He was obviously cowardly. But a limp wrist and a bow in the hair seems to imply that he is also gay. I feel as though it would be even more than implied if the movie were made today.
Has anybody ever read anything in regards to it ?
Gay?
No, he's just soft as shite!
He was a coward. That's what they were trying to convey.
shareI think a limp wrist and a bow in the hair imply gay more than cowardly.
He may also be cowardly, but I think he's cowardly and gay.
Maybe now, but it's also connected. Because classifying gays as cowardly is how back then they were also able to convey cowardly as gay. Even though it's not always true, just like not all straight men are warrior-types, it's just a vicious stereotype that got perpetuated in that way then.
It's always been a popular if misguided trope to portray gay men as weak, to emphasize that it's "wrong." Thus, characteristics associated previously as just cowardly are now "gay" characteristics as well.
Again, I never said I thought he was gay because he was cowardly. I thought he was gay because he had a limp wrist and bows in his hair. I would think those two characteristics are more connected to gayness than cowardness.
shareI get what you meant. Sorry if my wording was clunky, I was trying to draw a parallel, between long-ago characters who were low-key gay, and characteristics we read as gay now
shareActually he wasn't a coward. He was just afraid.
Part of the point of the story, book and movie, is that all of them possessed the qualities they most wanted and didn't realize it.
The Scarecrow as smart. He came up with the plans the whole movie.
The Tin Man had a heart. He loved and was loved by those around him.
The Lion was brave. He went into situations he knew could kill him to save Dorothy and the others.
All the Wizard did, in the book and the movie, was to give them the acknowledgement of what they already possessed.
ok, you basically just restated the general storyline. I have no idea why you felt the need to do that in this thread. I never said I didn't understand the story.
shareYou said
>>>I never said I thought he was gay because he was cowardly.<<<
I was addressing that. I added the rest because a great many people don't understand that: either in the film or the book. I'd say almost a third of people I've talked to about it think the Wizard gave them those characteristics, despite the Wizard's own words.
The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion seem to represent different types of sexuality:
Scarecrow is has a “questioning” sexuality (the “Q” in LGBTQ+) since he can’t make up his mind. When he changes his hands when he first appears, he says “of course people do go both ways,” implying he can’t decide what his sexual preferences are.
The Tin Man represents transpeople because he wants to love but does not have the proper parts to express the way he feels he is.
The Cowardly Lion represents people who are asexual or sexual phobia, scared to engage in sexual activity.
I really think you should have started this whole post with...”in my opinion...” 😂
Can’t personally say I ever took any secret subliminal sexual meaning from The Wizard of Oz characters.
To me, it's obvious. And again, I'm not saying I think he's gay because he's cowardly. That's not a characteristic I associate with gay men, and that's not what made me bring this up. I'm saying it because he has a bow in his hair and a limp wrist - both of which ARE characteristics associated with gay men.
Honestly, my guess is that when making the movie - in 1939 - the filmmakers were trying to come up with characteristics to be associated with somebody who was cowardly. And being in 1939, the stereotypical characteristics which were associated with gay men by douche guys in the film industry seemed to be a good way to best exaggerate cowardness.
Again, keep in mind this is 1939. They were probably saying "Just have him act like a queer guy !"
I don't know. Was he?
share