Tinker Bell was marked for caution because she is “body conscious” and jealous of Peter Pan’s attention, according to the executives, while Captain Hook could expose Disney to accusations of discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities because he is a villain.Īt least some people inside Disney are concerned that such sensitivities go too far. Her dark color palette (lavender skin, black legs) could be viewed through a racial lens, the Stories Matter team cautioned she is also a “queer coded” character, with mannerisms inspired in part by those of a real-life drag queen. Ursula, the villainous sea witch from “The Little Mermaid” (1989), was one. The Stories Matter team privately flagged other characters as potentially problematic, with the findings distributed to senior Disney leaders, according to two current Disney executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential information. “These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now,” the disclaimers read. As part of the initiative, called Stories Matter, Disney added disclaimers to content that the company determined included “negative depictions or mistreatment of people or cultures.” Examples included episodes of “The Muppet Show” from the 1970s and the 1941 version of “Dumbo.” As he said at Disney’s 2017 shareholder meeting, referring to inclusion and equality: “We can take those values, which we deem important societally, and actually change people’s behavior - get people to be more accepting of the multiple differences and cultures and races and all other facets of our lives and our people.”Īs Disney prepared to introduce its streaming service in 2019, it began an extensive review of its film library. Iger, who served as chief executive from 2005 to 2020, pushed the world’s largest entertainment company to emphasize diverse casting and storytelling. It took the company until 2009 to introduce a Black princess.īut in recent years, there has been a noticeable change. The traditional Christmas story is told each December at Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California with Candlelight Processional events, Bible verses and all. patriotism is on prominent display at Disney’s theme parks.
The Walt Disney Company’s namesake founder, after all, was an anti-union conservative. But we are so divided today, so revved up, that even Disney is having a hard time bringing us together.”Īvoiding socially divisive topics, of course, in itself reflects a certain worldview.
Let’s all be transformed by the magic wand. “The mission for the Disney brand has always been really clear: Do nothing that might upset or confuse the family audience,” said Martin Kaplan, the Norman Lear professor of entertainment, media and society at the University of Southern California and a former Walt Disney Studios executive. Last summer, to applause from progressives and snarls from the far right, Disney decided to make loudspeaker announcements at its theme parks gender neutral, removing “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” in favor of “dreamers of all ages.” But the entertainment giant has also found itself dragged into the fray, as with the recent imbroglio over a new Florida law that among many things restricts classroom instruction through third grade on sexual orientation and gender identity and has been labeled by opponents as “Don’t Say Gay.” In some cases, Disney has willingly waded into cultural issues.
In this hyperpartisan moment, both sides of the political divide have been pounding on Disney, endangering one of the world’s best-known brands - one that, for many, symbolizes America itself - as it tries to navigate a rapidly changing entertainment industry. Lately, however, real world ugliness has been creeping into the Magic Kingdom. In case the fairy tale castles are too subtle, Disney theme parks outright promise an escape from reality with welcome signs that read, “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.” The Disney brand is about wishing on stars and finding true love and living happily ever after. Since its founding in 1923, Disney has stood alone in Hollywood in one fundamental way: Its family-friendly movies, television shows and theme park rides, at least in theory, have always been aimed at everybody, with potential political and cultural pitfalls zealously avoided.
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