Bambi's Anti Gay message...

I'd never watched it before. But given that it's a "classic" I decided to give it a go.

Nice enough... but the whole anti-gay message intertwined into the story was kind of blatant. I'm speaking, of course, about Flower the skunk.

I'd always thought Flower was a girl, when I'd heard about Bambi from others. But, it's pretty clear Flower is a guy right from the outset.

The first bit of insult towards the gays comes when Bambi first meets Flower, and calls him a flower. Thumper corrects Bambi, but the skunk accepts his new name. Flowers are obviously a feminine-associated entity, and thus we are slapped in the face with Gays Aren't Born Gay, They Are Made: Bambi "groomed" Flower into a female role and he accepted it.

Fast forward to winter, when Bambi and Thumper are playing on the ice. They come across Flower hibernating. When asked why he's sleeping during winter, the answer is "All us Flowers do it. Night." So here we are to believe that all gays are lazy and unmotivated people who only apply themselves when conditions suit them, otherwise, screw you.

Fast forward again to Spring. Bambi has grown up, as has Thumper and Flower. During Wise Old Owl's explanation about being twitterpated, Flower in a jump of fright clings to Thumper, promoting the idea that gays are fragile, emotional creatures, easily frightened and clingy. When Wise Old Owl starts threatening that twitterpation could happen to any of them, he points out Bambi and Thumper without hesitation. When he gets to Flower, he pauses dubiously... and only reluctantly suggests that it could happen to him too. Because gays can't possibly fall in love. No, they just screw around for the hell of it and never give a second thought to real emotions.

Penultimately, we get to the scene where Flower meets a female skunk, and becomes infatuated. She kisses his nose, and he go completely upright and rigid - straight. So, the suggestion is, gays are just confused, and all they need is the right person of the opposite sex to set them straight again.

And finally, right at the end of the movie, what do we see? Flower, calling his son along to see Faline's new fawns. What's his son's name? Bambi. And where's Flower's mate? NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. That's right. Flower is portrayed as a selfish gay who wanted to have a baby so he could name it after the object of his affection (and probably engage in all sorts of incestuous and questionable sex acts with), and simply ditch the woman he used to achieve his selfish ends.

Way to go, Walt, you narrow-minded *beep* B-.