# Why are there no mainstream disabled Disney characters?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-mainstream-disabled-disney-characters/739281>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 3, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-mainstream-disabled-disney-characters/739281 "2015-12-03T02:22:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-mainstream-disabled-disney-characters/739281/41 "2015-12-03T23:53:01Z")

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> [@Greg\_Charles](#):
>
> Mickey Mouse’s nemesis Peg-Leg Pete had a peg leg. I’m not seeing him in that Disney Wiki link from post 3 though. Is he completely forgotten?

From the Disney Comics Mailing List:

[http://nafsk.se/pipermail/dcml/2004-February/021101.html](http://nafsk.se/pipermail/dcml/2004-February/021101.html)

> [@](#):
>
> \>\>\>\>And is the latter really legless, at least in the first  
> \>\>\>\> classical appearances?
> 
> Pete really does have a peg leg. He got a whole new artificial leg in “The  
> Mystery at Hidden River” (Oct 6, '41 - Jan 17, '42)-- a “new model store  
> leg” (Oct 21). Gottfredson explained the peg leg had been dropped in the  
> cartoons because it looked painful-- especially as the animators captured  
> too well the way the weight shifted from one leg to the other. Pete kept his  
> nickname.

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**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-mainstream-disabled-disney-characters/739281/42 "2015-12-03T23:59:09Z")

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They gave him back the pegleg in the Mickey-Donald-Goofy THREE MUSKETEERS, probably because of the slapstick potential.

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**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-mainstream-disabled-disney-characters/739281/43 "2015-12-04T02:10:47Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Why are there no mainstream disabled Disney characters?

Because that’s not what appeals to most of the audience.

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-mainstream-disabled-disney-characters/739281/44 "2015-12-04T03:03:31Z")

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Well, in the direct-to-video sequel to Hunchback, Disney gave Quasimodo a love interest based on another Victor Hugo character—a circus performer voiced by Jennifer Love Hewitt named Gwenplaine…

Okay, fine, not _really_—but that would have been pretty impressive. And this was probably the only time I’d be able to use that joke.

(Why so serious? 😃 )

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