Disney Says Thanks But No Thanks To Editing Beauty & The Beast For Malaysian Market. Pulls Film From Theatres.

“The film has not been and will not be cut for Malaysia,” Disney said in an emailed statement.

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How do you like them apples!?! The film that tells the story of a young nerdy social outcast of a girl whom falls in love with a ram-like lion beast, others say "girl falls in love with water buffalo," is stirring up a lot of controversy.  To that controversy Disney says … we're taking out toys and going home. 

Walt Disney Co indefinitely pulled Beauty and the Beast from theaters in Malaysia rather than remove scenes involving a gay character to placate local authorities.

Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board approved Beauty and the Beast for a P13 rating after requesting cuts of about 4 1/2 minutes from a subplot with a “gay moment,” Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, the film board chairman, said in a text message. Theaters can screen the film at any time after the deletions, he said. A P13 rating requires those below 13 years of age to be accompanied by a guardian. – themalaymailonline.com

In Disney To Portray 'Beauty And The Beast' Character As Gay Like We all Knew He Was, I basically shat on Disney for following the cookie cutter process for inserting gay characters into films. 

We all know LeFou as Olaf from Frozen, I mean Josh Gad.  Both characters are semi unnecessary  side kicks added to a story to provide comic relief as well as to have someone that looks up to and uplifts other characters in their own way.

My first thoughts are ugh. If being LGBT is normal and natural, why does it always seem that we have to be portrayed by the comic relief, expendable, physically humorous, side kick all the freaking time?  Yes, we can be funny, exciting, good at songs, but is that all we are? I guess it is easier to accept us if you are laughing at us, I mean with us?  No, it's at us. 

What would have happened if they had made Maurice gay?  Crazy old Maurice.  HE could have been a single dad, right?  Raising an intelligent empowered daughter.  Damn, that would have been good. – ME!

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The character LeFou, the sidekick to the bad guy Gaston, makes references to his affection for Gaston in the film and later dances with a man at a ball.

Malaysia has laws against homosexuality. Russia earlier this month approved the release of Beauty and the Beast with a suggested audience of those 16 years and older. Children younger than that can attend with an adult.

And what do we say to Malaysia and other nations wanting to cut a gay scene out of a film?  What do we say about deleting just over 4 minutes out of a film to make it more heteronormative?  It may come to a surprise, but being gay or bi isn't something we turn off and on to make you happy. LeFou is LGBT throughout the whole film.

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h/t: themalaymailonline.com

 

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LOS ANGELES, March 15 — Walt Disney Co indefinitely pulled Beauty and the Beast from theaters in Malaysia rather than remove scenes involving a gay character to placate local authorities.

“The film has not been and will not be cut for Malaysia,” Disney said in an emailed statement.

Golden Screen Cinemas, Malaysia’s largest theater chain, said Monday it postponed showings of Beauty and the Beast at the studio’s request. Golden Screen will offer refunds to patrons who purchased advance tickets to screenings and a related event, the company said on its website.

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Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board approved Beauty and the Beast for a P13 rating after requesting cuts of about 4 1/2 minutes from a subplot with a “gay moment,” Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, the film board chairman, said in a text message. Theaters can screen the film at any time after the deletions, he said. A P13 rating requires those below 13 years of age to be accompanied by a guardian.

The film, which opens March 17, could take in as much as US$120 million (RM533.9 million) its first weekend in US and Canadian theaters, Disney said in a separate statement. The movie cost about US$160 million to make.

Beauty and the Beast, a remake of the 1991 animated musical, includes what director Bill Condon called an “exclusively gay moment” in an interview earlier this month with Attitude Magazine. The character LeFou, the sidekick to the bad guy Gaston, makes references to his affection for Gaston in the film and later dances with a man at a ball.

Malaysia has laws against homosexuality. The country isn’t among the 20 largest film markets in the world, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

Russia earlier this month approved the release of Beauty and the Beast with a suggested audience of those 16 years and older. Children younger than that can attend with an adult.

– See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/disney-refuses-to-cut-gay-moment-from-beauty-and-the-beast-for-malaysia#undefined.gbpl

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