rabidlitmajor:

Disney…the Disney…has what I think is the most iconic, best represented, canonical aro-ace character of all time. And yes, I do say canonical.

Here’s why. 

Go back and listen to “Jolly Holiday”, paying particular attention to Mary’s verse. Disney wanted there to be a romance between Burt and Mary. Desperately wanted it. Practically invented the role of Burt (who was a fairly minor character in the book series and whose representation in the film is a conglomerate of, like, five different characters from the books resulting in his jack-of-all-trades schtick) just so Mary would have a love interest. 

And P.L. Travers, writer of the books, absolutely forbade that they even hint at a romantic relationship between them. 

What results is that beautiful bit from Jolly Holiday where she masterfully, but kindly, shuts Burt down. (filed under: stuff I did not properly appreciate as a kid)

But because he was meant to be her love interest, and Disney tried so desperately to kinda loophole their way around Travers’s ultimatum, what results is this fantastically bad-stereotype-free Aro-Ace character. She’s not some robot without feelings, completely cold towards others, or socially awkward. She’s aware of Burt’s (actually romantic) feelings for her. She even returns those feelings on a platonic level. She’s flirtatious, kind, and caring but immediately shuts down any romantic/sexual advance. And because they can’t make their lead character a “bad” person none of those flirtatious moments have a cruel “leading them on” air. Her verse starts with complements to Burt and then subtly moves into “do NOT make a move on me I will not respond.” While she shuts him down, Burt looks confused at first, like he’s not sure where he went wrong, and then seems to get the hint and continues to treat her with respect. 

Later, at the penguin diner, he teases her with a list of the girls he’s been attracted to, making her huff slightly jealously. However, he ends with the statement that he likes her more than these other girls and she laughs at his antics. To me, that’s a moment of “No, you won’t be able to give me the relationship I could have with these girls, but I still prefer the relationship I have with you.” They are in a platonic relationship that’s more than friendship but STILL NOT ROMANTIC ON HER END and that is amazing. 

By trying desperately to make her an allosexual while being confined by the restrictions of P.L. Travers Disney accidentally made the best aro-ace character of all time and I think that’s AWESOME. AND it has the additional unintended side-effect of portraying a functioning, respectful, and platonic relationship between an asexual and allosexual person.