—hard, hungry, claiming—then peppers softer, frantic ones all over your face like he’s trying to memorize the taste before someone steals you. 

- From then on he’s unbearable: bragging to the entire village that you kissed him first, carrying you over his shoulder everywhere, growling at anyone who looks at you for more than a second. “Mine. She’s mine.”

Jafar

- Jafar’s reaction is chillingly quiet at first. Your soft kiss lands on his lips and he doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe. Only his eyes widen a fraction. Then a slow, dangerous smile curls across his face.

- He cups your cheek with one gloved hand, thumb stroking your lips, as if checking the kiss actually happened. His voice drops to a velvet whisper.

“My dear… you’ve just sealed your fate more securely than any chain I could conjure.” 

- With a lazy flick of his staff, the doors to the throne room slam shut and lock with golden magic. The torches dim to blood-red. 

- He kisses you back slow, hypnotic, drawing it out until your knees buckle. When he releases you, he keeps a hand collared loosely around your throat, just enough pressure to remind you who holds the power. 

- “Such a sweet, foolish little lamb,” he murmurs against your ear. “Did you truly think a single kiss would satisfy me? No… I will savor you for centuries.” 

- He never lets you leave the palace again. You become his most prized possession—draped in silk and gold, seated at his feet on the throne, a living trophy that only he is allowed to touch. Anyone who even speaks your name without permission finds themselves transformed into something small, silent, and very breakable.

Scar

- Scar’s golden eyes snap open the instant your lips touch his. For a single heartbeat he is utterly still—like a predator that can’t believe the prey just walked up and nuzzled him.

- Then his paw is on the back of your neck, claws pricking just enough to warn you not to pull away. 

- He drags the kiss out, slow and deliberate, tasting you with a low, rumbling purr that vibrates through his chest into yours. When he finally releases you, his tongue flicks across his fangs as if chasing the flavor. 

“Well, well,” he drawls, voice dripping with dark honey. “It seems the little creature has decided to worship its king.” 

- He circles you once, tail curling possessively around your leg. “You just crowned me your god.” 

- Hyenas that so much as sniff in your direction vanish overnight. Scar lounges on Pride Rock with you curled against his side, lazily licking your shoulder in front of the entire kingdom to remind everyone exactly who you belong to now. 

- Try to leave? He’ll simply pin you beneath one massive paw and whisper, “Run again, and I’ll break your pretty legs so you never stray from my sight. I’m keeping you forever, little one.”

Governor Ratcliffe

- Ratcliffe is mid-monologue about gold and glory when your soft kiss lands. His words die.

- His gloved hands seize your face—almost bruisingly tight—and he stares at you like you’re a chest of treasure that just opened itself. 

- He kisses you back ferociously, teeth clashing, one hand fisted in your hair to angle you exactly how he wants. When he pulls away he’s breathing hard, eyes fever-bright.

“You’ve just become more valuable than every nugget in Virginia.” 

- Within hours he has you moved into his lavish tent, dressed in silks and jewels he plundered specifically for you. Armed guards stand outside at all times. 

- He starts calling you “my most precious colony.” Every night he makes you sit on his lap while he strokes your hair and murmurs plans of sailing back to England—so he can parade you before the court as proof of his triumph. Anyone who questions it gets accused of treason and disappears into the wilderness. 

- You are no longer a person. You are his ultimate conquest.

Judge Claude Frollo

- Frollo’s reaction is pure religious hysteria wrapped in ice.

- Your gentle kiss lands, and something inside him shatters like stained glass.

- He jerks away as if burned, eyes wide with terror and rapture. “Witch,” he hisses, but his voice cracks. “You dare tempt a man of God?” 

- Then he lunges. One iron hand clamps around your throat—not choking, just holding you still—while the other cradles your face with shaking reverence. He kisses you like he’s trying to suck the sin straight out of your soul: desperate, devouring, praying under his breath between each press of lips. 

- When he finally tears himself away, both of you trembling. “The Lord sent you to test me,” he whispers, “and I have failed.” 

- That night he drags you before a blazing fireplace in his palace of justice. He forces you to kneel while he recites Latin prayers of purification… then immediately pulls you into his lap and kisses you again, moaning about salvation and damnation. 

- From then on you are locked in his private chambers—dressed in white like a sacrificial bride. He alternates between flagellating himself for desiring you and worshipping your body like it’s a holy relic only he is worthy to touch.

- “No one else will ever lay eyes on you,” he vows, pressing a rosary into your hand hard enough to bruise.

