King of Conformity

After discussing in class the roles of masculine Disney characters and the heterosexual stereotypes in Disney, I watched the The Lion King through more skeptical eyes this time, and I now saw what I did not see ten years ago. I saw that in this movie Disney really went all out with gender stereotypes and family dynamics. All other character's are inferior in stature to Mufasa, and the older Simba as he returns to claim the throne. It's amazing how all older Disney movies like this are remarkably similar in terms of plot structure. In The Lion King, the villain, Scar, takes power and the hero, Simba, must combat the villain in a battle, thereafter he is victorious and all the lionesses praise him as their king. But would it be the classic Disney movie without the final scenes where a heterosexual marriage is present, and a family is born that lives happily ever after as the circle of life continues. I think the Circle of Life is Disney's way of saying that heterosexual marriage and the gender norms present in the movie are supposed to be repeated and are the right way to lead your life so things go well in your society. It's just all too familiar from one movie to the next, and while I personally love the Lion King, it's not hard to notice what Disney is trying to get at in terms of its plot. It's all too normal and all too conforming, where the main character who is a male has to grow to be bigger and stronger so that he can find his strength and "roar" to finally be able to combat the villain of the movie. Do more Disney, and be more progressive.