aikaterini

Being a big Disney fan, I’ve seen a lot of Disney films and I’ve seen a lot of fan discussions about the Top Tens of Disney characters. Top Ten Heroines, Top Ten Villains, Top Ten Songs, etc. Claude Frollo from “Hunchback of Notre Dame” is often listed in the Top Ten Disney Villains lists. He is one of the most popular Disney villains, for a number of reasons. One reason is because of the sheer depravity of his actions in the film, especially by Disney standards. Another reason, however, is because many people find him the most relatable and most human of the Disney villains. I’ve seen many people argue that one of the reasons why Frollo is so frightening is because he’s self-righteous; he honestly believes that he’s justified and right to do the horrible things that he does. His crowning moment of despair and passion in the film, the powerful song “Hellfire,” doesn’t feature him crowing about how evil he is, but about how he’s torn between his prejudices and his lust for Esmeralda. For this reason, many people think that he’s the most realistic Disney Villain.

I, however, would have to respectfully disagree. I believe that there is another villain who is more realistic than Frollo. He may not be as frightening and creepy, but I think that’s a key to his realism. I am speaking about Gaston, from “Beauty and the Beast” and I believe that not only is he a realistic Disney villain, but an underrated one, for the same reasons.

Let’s start with comparing the introductions of Gaston and Frollo. When we first meet Frollo, it’s a dark, winter night. He’s dressed in the cool, dark colors of black and purple and he’s riding a big, fierce, black horse. And what does he do in his first few scenes? He chases a bunch of beggars, pursues a woman with a baby, kills her, and tries to drown her infant. From this first scene alone, there is no doubt left in the audience’s mind that this is our bad guy.

How about Gaston? When he’s introduced, it’s the middle of a rousing chorus number sung by the villagers. He’s not even the main focus of the scene. And the first things that we see him do are preening in front of a mirror, eating up his sidekick’s flattery about how he’s the best hunter in town, and then singing about how he wants to marry Belle because she’s the most beautiful girl in the town and he must have the best. And all this is taking place during a sunny day and he’s wearing warm colors of red and yellow, which are usually worn by Disney heroes. This is our main villain?

Like the Nostalgia Critic said in his “Top Eleven Disney Villains” video, Gaston mostly starts off as a jerk. Unlike Frollo, he’s not an immediate bringer of doom. When he finally catches up to Belle, he insults her and her father, tells her that it’s “not right for a woman to read,” and tosses her book in the mud. Rude, to be sure, but nothing downright evil, unlike Frollo’s actions in his first appearance. Even when Belle describes him to her father, she calls him “rude” and “conceited.” Not evil. So, Gaston doesn’t seem that bad, right? I mean, sure, he’s sexist, rude, and annoying, but nothing to really worry about. Right?

How about the next scene with Gaston? He decides to invite the whole town to his “wedding.” Without even proposing to Belle first. He just marches up to her house and knocks on her door, swaggers around like he owns the place, and expects her to accept his last-minute proposal. Rude, self-absorbed, unfair, extremely inconsiderate and awkward, but not too bad, right? Except for the moment where he literally pins Belle to the wall and tries to kiss her. Even though she’s made it clear from the beginning that she’s not interested.

It’s not supposed to be a serious moment, because Gaston gets his comeuppance when Belle opens the door and lets him fall out. He doesn’t succeed. But if he did? That right there would be sexual assault. Just like the scene in Eclipse where Jacob forced a kiss on Bella. And don’t try to tell me that Gaston wouldn’t have tried to keep Belle in place when she tried to struggle, just like Jacob did to Bella.

But it’s not that serious, is it? Gaston was trying to kiss her, not sleep with her. It’s nothing like the scene where Frollo grabbed Esmeralda and sniffed her hair, right? That scene was truly a warning sign and a testament to Frollo’s creepy and perverted nature because Frollo’s an ugly old man, but Gaston? He’s a strapping young fellow! Boys will be boys, after all! So, this scene wasn’t creepy in the least! It ended well, so let’s just laugh at silly Gaston and pay no heed to his threats to LeFou about making Belle his wife no matter what.

And the next scene of Gaston we get is of him sulking in his chair because Belle humiliated him in front of the audience that he himself had gathered to passive-aggressively pressure her into marrying him. And then comes his Villain Song. The Villain Song that never ends up on any Top Ten Villain Song lists. Why?

Because it’s not scary. It’s not. It’s a drinking song. It’s all about Gaston and his buddies soothing his wounded ego. The music is lively, the atmosphere is comical, and the lyrics themselves aren’t serious. In fact, the song itself can be seen as a parody of hyper-masculinity. When Gaston sings about using “antlers in all of my decoration” and about how “every last inch of me is covered in hair,” we’re supposed to smile. It’s nothing like a typical Villain Song. There’s no doom or gloom or anguish. It’s only by the very end that Gaston starts scheming, but it’s quick and kept secret for the moment, and soon afterwards, he and LeFou launch into the chorus again. “Gaston” is cheerful, it’s humorous, it’s lively, and it’s nothing like “Hellfire.”

