As a tween in the 1950s, I had a long fixation on all things Disney: seeing the first Disneyland theme park take shape, being glued to the Mickey Mouse Club (where my first TV crush was on the late Mouseketeer Annette Funicello), etc., etc.
Even last year, it was a peak pandemic survival session when I showed “Old Yeller” to grandson Calvin; the 1957 film creaked and rattled some, but the venerable boy-meets-dog, boy-loves-dog, boy-loses-dog tale still wagged.
Long since, though, I got over the Magic Kingdom. Way over it. The later movies, especially the animated ones, became too schlocky and plastic-looking; the values oppressively commercialized; blech.
I won’t do a big rant here; to die-hard Disney fans, I say wiggle your ears & go in peace. But the last time I was near Orlando, I sometimes spotted the spires of Disney World off amid the swamps, and the area tourist gewgaw emporia overflowed with knockoffs — I was relieved that no grandkids were along, because the only way I’d go through those gates was under arrest.
But I’m almost moved to reconsider by the news that Disney has become the latest target in the rightwing culture war, especially on the front where Florida governor (& DJT wannabe) Ron DeSantis is leading the charge with his Don’t Say Gay (but don’t admit that’s what you’re saying) law. After all, Disney has been somewhat progressive on such matters as recognizing non-straight people, which is one of the warriors’ ongoing targets of opportunity.
Ex-Republican Never-Trump pundit Charlie Sykes is all over this one:
You can be forgiven if you didn’t have “Right-Wing Jihad Against Disney” on your bingo card for 2022.
But I regret to tell you that the entrepreneurs of culture war have grown tired of ginning up indignation about “Drag Queen Story Hour,” CRT, and the cancellation of Dr. Seuss. And so they have found a bright new shiny object of outrage, that bastion of moral decadence and wokeness, the Walt Disney Company.
This is, of course, the Disney of Mary Poppins, Frozen, Snow White, Moana, Encanto, High School Musical, Finding Nemo, 101 Dalmatians, Fantasia, Coco, Epcot Center, Bambi, Cinderella, Ratatouille, Splash Mountain, Beauty and the Beast, Mister Toad’s Wild Ride, Space Mountain, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, The Princess and the Frog, Remember the Titans, The Mighty Ducks. Old Yeller, and the It’s a Small World After All ride.
[Blogger’s note: this outpouring of slick schlock makes my yuck-on-Disney case, except for Cinderella, Bambi, Old Yeller and one go-round on the Small World ride; also, Sykes forgot Pinocchio & Dumbo, masterpieces both.]
Sykes: But the company has now spoken out against Florida’s new law regulating instruction about sexuality (read gayness), and, since clickbait doesn’t click itself, the new hotness is canceling Disney.
You remember Rufo, of course: he’s become become one of the go-to critics of CRT.
. . . For Rufo, it is all about “branding,’ and the audacity of his charlatanry is breathtaking:
. . . This week, Rufo fired up the jihad with what he excitedly described as a SCOOP: “Disney corporate president Karey Burke says, “as the mother [of] one transgender child and one pansexual child,” she supports having “many, many, many LGBTQIA characters in our stories” and wants a minimum of 50 percent of characters to be LGBTQIA and racial minorities.”
And he attached a video as “evidence”. . .
 |
Sykes: But but but. . . .
The video doesn’t say that at all. Nowhere in the video posted by Rufo does Burke say that she “wants a minimum of 50 percent of characters to be LGBTQIA and racial minorities.”
Even the Washington Examiner (which ran a breathless piece declaring:“Of course Disney wants to indoctrinate your children”) acknowledged that, at least on this point, Rufo was full of [beans].
In the video, Burke does not appear to make the claim regarding half of Disney characters that Rufo cites. However, she does say that “we don’t have enough [LGBT] leads,” despite having “many, many, many LGBTQIA characters.”
Blogger comment: Right. Burke chokes up at the end, and refers to “50% of the tears.” As for LGBTQIA leads or characters, she doesn’t say a perent, but wants more. That’s enough for Rufo & DeSantis.
On Fox & Friends Friday, the Florida governor did not hold back:
‘I don’t believe in special treatment’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Disney’s ‘woke ideology’ is a ‘significant threat to the state’ and he threatens to strip the company’s right to build anything it wants in its theme park
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared on Fox & Friends Friday to discuss revoking Disney’s special [state-granted] privileges, saying that he doesn’t ‘believe in special treatment’
- He said the company’s woke ideology is a ‘significant threat’ to the state
- Florida House lawmakers have met twice to discuss repealing 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Walt Disney World to govern itself
- Threat to Disney’s special status in Florida comes after the company vocally opposed just-signed Parental Rights in Education bill and vowed to help undo it
- Law signed by Gov Ron DeSantis on Monday forbids classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade
- Facing protests and worker walkouts, [Disney] CEO Bob Chapek changed his stances and condemned the law, sparking outrage from DeSantis and other conservatives
Blogger comment: Given that Disney is Florida’s biggest employer and a tourist biz behemoth, and that DeSantis is up for reelection this year, this should be a fascinating foodfight to watch. The spectacle may not match The Lion King, Splash Mountain or Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. But it could become something like Toy Story 5. Or maybe 102 (non-housebroken) Dalmatians.
If DeSantis and Rufo & Co win, though, remember: it will be a Small, Small (straight white) World, after all.
Arguing ideas divides (in the absence of genuine intellectual inquiry, a rare commodity).
Quakers unite in Spirit, an experience of that beyond words which leads our hearts toward helping one another.
What can Quakers do to bring the a life in Spirit to all, and in that way help the world unite?
Let us ask and wait to be led.