I read something once that explained why Gaston was such a terrifying villain.  His whole demeanor is, “Hey you, you’re lucky I’m talking to you, I know you want to marry me and have my babies.  Put those books away and stop using that brain of yours, none of that matters, those things are strange for a woman to have.”  And the entire village pretty much loves him and feels like Belle is so strange to not be into this guy.

Meanwhile Beast is seen as a monster, right?  So monstrous he is, wanting to listen to what Belle has to say.

Gaston is probably one of the most relevant and timeless villains Disney has.