Sex in "The Lion King"

	Of the many themes and topics "The Lion King" addresses, brought
into discussion on various newsgroups across the virtual world for months
now, one of the most prominent ones has been one of the least discussd:
sex.  Specifically, TLK is quite ostensibly about the search for sexual
maturity in a world full of questions and pretty much devoid of answers. 
It is, certainly, at most a sub-theme, since its resolution does not
coincide chronologically with that of the main plot; however, it IS there. 

	One can say that the primary theme is one about responsibility, or
about power, or about family issues, or even about environmentalism. 
These are probably all valid. However, one thing that I am sure was
intentionally made a part of the movie, much as true fans of the
traditional "inoffensiveness" of Disney would tend to dismiss it, is that
TLK is very much about the gradual change, of Simba in this case, from
childhood to adulthood-- in a very specifically sexual sense. Three clear
delineations of age are made in the movie, each with its respective phase
which Simba's development has reached in it, and each with at least one
particular case where its aim can be pinpointed, as well as one song that
is themed specifically toward the attitude the section promotes. 

	The first stage of Simba's life (and Nala's, too) is childhood,
where sex is not at all an issue. The two are simply friends. When it is
suggested to them that they would one day be married, they dismiss the
idea with disgust and scorn, just as any kid in the human world would.
Zazu tries to convince them that they will eventually feel differently; he
is, expectedly, unsuccessful. Childhood, the movie states, is a time for
forming general opinions of the world and having fun, which is why the
circumstance of "I Just Can't Wait to be King" is formatted in the way
that it is: as an impressionistic, surreal caricature of the reality that
is so closely followed in the rest of the film. It is not a time for
finding out the intricacies of the myriad ways of sex. Yet both cubs
vaguely realize that something mysterious and compelling lies ahead, and
their curiosity draws them on toward it. This can perhaps be seen as
another metaphorical meaning of the song "IJKWtbK." 

	After the catastrophe of Mufasa's death and Simba's flight from
the Pride Lands into the company of Timon and Pumbaa, he enters the second
phase of his life; the sexual theme of this segment is (and I say this
with some trepidation, for fear of the same easily offended Disney fans I
have mentioned before) homosexuality. It is not my place to suggest that
Simba takes part in any homosexuality himself, but during the course of
his exile he is at least exposed to the lifestyle of Timon and Pumbaa,
which has often been hypothesized to portray a gay one. Nathan Lane
himself has said that he considers Timon to be gay. Indeed, it is
difficult to keep such an idea from one's mind watching the film at this
point; too much of the dialogue and the animation is at least suggestive,
as is the fact that the two are "outcasts" together for reasons that are
only alluded to, and perhaps incomplete.  The "theme song" of the section
is "Hakuna Matata," which teaches that it is best not to worry about it,
that tolerance and acceptance are what is honorable; truly this is
applicable to the gay lifestyle, especially as seen in the '90s. 

	What is perhaps the most telling, though, in defining the second
stage, is the transition to the third stage of Simba's life, which is
full-blown heterosexuality, and begins with Nala's arrival. What else
could explain the sorrow with which Timon and Pumbaa describe Simba's fall
to the allure of "traditional" romance (and Nala herself, who has grown up
to become one of the most voluptuous heroines in Disney history) in the
introduction and ending to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" This song is
truly the one which embraces the resolution to Simba's sexual development
("stealing through the night's uncertainty" is a good metaphorical
example). As for actual visual effect, this resolution is also
characterized in what has been described as "the most erotic scene Disney
has ever made," where the pair tumbles down a hill and collapses into a
position with Simba standing over Nala, she with an extremely seductive
look on her face and he-- at last reaching full adulthood at this moment--
with a very understanding one on his. In this movie in particular, the 
setting and sequence of events works; where in the previous three the 
love story had centered around two people from different worlds, and the 
primary conflict in the plot dealt with whether the two could ever come 
together at all, TLK has a wholly different setup: the love story is 
secondary to the main one, and the attraction between Nala and Simba is 
doubtful in no one's mind; therefore their physical relationship can (and 
is) explored in much greater detail. 
	Of course, returning to the second phase, none of this is to
suggest that homosexuality is an "immature" decision (I hasten to add); in
the film, the section is merely associated with the philosophy that can be
characterized as such: "Hakuna Matata." Where Timon and Pumbaa had taught
Simba to be a carefree individual but without much maturity upon which to
base his judgments, Nala teaches him to be a fully mature adult, the
"king" he had always wanted to be. 

	The fact that this is Disney, creating a movie (as always) which
would be watched primarily by children, implies almost by definition that
this whole developmental process would be done extremely tastefully, with
everything sufficiently subtle that it is not obvious even to the most
discriminating viewers. Certainly this makes it safe for even the youngest
viewing audience, which indeed has proven to be TLK's biggest market. But
it also lends credence to my theories about TLK being aimed toward a much
older group on average than any of Disney's previous animated movies ever
had been. It is loaded throughout with jokes and references that are aimed
either specifically at the present parents of the young viewers (for
instance, Mufasa arguing sleepily with his wife about Simba being awake:
"Before sunrise, he's YOUR son."), or else at adults who would simply 
appreciate the humor or the allegory (as in the portrayal through Scar 
of something akin to Nazi Germany) better than kids, whose standards in such 
matters are generally low. Also included perhaps solely for the benefit 
of these adults is the unprecedented all-star cast; whoever isn't a James 
Earl Jones fan is likely to be either a Jeremy Irons fan or a Rowan 
Atkinson fan, or a fan of any other of the list of fifteen big big names. 
Layered upon all this is the sexual aspect, which demands a great deal of 
appreciation from all those in the audience who can recognize 
well-crafted and subtle treatment of sensitive issues. One can hardly 
help but admire the courage of Disney in this aspect.

	Let me make it clear, if it has not been thus far, that I do not 
condemn the sexual references in TLK in the slightest; rather, I find 
them to be extraordinarily redeeming and refreshing. As far as I am 
concerned, as one who sees TLK as one of the most toweringly significant 
movies of our era and yet quite imperfect in its execution, I would as 
soon see this aspect more pronounced and less hidden; maybe even a 'PG' 
rating, for once, on a Disney animated feature would help to increase its 
impact by keeping away the very youngest and most impressionable viewers. 
The movie was halfway there anyway, with its graphic violence and 
intensely sad scenes. One can only imagine how much greater it could have 
been, given simply more room for the expression of controversial topics 
that so desperately wanted to be discussed.

-Brian Tiemann