MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Naomi Rockler (2004) has argued that The Lion King (1994) naturalizes social hierarchies and legitimizes inequality through what she termed its hyenaphobia. Specifically, she places the beloved film within the context of white flight, stereotypes of African-American welfare recipients such as the “welfare queen,” and a representational legacy ranging from Birth of a Nation (1915) to Triumph of the Will (1935). While her focus is concentrated on race, she notes that the film naturalizes traditional gender hierarchies in its treatment of Nala. Physically and mentally stronger than Simba, Nala is nevertheless presented as unable and unsuitable for leadership. This paper will examine Disney Jr.’s continuation of the circle of life, The Lion Guard (2015-), which is programmed alongside the proto-progressive likes of Doc McStuffins (2012-), Sofia the First (2013-), and Elena of Avalor (2016-). Through analyses of particular episodes within the broader context of Disney Jr.’s mission, I will demonstrate how the show negotiates the problematic legacy and passionate fandom of the original intellectual property with the complex terrain of contemporary consumer politics and a more progressive institutional environment, to present viewers with female characters who range from encouragingly strong to the disappointingly weak, by way of problematic “welfare queen.”