Go The Distance

I watched Disney's Hercules again last night. I don't know how many times I've watched it, but I'm sure the count is quite high. I love my Disney cartoons... well, the ones post Emperor's New Groove don't really do it for me (although, I did rather enjoy Meet the Robinsons, and I hear they're going to go back to the hand-drawn musical format -- about which I am extremely excited and will hopefully not be disappointed).

Anyway, as I was watching Hercules this time through, some things really stood out to me as I started to strongly relate to good ol’ Hercules – not the bulging pecs, unfortunately, but the whole story as presented by Disney.

In fact, this film is a rather excellent allegory of the lives of gay mormons (or ex-mormons, I guess). Actually, this allegory is a rather excellent allegory of the lives of all mormons (until the end) – Hercules finds out he is a son of a god and that it is his destiny to join the gods on Mount Olympus as a god, himself – if he can prove himself worthy. So, faithful little Hercules sets out to become a true hero – which he ends up doing.

Then it gets “gay ex-mormon” when Hercules, a full-fledged hero, is brought before the opening gates of Olympus, but says:

Father, this is the moment I’ve always dreamed of... but... a life without Meg... even an immortal life... would be... empty. I... I wish to stay on Earth with her. I finally know where I belong.

My sister always protests this ending, saying “That’s backwards! That’s not how it works!”

But, for a gay ex-mormon, that’s precisely how it has been working as we finally admit and confess we don’t care about the status of godhood or anything of the sort... as, for us, a life without love would be empty. Sure, there’s the promise that we’d find love on Mount Olympus... I’m sure Aphrodite would be game... but it wouldn’t be Meg... and to mimic Hercules: “a life without Meg, even an immortal life [with Aphrodite] would be... empty... [if I cannot be eternally with Meg, then] I wish to stay on Earth with her [for as long as I possibly can]... I finally know where I belong.”

And, truly, there is an immense feeling of finally belonging.