He was a sadist, Fascist, racist, and anti-Semite. So it would not surprise me, one bit, darlings, if Walt Disney was not a great big homophobe. Yet, after all my gloom and doom on the sadness and traumatizing he brought to the screen, I thought of the 1938 cartoon, "Ferdinand The Bull."
Ferdinand (who should have been given a butcher name, to start!!!!!!!) is this big, hairy beast, who is supposed to be macho and menacing--like big macho, hairy beats are! Believe me, darlings, I know! And I am just talking here about the two legged ones! Instead, Ferdinand likes flowers, nature, dancing; he is so adorable, he would be great at a social tea. If one looks at Ferdinand carefully, he could be construed as coda for Gay!!!!!!!!!!!! Wouldn't that be a kick? And you know what? I bet Walt Disney had no idea!
This reminds me of my encounter with a roomful of real life Ferdinands--though none as cute. Back in the Eighties, when I was a young thing, the Spike was one of THE bars in town. You couldn't call yourself gay, unless you had been to it once. And the event you just HAD to go to--because, let me tell you, girls, it had to be seen to be believed--was their Sunday Brunch!!!!!!!!!!!
The food was standard fare! But picture a room full of the butchest looking guys--T-shirts, jeans, tattoos, beards, mustaches, muscular, and posturing to out butch the other--actually sitting around discussing things like needlepoint, floral decorating, and cooking recipes! I am not kidding! You might as well have been at the garden party in "The Manchurian Candidate." I couldn't have been more surprised, had Angela Lansbury herself walked through the door! Which, after I saw what was around me, I fully expected to happen!!!!!!!!!!!
It just goes to show! And it just goes to show there were things lurking in Disney's consciousness I am sure he did not even realize were there. I mean, come on, Ferdinand is so lovable, so adorably camp, he would bring a smile to Anna Wintour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kind of like my big, strong, lovable canine friend, whom I call Cujo! But whose real name, for all I know, might be Laertes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, Uncle Walt! Why couldn't you have gotten your act together??????????
On the other hand, if he had, there might not be the artistry that still endures today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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