But that’s where everything comes to a halt. The next scene of Gaston is one where the writers completely strip away all pretenses that this guy is just a funny, harmless jerk. Because what’s Gaston doing? He’s not falling flat on his face and he’s not singing about how amazing he is. He’s coolly and ruthlessly orchestrating a blackmail scheme. He knows that Belle doesn’t want to marry him and he doesn’t care. He plans to send her father to an asylum and use the threat to force Belle into marrying him. The indulgent cry of “boys will boys” now rings hollow here. Because it’s blackmail. Pure, premeditated blackmail.

And it’s only a taste of Gaston’s ruthlessness, because we see that he’ll stoop to greater lengths to get what he wants. He’ll go as far as to incite a mob to march all the way with him to the Beast’s castle so that they can kill him….I don’t think that anybody can argue now that that’s not evil. Not only has Gaston stooped to blackmail to get what he wants, but now he’s shown that he’s willing to murder somebody just because he gets in the way of what Gaston wants.

Because by this point, that’s really what it’s all about. I’ve seen a lot of fans joke about Gaston being so darn persistent when it comes to Belle and ‘why can’t he just take a hint and give up,’ etc. But I think that by this point, after his humiliation in front of the villagers, it wasn’t just about getting the most beautiful girl in town. It was about getting the most beautiful girl in town who had refused him and marrying her just to prove a point: that Gaston always wins. If anything, Gaston’s whole scheme was about revenge and restoring his status. Belle was just a prize to him, as she had always been. So, unlike other Disney villains, Gaston isn’t motivated by greed or ambition or power or evil. He doesn’t necessarily believe that he’s right to do what he does and that he’s specifically called to do this, as Frollo does. He’s not really even motivated by lust. Gaston is just doing this because he wants to. He’s always used to getting what he wants and he wants to make sure that it stays that way. He doesn’t feel justified, he feels entitled.

Now let’s look at the people who try to help him achieve his goal. For the most part, Gaston is accompanied by his sidekick, LeFou. However, during the bar scene, it’s made clear that he has other friends. And by the time that the asylum owner shows up at Belle’s house, it’s demonstrated that the whole town loves him and is willing to do what he says.

Think about that again. The whole town loves Gaston and is willing to do what he says. The whole town. Not just his cronies. Not just the triplets who fawn over him. The whole town. The baker who greeted Belle in the beginning. A mother with her child. Everyone is there. Everyone is there to point and laugh as Maurice is led away to the asylum. Everyone is ready to obey Gaston’s orders that the Beast must be destroyed. Everyone listens to him.

And why do they obey him? Not because of a magic spell. Not because he’s threatened them. Not because he has any legal authority over them – he’s not a prince, not a mayor, not a minister, not a judge. But because they want to. Because they like him. He doesn’t force them to do anything. He doesn’t have to.

And what about the asylum owner? He doesn’t particularly like Gaston. He himself says that Maurice isn’t dangerous and, as such, doesn’t belong in an asylum. So, why does he help Gaston? Because Gaston bribes him. Sure, it’s shown by the end of the scene that the asylum owner is a creepy guy who knows that Gaston’s plan is despicable, but is willing to go along with it just for kicks. But essentially, Gaston bribes him to do what he wants. So, now he’s resorted to blackmail, bribery, and attempted murder. Because Gaston is the best and he deserves the best, no matter what.

Hmm, let’s see, a popular, wealthy, charming, entitled, and good-looking guy who gets away with horrible things because everyone likes him and he can afford to throw money at people to bail him out? I’m sure that there’s no such person walking around in the real world.

The fact of that matter is that as conflicted and compelling as Frollo is, he’s still virtually wearing a neon sign that screams, “I’m Evil, Stay Away.” Most real-life bad guys are not like that. Frollo leaves nothing to the imagination. He may struggle over his demons and he may be complex, but he unfailingly remains a villain. That never changes during the course of his film. Gaston, on the other hand, doesn’t really start to show obvious signs of his true colors until the middle of his film. He’s not an obvious villain. If somebody were to see him in real life, they would not be able to tell that he was such a horrible, terrible, and evil person. They’d probably just dismiss him as a jerk. They’d probably dismiss the incident where he forces Belle up against her door as harmless tomfoolery. They wouldn’t see any connection between the spoiled, entitled man-child who sulks that he deserves everything that he wants because he’s so special and the ruthless hunter who is willing to kill so that he’ll get what he wants because he’s so special.

That’s what makes Gaston so dangerous. That’s what makes him the real beast in the tale. I feel that he’s underestimated by many fans because he’s not visually impressive and he doesn’t seem that gloriously and fantastically evil, compared to other Disney villains. But I’d argue that that’s precisely why he’s so dangerous. Because it’s all too easy to meet a Gaston in real life and not realize that, despite his charm, despite his looks, he’s trouble. A guy who’s helped not by magic, not by guards, not by power, but by his own popularity. Who’s not assisted by a band of demonic minions or ominous guards, but by real, ordinary people. That’s why Gaston is scary and that’s why I believe that he’s the most realistic Disney villain.