Snoop Dogg is weighing in on the increased visibility of LGBTQ+ representation in kids’ films, confessing that he gets uncomfortable when his grandkids question him.
The 53-year-old rapper opened up on the Aug. 20 episode of the It’s Giving podcast with host Sarah Fontenot, remembering a time when he watched Disney and Pixar’s 2022 film Lightyear with one of his grandsons. The animated Toy Story spin-off contains a short same-sex kiss between a female space ranger and her wife and features a moment with the couple having a child together.
Snoop clarified that his grandson was baffled by the plot and asked him for clarification. “My grandson, during the movie, like, ‘Papa Snoop? How she have a baby with a woman? She a woman!’” Snoop remembered. The rapper conceded he was taken aback, merely telling his grandson to watch the movie and enjoy his popcorn instead of staring into an explanation.
“It’s like, I’m afraid to go to the movies now,” Snoop explained on the podcast. “Y’all putting me in the middle of things that I don’t have a response to.” He said he just wanted to chill during the movie, but the sudden questions caught him off guard. “It threw me for a loop. These are children. We have to present that at this age? They’re going to pose questions … I don’t know the answer.”
The rapper, who has seven grandkids, explained that it’s getting more difficult to steer clear of LGBTQ+ plotlines in media. “They’re putting it everywhere,” he explained, adding that studios ought to consider how children will receive these stories.
Lightyear was a source of contention when it was released in June 2022. The scene showing a kiss between two characters of the same sex was edited out of the film initially but reintroduced after criticism from Pixar staff members and LGBTQ+ activists. Although some actors like Chris Evans and Uzo Aduba publicly defended the move, a number of countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates banned the film. Some cinema houses in America even issued parents’ warnings before screenings.
Snoop’s words make him part of a list of celebrities growing longer by the day who are commenting on the issue of LGBTQ+ representation in media for younger audiences. For the rapper, however, the problem isn’t representation itself but how to respond to tough questions from his grandchildren when such moments arise unexpectedly.
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