Disney’s animated film The Little Mermaid is the first film which I clearly remember viewing in a theater, and it was the beginning of the yearly Disney movies, which came to define my childhood. With the recent re-release of the film onto DVD it is clear that “The Little Mermaid” will come systematically indoctrinate a new generation into racist, classist, sexist, heterosexist, transphobic, fatphobic, abilist, American values.

Flounder, Ariel’s sidekick is constructed nearly identically to the ways in which gay men are commonly written into mass-media storylines. Flounder does not display what are commonly read as masculine characteristics. Instead the little fish embodies an effeminacy used often in mainstream media to characterize gay men. Although adherence to “appropriate” gender roles is not indicative of a lack of heterosexuality outside of queer culture and within the mainstream media the two have become understood as synonymous. We first meet flounder as he is helping Ariel scavenge the wreckage of a sunken we watch, as he comically is shown petrified with fear at the prospect of sharks. This resulting in Ariel calling him a “guppy” in a tone reminiscent to a playground taunts. The use of the term “guppy” serves to question Flounders masculinity/sexuality in a similar way to the taunt of “sissy” is used to question the masculinity/sexuality of a male-bodied individual who has moved outside the norms of appropriate male behavior.

Ursula the sea witch displays inappropriate expression of gender and sexuality. Her voice is stereotypically un-feminine in that it is very deep (considerably deeper than any of the other female characters in the film). Interestingly enough near the end of the film when she has gained King Triton’s power-through the form of his Triton (read: phallus) her voice becomes even deeper, further positioning her outside of the realm of appropriate femininity. Her queerness is not only tied to her “inappropriate” gender but also to her overt sexuality. As she sings “Poor Unfortunate Souls” Ursula is depicted as being highly sexual; we watch her do her hair and make-up, bringing the viewer into her bedroom as she primps and preens herself performing any number of highly intimate tasks. Ursula is fat and yet is very sexual thus on the surface breaking down beauty norms of a fatphobic society which argues that fat women are not sexy. However far from breaking free of the beauty mythology Ursula reinforces its lessons as her sexuality strays far from the limits of appropriate/heterosexual. Ursula is a “dangerous” character in the film, and the danger is tied intimately to her size inappropriate femininity and overt sexuality. In other words she is to be feared because she is both powerful and queer. Flounder on the other hand is allowed to remain lovable (to those other than King Triton who seems to disapprove of his daughters friendship with the little fish) because his deviance does not challenge the statuesque. He exists solely to serve the needs of his friend, a “good gay” character he knows his place and stays in it, whereas Ursuala seeks to rule the see, which would result in the normalization of her deviance.