I remember posting somewhere once in a thread about why girls aren’t exploited in animation anymore where some guy said, “all the disney girls are drawn to be generally attractive, but I don’t think there are any eye-candy men… or are there? Are there any Disney men that lots of girls like?” and I mentioned Roger. Tons of girls replied agreeing with me and the original guy was like “wait, Roger? from 101 Dalmatians? What’s attractive about him, he’s tall and lanky and has a big nose, he isn’t muscley at all! Wouldn’t you all prefer Gaston or something? Or do you girls think his big nose is indicative of something else?” and I was like “no, you idiot, he’s a silly, goofy guy who likes animals and can play a bunch of instruments, that’s why he’s attractive. What’s the matter with you? Gaston, seriously?”
This is why we need more girls in animation. And more guys like Roger apparently.
This is why I laugh my ass of whenever dudes talk about how men are “objectified” by the media too. Because 9 times out of 10, what men think is “women objectifying men” are characters like Gaston.
And Gaston is NOT a woman-driven fantasy. Gaston is a male wish fulfillment fantasy. Gaston is not what women want, he is what men want to be. He is hyper-masculinity to an extreme degree, dripping with sexism and testosterone. The fact that men think that Gaston is what women want says an awful lot about those men.
While I don’t want to generalize, female fans tend to prefer a very different kind of male hero. We like the Rogers, the Milos, the Hercules. Genuinely kind, often awkward men who are sometimes vulnerable and respectful to women.
Yes, this is a generalization. I own up to that. But I think it’s important to remember that there is often VERY big difference between what MEN want to be and what women WANT in our media.
Reblogging this again because fucking this. And hell, even the muscley dudes (see: Khal Drogo, Hercules, Thor, Captain America) are loved, not because they are muscley, but because they are sweet and loving and adorable. We love Thor because his mispronounces “Hubble” as “Hooble,” not because of what he can do with a hammer.
Reblogging for the awesome comments.
I’m just here to say I love the animation of Roger so fucking much. look how fucking smooth and graceful and agile he is. 2d animation is amazing and i just want to hug it
All of this.
Okay, listen, to return briefly to the idea of Gaston: Beauty and the Beast is actually the first animated Disney screen play written by a woman. Linda Woolverton, the screenwriter, got a lot of attention for creating a self-proclaimed feminist heroine in 1991, but she also had a *lot* to say about Gaston. She didn’t stumble into that villain by mistake. She crafted him based on her own experiences with men and even her ex-boyfriends, and said: “To Gaston, Belle wasn’t a person; she was a possession. And I think it’s great for little boys to see that Beauty doesn’t choose him. Not only can they look at Gaston as an example of how not to treat women, but they can hopefully be taught by the Beast, a macho guy who is comfortable with his feelings and gentleness. He could teach a lot of men, in fact, about sensitivity.“
Not only is Gaston not a woman’s fantasy, he’s literally a woman’s horror story.
Reblogging for:
“The fact that men think that Gaston is what women want says an awful lot about those men.”
“Not only is Gaston not a woman’s fantasy, he’s literally a woman’s horror story.”
FREAKING YES
Reblogging because there was the whole post where extreme MRAs were saying that Gaston was the true hero of the story and that Belle should have picked him instead of Adam.
Reblogging because I just noticed Roger’s shame-stack of teacups by his workspace and realized I have never related to a Disney character more
So fucking true!! I have to add, while Gaston can be “eye candy” for some or many and a brute, it’s undeniable that he’s portrayed as sort of a hero at the very beginning but the moment he opens his mouth you realize that he’s so much worse, he’s not a good guy, he’s a “good” guy. I hated Gaston so much as I a kid but I couldn’t understand why and now I know that he’s all that we’re rising against: the mansplaining, objectifying, simplifying men in society that we now see clear as day BUT we were taught to tolerate and be condescending towards. “He hurts you cuz he likes you”, “he’s not that bad”, “you could be with someone worse”. BUT NO MORE OF THAT SHIT!! ITS SO GOOD TO SEE THIS POST. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE MILOS, ROGERS, HERCULES and DAVIDS!!
More detail about Gaston: He was designed and animated by animation god Andreas Deja, who also animated Hercules (with a similar body type but obviously a very different personality). Deja commented that when presented with the character, he thought (and I’m paraphrasing from memory here): “God, I know guys like this, always checking their reflection in store windows. Los Angeles is full of them.” Deja is gay, so I’m going to further irresponsibly generalize and say that it’s only a particular brand of straight dude who thinks anyone would be attracted to Gaston.
I think Roger was animated by Milt Kahl. And yes he’s a sexy beast.
and Roger is 100% husband material.
He’s fun. He’s considerate. He’s nice. He’s a bit silly, which shows that he’s not so stuck on his sense of self-importance that he can’t laugh at himself. As opposed to Gaston, who’s very full of himself, vain, and just generally a shitty person.
Also - Roger clearly loves and cares for his dog, and the dog loves him back. You can tell a lot about a person by their relationship with animals.