“You are will either save me or consume me… and I will burn the world before I let another soul steal you.”

Hades

- The Underworld is literally shaking when your lips brush his.

- Hades freezes mid-rant, blue flames flaring white-hot for a split second. Then they die down to a low, trembling flicker, the color of a dying star.

- He cups your face with both hands (careful, so careful, like you’re made of smoke that might vanish). His voice comes out cracked and reverent.

“You… you just kissed the God of the Dead, babe?” 

- He yanks you flush against him, flames erupting into a roaring inferno that turns the throne room lava-red. He kisses you back like he’s trying to burn his name into your soul (tongue, teeth, smoke pouring into your lungs). 

- When he finally lets you breathe, his grin is unhinged, eyes glowing manic. “Congratulations, sweetheart. You just proposed. In front of every soul in my domain. Ceremony’s tomorrow. Or right now. Time’s meaningless here anyway.” 

- Pain and Panic are immediately reassigned as your 24/7 bodyguards (if they fail, they become permanent throw rugs). The River Styx is rerouted to flow around your new obsidian palace suite. Anyone who ever wronged you in life gets dragged in front of Hades so he can personally flambé them while you watch from his lap. 

Shan Yu

- The kiss lands in the middle of a war council. Silence falls like an axe.

- Shan Yu doesn’t blink. He simply reaches out, seizes you by the throat with one gloved hand, and lifts you until your feet dangle. His golden eyes bore into yours, searching for fear. Finding none, something ancient and predatory awakens.

- A low, guttural laugh rumbles out of him.

“Bold little falcon.” 

- He slams you onto the strategy table and kisses you back with the force of a battering ram, tasting blood where his teeth catch your lip. When he pulls away his grin is all wolf. “You just declared yourself my mate in front of my generals. In my culture, that claim is sealed in blood and fire.” 

- That night the entire army watches as he brands a small falcon symbol high on your shoulder with a heated blade—his personal mark. You don’t scream. He looks prouder than when he burned the Great Wall signal fires. 

- You ride into every battle at his side now, tied to his saddle if necessary. Enemy soldiers who see the brand on your skin drop their weapons and beg for mercy—because everyone knows touching Shan Yu’s mate means a death so slow the snow forgets your name. 

- He still growls “mine” against your throat every single night.

Dr. Facilier

- The second your lips touch his, Facilier goes perfectly still, top hat tilting as his head cocks. A slow, razor-sharp smile splits his face.

“Well now… looks like somebody just paid the ultimate price without readin’ the fine print.” 

- Purple smoke coils around your ankles, your waist, your throat—gentle but inescapable. He reels you in until you’re chest-to-chest, fingers threading through your hair. His kiss back is slow, hypnotic, tasting of chicory and dark magic; every swipe of his tongue writes another clause of the contract on your soul. 

- When he breaks it, his eyes are glowing violet. “You owe me everything now, cher. Heart, breath, future lives—signed, sealed, and delivered with that pretty little mouth.”

- Your shadow detaches from your feet that same night and follows him instead of you. His friends on the other side start calling you “the Doctor’s living talisman.” Try to run and the shadows themselves drag you back, cooing his name in a hundred stolen voices. 

- He keeps you on a velvet leash of voodoo charms, dressed in deep purple silks, dancing for him alone in the back room while he shuffles his cards and laughs. Every reading now comes up the same: the same two faces, entwined forever, with a noose of hearts around them. 

“You wanted to kiss the Shadow Man, darlin’,” he whispers, dealing you another losing hand. “Now you never get to stop.”

[henryshakesmear]

This meme came to me in a wretched vision

I don't know what it means

I haven't even seen Beauty and the Beast

[wendydoodles]

I'm so glad the internet exists so I can see how many other people are just as ill over a fictional character as I am.

[otometum]

" & every last inch of me's covered with HAIR!"

Beauty and the Beast Gastonposting on FB

[gastonxwindy]

here’s an image of the og gaston aka. richard white - which i found on ebay lmfao. he looked like he was about to smirk frrrrr >:)

anyway, besides being in phantom, he’s also in two broadway shows (from 1989) which can be found on youtube, that being “the new moon” and “show boat”. tlm is my fav bc the character that richard was playing has a similar wardrobe to that silly buff hunter. heck, even his hairstyle is prolly an inspo for the villain we know and love! if only someone (or the legendary dude andreas deja) can animate gaston singing or speaking from these two shows…. <3

[suenbeans8o2]

another lost media detected from 1996 lolz. full name of the character is gaston lachaille. 💀 someone behind the casting must have really liked batb… 😭 btw thanks for posting my submission! :)

[suenbeans8o2]

ykw i’m just gonna drop these two links here: (gaston irl is in the thumbnail lmfao)

[gastonxwindy]

how do u think the cameramam felt (or lefou / the bimbettes) when he was forced to film gaston revealing his chest hair?

