Scar from Disney’s “The Lion King” was actually the film’s hero
If you are of a certain age, you probably harbor cherished memories of Disney’s 1994 animated epic, The Lion King. It’s not a bad film by any means, however it is deeply problematic.
I distinctly recall watching the movie as a young man and feeling something was not quite right. Maybe you did too? After revisiting the film as an adult, I can confirm that while The Lion King is indeed a technical marvel, it is also actually really fucked up.
The film glorifies ass-backwards notions of political organization which run in complete opposition to contemporary liberal democracy. But perhaps even worse, it is unnecessarily cruel and dismissive to the one character who sought to bring some sense to The Lion King’s heartless universe.
Myth: Scar was a bitter villain
When watching The Lion King back in the day, I clearly remember taking umbrage with the way that Scar, King Mufasa’s brother and eventual usurper, was treated by the other characters right from the movie’s start.
When we are first introduced to Scar, he is berated by both Mufasa and his annoying sycophant Zazu for missing newborn Simba’s presentation ceremony (the whole initial “Circle of Life” scene). Perhaps this was kind of a dick move on Scar’s part, but his…
