The trouble with ToyStory4 and its disability narrative
Gabby Gabby is a charming villain, but she continues a trend of disabled characters seeking to "fix" themselves.franchise has never been about disability, yet as a disabled film critic who writes about the topic regularly, I've found the Pixar series has always dabbled in that arena in someway. Plot devices such as Buzz Lightyear’s broken arm in the 1995 original film to Lotso Huggin Bear’s limp inhave opened the series up to questions of disabled representation.
Despite being a delightfully charming villain, Gabby Gabby is one of several villains this year whose reaction to disability is to fix it by any means necessary. She perceives herself as being unworthy of love, specifically Harmony’s love, because her voicebox doesn’t work. And because she has been defective since her inception, it’s furthered her isolation within the antique shop.
Gabby Gabby is different in this respect, being a female who mentions she’s been defective since she was created. She has lived this way her entire life and really her isolation is self-created. She’s aware of how society would treat a broken toy and avoids that. Woody ends up giving Gabby Gabby what she needs but upon finally having her interaction with Harmony, it backfires.
And what’s worse about this misplaced desire to find a cure for Gabby Gabby’s disability is that there is a disability positive character withinown narrative: Bo Peep. She is presented as living on her own, taking care of herself, and being happy despite having an arm that comes off. This severed arm never stops Bo from doing anything and she actually has the ability to laugh at her situation, tricking Woody into believing he’s broken her.
Despite these problems, Gabby Gabby is an interesting addition to the franchise who should be seeing a far bigger uptick in marketing and support than she’s gotten. She’s a flawed character who makes up for it in compassion and intrigue. She’s frightening, fun, and just zany enough to be memorable. And from a disabled perspective, she certainly helps me think that perhaps some representation is better than none at all.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How 'Toy Story 4' Surprises with Its VillainGabby Gabby is unlike the antagonists the Pixar franchise has seen before.
Read more »
‘Toy Story 4’: Bo Peep Voice Actress Annie Potts on Her Empowered Return[SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead until you have seen “Toy Story 4.”] Bo Peep is back — and is a bonafide badass. After being absent from “Toy Story 3,” Annie Potts re…
Read more »
China Box Office: ‘Toy Story 4’ Beaten by Country’s First Screenings of Miyazaki’s ‘Spirited Away’Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” has debuted to record-breaking opening weekends all over the world – but not in China, where it was soundly beaten by a nearly 20-year-old Japanese anime clas…
Read more »
‘Toy Story 4’: 5 Takeaways From Opening WeekendDespite arriving below expectations, “Toy Story 4” did huge business this weekend with ticket sales surpassing $118 million in North America. As sequels hailing from beloved franchises …
Read more »
China Box Office: 'Spirited Away' Ghosts 'Toy Story 4'Disney and Pixar's animation firepower proved no match for a re-release of Ghibli's anime classic, which is screening in China nearly 20 years after its original release.
Read more »