16. Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) - Nominated by BlackMetalex
It honestly surprises me how anyone who dislikes or hates Gaston can have anything but glowing things to say about this song. I love this song both because it is quite catchy but also because of the several layers the song has to it that once peeled back make it live up to its namesake incredibly well, and provides a, dare I say, epic comparison between this villain and the lead heroine of the story. First off let me start with the simple reason why I like the song: It is catchy, humorous, and over the top. The phrasing leads to some fun results and can be easily transcribed for other uses. The tune fits the song completely and allows us to be overwhelmed by all of Gaston's glorious whatever he likes to call it. I am not the type of person who dislikes villains for being villainous and so I like Gaston's simple yet exceedingly effective villain tactics of being a complete and utter waste of human flesh given massive muscle mass that is only outstripped by his eagerness to show off an ego so undeserved that the Pharaohs themselves may have built him a Pyramid in the heart of the desert just to make him shut the hell up. I like Gaston for the same reasons I like Scar. They are archetypes done exceedingly well. You might hate Gaston, and surely that is the point, but that repulsion for everything he stands for is both intended and the entire point of this song, as far as I am concerned. If you believe this is a triumph for Gaston, to show how awesome he is, you have been horribly misled, dear friend.
This song is actually about how sad and pathetic both Gaston and this town truly are. I believe that is literally the entire point of this song, to give the viewer a stark contrast to the song Belle. In the soundtrack there are only two songs named after characters, and in both of them it is the town as a whole talking about said characters. Belle, who is kind and intelligent, is seen as nothing short of the oddest of odd, but we'll get to Belle in the write-up for her song. But for this song we are treated to the amazing tales of Gaston which aren't that amazing, really. He is conceited and the town is not in any way choosing to disagree with the man. Gaston, in fact, is who they want to be. Confident, good looking, and strong. Also as empty in the head as can be. As Belle says multiple times she wants more than they could ever possibly dream, and more than their petty illusion of a hero named Gaston.
That is why this song works for me on multiple levels and how it managed to climb the ranks higher and higher. I just love listening to the song because as I said it is just so catchy, the wit in the song is amazing as it flows so well. It is a perfectly small and short-sighted song for a perfectly small and short-sighted villain. That is where it hits its mark, and that is why it is great: It captures every single detail of hero worship for Gaston while at the same time revealing him for what he truly is: A man who can talk about great deeds than do them when asked from a sickly old man. I understand, and will forever understand, why someone would not like both Gaston and this song, but truth be told I thought it was sublimely done characterization on both counts and shows just how good at both character making and song writing the Golden Age of Disney was.
No one does it quite like Gaston, do they?
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The Cult of Personality.