Lol, I mean I feel the bimbettes and LeFou probably weren't complaining.

The camerman maybe felt like this: 😟, but his job comes first lol.

[ghirahimbo]

"Idiots," I say, referring to the characters I have spent hundreds of my real life hours contemplating.

[top-cheese]

i do genuinely believe that the best thing that can happen to a person Creatively is to just get obsessed with some random-ass guy

[stansbizzle]

[what-even-is-thiss]

Sometimes my inner English major stirs back to life and I feel the need to make a queer feminist analysis of Gaston from Disney’s beauty and the beast

[what-even-is-thiss]

A lot of the way Gaston interacts with gender is deeply performative but in the mundane way that most men don’t think about.

Near the beginning of the movie when he says to Belle “how can you read this? There’s no pictures” and throws her book in the mud that’s probably not him actually being stupid.

It’s a performative idiocy. No less performative than a woman pretending to be a ditz to flirt. It’s flirting, but it’s drastically ineffective flirting if the person you’re talking to just isn’t that into you.

Gaston does everything correctly. He’s a natural leader, he knows how to inspire both admiration and fear.

This caricature of masculinity he puts forward is a very useful tool against most people in general. He’s strong, he’s a provider, he reacts to upsetting situations with anger. It’s always gotten him his way before but it doesn’t get him his way now.

There’s this view of gender performance by some people as your ticket to getting what you want. It’s often seen as the realm of women, but Gaston is an example of the cisgender male version of this. His gun pointing and using antlers in all of his decorating isn’t any less of a coordinated dance than the trio of girls pretending to faint to get his attention.

He plays his dance perfectly, but Belle isn’t interested in participating in the way that he wants her to. Ideally from his point of view she’d also play dumb but in a womanly way and they’d both go on to play this game for the rest of their lives.

The difference between Gaston and Belle is that Belle just does what she wants. She’s not interested in playing the game of gendered stupidity. She just is the kind of woman that she is and isn’t interested in exaggerating any of that.

That, ultimately, is why Gaston fails. He does the thing that is expected of him and manipulates societal expectations as brilliantly as he ever has but that is not enough to find happiness. A show of happiness and a play at what one thinks that a perfect life ought to be is in the end no substitute for simply living how one would prefer to regardless of expectation.

[meanwhilemisha22]

How would you contrast this to the Beast?

[what-even-is-thiss]

The beast tries at this same performance of masculinity in a few different ways at a few different times but can never quite get himself to stick to it. He tries anger, locking people up, intimidation, but it never quite sticks to him.

In the end he always finds more happiness when he meets people where they are. While Gaston spends the movie trying to hold onto control, the beast spends the movie slowly learning to let go of control, to trust people that he loves and be trusted himself. He’s willing in the end to give up his last hope at regaining his humanity to make Belle happy.

His goals over time shift to wanting her to be happy and just to enjoy her and the life he has. He’s happy when he gifts her a library, he’s happy when she teaches him how to dance, sharing responsibility and expressing joy. He may not fully have the life he wants, but he’s learning to enjoy the life he has with the person he wants.

Instead of playing the gender dance and owning Belle he slowly comes to be a part of an equal partnership, or realizes that he wants to be a part of an equal partnership and that can’t be possible if he keeps her imprisoned, so he lets her go.

Gaston could not let her go and he also couldn’t let go of his masculine obligation to gain control. The beast could, and in the end he’s rewarded with both the person he wants and the life he wants, lived being a kinder and gentler man than he was before he was cursed. One who’s more willing to trust and give up full control of others.

[firawren]

I really appreciate this reading of Gaston, because I think he too often gets reduced to haha-big-dumb-guy. He's canonically not stupid. He uses big words and quotes Macbeth! He comes up with a clever plan to get Belle on the spot, and when he later implements that plan and it starts going off the rails, immediately comes up with a new plan and knows how to get everyone on his side. He's intelligent! So yeah, I can buy into the idea that the dumb masculine things he does are more for show.

