In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP explore how Disney’s 1991 classic Beauty and the Beast—with its enchanted castle, talking objects, and timeless story—offers a powerful allegory for the Autistic experience.
🎧 What You’ll Learn:
- How Belle, with her love of books, unique perspective, and outsider status, reflects autistic traits like deep curiosity, data hunger, and a longing for “more than this provincial life.”
- The Beast as a metaphor for misunderstood autistic identity—emotional intensity, longing for connection, and being judged by appearances rather than authentic self.
- A look back at the long history of the tale—from the 1740 French novel to the 1946 French film—that shaped Disney’s retelling.
- The genius of Linda Woolverton, the autistic-relatable writer who penned Beauty and the Beast and other iconic works (Mulan, Maleficent, Alice in Wonderland).
- The film’s musical elements, with lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, and how songs like Belle and Something There highlight themes of outsider identity, acceptance, and transformation.
- Gaston as a symbol of neurotypical arrogance and mob mentality, reinforcing the dangers of conformity and ignorance.
- Themes of acceptance, empathy, and the transformative power of love—resonating deeply with the autistic community and reminding us that there’s beauty in difference.
Resources:
Related episodes:
Ponies are Autistic
Fairy Tales are Autistic
Disney is Autistic
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