‘Lesbian Couple’ in ‘Finding Dory’ May Be Just in the Eye of the Beholder

Last updated on: June 11, 2016 at 8:42 am by Kate O'Hare

‘Lesbian Couple’ in ‘Finding Dory’ May Be Just in the Eye of the Beholder 2016-06-11T08:42:09-08:00 Kate O'Hare

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Earlier this week, I discussed a little kerfuffle in the news over a brief moment in the trailer for the new Pixar film “Finding Dory.” Here’s what I said:

The trailer does feature a brief scene with two women, a toddler and a stroller. Since one of the women has short hair and is wearing a peacoat, some have assumed it’s a lesbian couple raising a child. It might be, or it might be sisters or cousins or neighbors or roommates or co-workers or two women who ran into each other at the park.

Unless, of course, you believe that all women with short hair and/or peacoats are lesbians, or that any woman standing next to a woman dressed like that means that both of them are lesbians. They might indeed be, but it seems like a leap powered entirely by stereotypes.

And once again, here’s the trailer clip:

Apparently, what you see in the clip is all there is to see, regardless of the excited speculations of LGBT advocates.

From a Variety follow-up story:

The Internet erupted last month over a new trailer for “Finding Dory” that showed two women next to a baby stroller that’s attacked by an octopus. Some viewers wondered if they were a lesbian couple, as US Weekly and other entertainment outlets reported on the speculation. It would have been long overdue after 16 previous Pixar films had been populated exclusively by heterosexuals.

But according to our spies at an early screening, “Finding Dory” doesn’t break any gay glass ceilings. The animated women who were the subject of intense online chatter make a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in the sequel, which opens on June 17. It’s up to viewers to decide just how they know each other, as the camera scurries past them. (Disney didn’t respond to a request for comment.)

As I also said in the previous post, while Pixar’s corporate parent, The Walt Disney Company, is currently an enthusiastic supporter of LGBT causes, both in its theme parks and programming (and that includes subsidiary ABC), Pixar has appeared to maintain its creative independence. I can’t say what was in the minds of the Pixar animators responsible for the scene in question, or what they did or didn’t want the women to represent, but in the final version, any interpretation is utterly left up to the viewer.

It is sad, though, that we’ve come to a point in our overly sexualized culture that two individuals — whether opposite-sex or same-sex — can’t be seen in proximity without people drawing all sorts of hasty and unfounded conclusions. Whatever happened to friendship and companionship? Does everybody who’s standing next to someone else necessarily have to be having sex with that person? And just looking at someone’s appearance and making all sorts of assumptions from that is equally unfortunate (and often wrong — don’t try it in real life unless you want a lawsuit or a pop in the nose).

Because of Disney’s overt progressive leanings, I can’t recommend its wares to fellow Catholics. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 14 years, and I’ve never been to Disneyland, so it can be done. But, regardless of the entertainment entity, caution is always urged, if you’re concerned about your own sensibilities or those of minors being adversely impacted. You know you own tastes and values, but never assume that any mainstream-media outlet will respect them, without checking first.

So, click here and here and here and here and here for reviews of “Finding Dory.” They’re all mainstream, as I haven’t seen any specifically Catholic reviews yet, but the movie comes out on June 17, so there’s still a bit of time.

Image: Courtesy Pixar

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