One of the actors who played Gaston on Broadway said that when he thanks Belle for calling him "positively primeval" it is not because he's dumb and doesn't know what it means, it's because he knows exactly what it means but thinks it's a compliment, and I've adopted this interpretation of this exchange. It goes along perfectly with your analysis. He's trying to appear like Big Strong Primal Man and then Belle (to his mind) titters and essentially says "ooh yes you're such a Primal Man," so he's happy that it worked, thanks her, and immediately suggests they got look at his trophies (dead animals) for more evidence of how primal he is.

He also thinks Belle is playing along during his proposal, because she does. When he cages her in—which is a total bodice-ripper romance trope that you still will see in fanfic constantly because lots of women really do love that performance on masculine aggression (as is their right—I find it hot in the right context too, no kink shaming) and Gaston totally knows this—she flutters her eyelashes at him and gives him the stock Demure Lady response.

I will take issue with the idea that Beast tries to perform masculinity with his anger and intimidation. I don't think this is a performance; these are his genuine reactions and sincerely chosen behaviors. That's the real him. And the point is that the real him simply changes to not want to do these things anymore. (Though I headcanon he will still have a bit of a temper for his whole life because that's just part of his personality and no one is perfect.)

But otherwise, I agree with everything you said about Beast's arc! Yes, he does reject masculine displays as the movie goes on. Beast is given the chance to play Typical Man by Cogsworth when he suggests Beast give her "the usual things: flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep." It's not malicious, of course, but it is stereotypical. Beast rejects this idea and decides to be unconventional and give her the library.

He doesn't do the typical Tough Guy and fight back against Gaston at first—which, granted, is just because he wants to die, not because he thinks it's morally wrong. But then when he does fight back and has the chance to deliver the killing blow, he shows mercy and gentleness and lets Gaston go, again eschewing Tough Guy behavior specifically because he knows it's wrong.

Gaston, of course, does the opposite, and dies for it.

Great analysis OP! Thanks for sharing this!

[omnybus]

No-one’s swole like Gaston

No-one’s droll like Gaston

No-one adheres to old gender roles like Gaston

“I’m especially fond of the patriarchy!”

Man, what a man, that Gaston!

[superbdragoncollection-stuff]

Just to add my own two cents? The live action movie, among many, many other problems, tries to imply Gaston is the way he is because he went to one of the dozens of wars France had in the 19th century. That is ridiculous and I would argue undermines the character.

So, while it's possible, it's very unlikely that Gaston was a veteran, and more than that, it would undermine his character.

He's a dick, no PTSD was necessary to make him like this. The live action film practically says "oh it's not his fault, he was damaged by the war" when he casually says he went to war. It tries to remove culpability from him in a way that really misunderstands the character.

As the above posts have described, he is a very performative man. The live action one, among its many other flaws, means to tell me that THIS man wouldn't perform how much of a veteran he was, claiming to serve in the french foreign legion or something?!

[coal-mineoptimism]

Apologies for diverting the point but this is exactly what a lot of gender swaps miss. Gender swap Gaston wouldn’t be butch, she would perform her gender to her fullest degree because that’s who she is. The masculinity is part of his gender performance so if you make Gaston a girl she won’t continue to perform masculinity. She would do exactly what canon Gaston wanted Belle to do

[theromanticscrooge]

Belle from Beauty and the Beast is a Pragmatic Romantic

In the big Broadway musical introduction for Beauty and the Beast, there's a part where Belle sits at the fountain, giving a little highlight reel of one of her favorite books to the sheep nearby. She draws very particular attention to a meet cute scene between the protagonist and 'Prince Charming.' It doesn't matter how many times Belle has revisited this particular scene and knows exactly how things play out. She gets the kind of warm-fuzzies shipping fiends do when they watch curated scene packs of every time their favorite couple interacts on screen.

Belle does enjoy the Prince Charming fantasy to some degree. That adds an extra dimension to why exactly Gaston is so disgusting and unpleasant. Many people have discussed this: He's one of the earliest deconstructions of the classic ruggedly handsome, charming, epitome of masculine Disney heroes. This is debatable, but Disney princes up until or during The Little Mermaid or the Disney Renaissance featured some quality of the dashing, chivalrous prince that gives his princess a hand up.

He's the vehicle towards upward mobility, status, freedom, etc. I want to be careful with drawing too many generalizations since I would argue there's a feminist slant on just about every Disney princess. It's not necessarily "the princess needs a man or to be rescued." It's more that these movies were produced and written at a time when men were still some part of a woman's financial considerations and livelihood. The love interest felt more like a necessary or foregone conclusion rather than something sweet and organic.

