Dear The Walt Disney Company and Greater World,
I have a small request.
Pride Month is a yearly occurrence. A wonderful one, its repetition a constant reminder of the struggles and the fight towards equality and representation. As time has gone on, it has been a delight to see The Walt Disney Company embrace the queer community and celebrate them. I’m not sure I even expected Disneyland to host Pride specific events. It’s glorious.
With that comes the need to create entertainment and experiences for guests to enjoy. Clarabelle has become the unofficial Disney spokesperson for the community and it feels abundantly correct. (I would take a bullet for the cow, but that’s neither here nor there.) Queer or queer adjacent characters (like Oaken) are starting to be more visible, which is also exciting. Yet, there is one big, striking, abhorrent addition to the consistency of Pride celebrations thrown by Disney.
We must put an end to “This Is Me”.
“This Is Me” is a song from the 20th Century Fox film The Greatest Showman, telling the profoundly incorrect story of P.T. Barnum. The film became a cultural sensation, bringing an original theatrical musical to box office success and creating hits out of its entire soundtrack. A part of that soundtrack was “This Is Me”, sung by Keala Settle, which is supposed to be a soaring dismissal of being dismissed.
My hatred for this song knows no bounds. The lyrics mean truly nothing. It’s a song that tells everyone it’s “fighting for the little guy,” but because everything is so broadly constructed, the song’s message can be interpolated into any which way. A song about the power of the queer community? Sure! A song for individuals who feel marginalized because they are homophobic? It also works! A song about Adidas feeling ostracized because they lost so much money on Kanye West? Ding ding! It’s all meaningless.
Now, Keala Settle is an icon, no matter what accent she chooses to use. Her voice is otherworldly and I remain singing “Nobody Cares!” at the drop of a hat. But the song. means. nothing. It’s empty space. Its power is self-serving and can be altered any which way. Frankly, the song’s constant use is more so through corporations trying to capitalize on Pride month than it is actual queer people using it as an “anthem”.
Disney, ya got different songs. You have a million bajillion.
Please, I beg. Use something else.
Sincerely,
The Greatest Snoreman