Gaston is a clever satire of a Disney prince since even though a character like Cinderella can be seen as a feminist figure for her time, her prince was also good by default and highly desirable. Of course the princess wants the prince, right? There's never really a debate or skepticism towards the idea of any other outcome; just variants on how it plays out. Gaston perceives himself as the man everyone wants to be and lusts after. He assumes that includes Belle, the most beautiful girl in their small, humble village. He's grossly insecure, a paragon of toxic masculinity. He's entitled to Belle just because he's the 'fairy tale prince' of the village.

Unfortunately, Gaston is still the strongest commentary on those classic Disney princes too. Rather than the Wreck-It Ralph flanderized princesses speaking to the caricature of a Disney prince, Gaston challenges the existing archetype and satirizes the existing parts, pieces, and themes.

So, getting back to Belle is a romantic. When Gaston forcibly proposes to her, it kicks off her "I want" number. She longs to leave the village, discover what the wider world looks like and if that world is better than what she can currently only find in books. She has a very rose-tinted glasses and idealistic view of a grand, sprawling adventure if she could just leave the village. To her credit, though, Belle is very good at rolling with the punches. Even when her idealistic vision isn't realized, she does find means to appreciate her current situation or surroundings, readjust as she needs to, and find something new or even better than what she hoped for.

When Belle initially meets the Beast, he comes across as yet another aggressive, dominating man. Rebuffing Gaston had immediate social consequences from village gossip, a reputation hit, or whatever strings Gaston could pull as the local darling. She tried to dance around him with hints and softball rejection. Gaston's approach was using his influence, physical presence, and being pushy. In stark contrast here, the Beast is nothing but force and fear tactics. There's no village or social niceties. This is a man that throws his weight around and he's the only one that will back himself up.

Every time he tries to cow or intimidate Belle, she pushes back and stands her ground. She may be a prisoner, but she will not submit or be coerced by force. She runs away after the Beast crosses one boundary too far. After the Beast rescues Belle from the wolves, they're on much better footing than before because the Beast backs off and listens when Belle criticizes his behavior.

He shows an honest, earnest effort to acknowledge her needs, wants, and comfort. This is the key difference between Beast and Gaston: the Beast lives up to her expectations of someone that will listen, can be reasoned with, and wants a genuine connection rather than some fleeting, imagined vision of what she obviously isn't and has no interest in being. Following the scene where she cleans and dresses his wounds, she's visibly happier and comfortable openly wandering the grounds. She was trying to hide and sneak around before. The fact she's confident about exploring-even with the Beast watching from where she knows he could see or call out to her-speaks volumes about how much more she likes and trusts him.

When the Beast nervously works up the nerve to show her a surprise, she's a bit skeptic when he tells her to close her eyes. But she does. And she leans in, puckers her lips, anticipating a kiss. This is shortly before their getting-to-know-you montage and duet! Belle is still at a point where she's trying to work out how she feels about the Beast, but she's open to a romantic gesture here. She even gives him a few seconds delay, giving him time to find the right position, atmosphere, whatever. Her body language and opening go unnoticed. He's so delightfully oblivious, focused on making sure she doesn't try to peek. They're on such different wavelengths. Belle is more experienced in social graces and apparently, romance where the Beast is wonderfully dense.

I didn't clock the nuances of this exchange before, but now? She already likes him so it's that much more meaningful when he shows her the library. He's doing more than the bare minimum of a suitor. He already had a shot, but leans more towards the move that builds intimacy, connection, and friendship. He deliberately picked a gift that reflects her interests and what is special to her.

Then there's a line in their duet number that references Belle's comments about the 'Prince Charming' in her book. She might have been hoping for a suave, collected prince but she honestly finds the Beast charming in his own way. When he lets down his guard, the Beast is awkward, but kind, sweet, thoughtful, and playful. Her adventure has more twists and turns than her books. If Gaston is the immediate, real parallel to Prince Charming, then the Beast is the unexpected, better than any fantasy outcome.

In a nutshell, Belle tows the line between her own realized character and a fantastic romance protagonist. If anyone wants some kind of return to or resurgence of the Disney romance, Beauty and the Beast is a fantastic template for what something between the classic tale and something distinctive and meaningful could look like! Gaston as the villain strengthens the themes here, so yes, a return to realized Disney villains could help prop up fantastic romances too.