Disney's betrayal of the right

[billvon 3,131]

As most people know, the right wing is trying to cancel Disney, primarily because their new president, Karey Burke, supports minorities and gays, and wants to have more of them in Disney movies.  Her sins are that, first, she wants to get representation of minorities and LGBT characters up to 50% - which is about the percentage of minority and LGBT people in the USA.  (40% of the US is non-white, and 7% identifies as LGBT.)  Second, and perhaps this is the more mortal sin, she has two children who are LGBT.  And so the right has announced that Disney must be cancelled.

This, of course, is odd coming from the side that uses insults for the left that include things like "cancel culture" "special snowflakes need a safe space" "social justice warriors" "fuck your feelings" etc etc.  And now we see the social justice warriors of the right wanting to cancel Disney and create a safe space for themselves, because their feelings are hurt.  And they are going all out - claiming that Disney is training little girls to be raped and claiming that Disney is going to make your child go gay (which, for many conservatives, would be a fate worse than death.)

Why all the anger?  I think it is because the right feels betrayed.  For decades Disney was a bastion of right wing values.  Snow White, who was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom because she was so white.  ("The fairest of them all.")  Uncle Remus, who longs for the long-ago days of slavery, when “every day was mighty satisfactual.. If you’ll excuse me for saying so, twas better all around."  Sleeping Beauty, where a woman lies helpless (and literally unconscious) until a man kisses her, at which point she is eternally grateful.  Peter Pan, where the Indian chief explains that "redskins" are red because they are embarrassed.  The bad-guy black crows in Dumbo, whose leader was literally called "Jim Crow."  All reinforcing right wing beliefs about minorities and women.

Now, at the time these films were made, they were barely to the right of center.  Song of the South got some negative reviews from black reviewers and academics over its racism, but for the most part it was accepted without much note - and honestly it wouldn't have taken much modification to make it neutral (for the time.)  However, as time has gone on, those tropes have become part of the background support for the many conservatives; the sort of "great" they refer to when they say "make America great again."  When old black men perhaps don't yearn for the days of slavery, but at least acknowledge that they were certainly not mistreated by white men in the past.  When women were seen as passive objects of conquest, to either do nothing or to resist ineffectually until a man "won her over."

And now there's a new president who has said there will be more minority and gay characters in their stories.  This is literally nothing new.  Toy Story 4 had a lesbian (and interracial!) couple oohing and aahing over their child's art project in the far background.  You could have blinked and missed it, but conservatives certainly didn't - they freeze framed the movie until they could get angry enough to write nasty letters.  One Million Moms wrote a piece that included "the scene is subtle in order to to desensitise children. But it is obvious that the child has two mothers, and they are parenting together.”

Two men dancing together in Beauty and the Beast.  The gay brother in Jungle Cruise.  Even the newer properties - the last Infinity War movie had a guy in a support group talking about going on a date with another man, and the last Star Wars had two women kissing in the background.

So what's new?  Maybe it's that now there is a 1) woman who is 2) in charge and is saying 3) that she is going to make an effort to include gay and minority characters, and who has a 4) nonbinary child.  Perhaps those four things combined pushed them over the edge.  Or maybe it's just that this last bastion of traditional conservative values has said explicitly that they are going to be moving into the present.  It's not just quick scenes in the background any more; now it's intentional.  

And the special snowflakes of the right do not want to give up their safe space, even if they have to destroy Disney and find a new one.

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

A bit pedantic, but it was "Uncle Remus" in Song of the South.

Funny thing.

Black people were often referred to as "Uncle" and "Aunt" (you know, like "Aunt Jemimah) because little kids never addressed adults by their first name, but to address black people as 'Mr' or 'Mrs' or 'Miss' would confer too much respectability.

[billvon 3,131]

40 minutes ago, wolfriverjoe said:

A bit pedantic, but it was "Uncle Remus" in Song of the South.

That's what I thought at first, then I saw a reference to Uncle Amos, and I thought I misremembered.  I'll fix it.

[gowlerk 2,283]

Nicely written piece Bill. I would add that part of the anger lately is from the publicity surrounding the employees of Disney putting pressure on management to do more to embrace diversity. That puts the company squarely into the culture wars and makes them a target. They were forced to choose sides or they would not have. 

[metalslug 36]

1 hour ago, billvon said:

As most people know, the right wing is trying to cancel Disney.

If media reports are to be believed; Disney has opposed the state’s 'Parental Rights In Education Act' and DeSantis has said he’s “receptive” to the state legislature revoking special privileges the company’s received. Sounds like standard 'tit for tat' at the moment. I'm not yet sure how the right can 'cancel' (ban?) Disney products, no more than a private corporation can veto a bill that may be democratically passed.  FWIW I have no problem with permanently archiving the older Disney works. In my youth a few of them seemed outright creepy to me anyway, I wasn't very receptive to fantasy themes and talking animals, I've had to acquire a liking. With regard to Disney's future it may surprise some here that I actually support their right to create whatever content they want as a private corporation. The market will decide their success in that regard.

[billvon 3,131]

3 hours ago, metalslug said:

If media reports are to be believed; Disney has opposed the state’s 'Parental Rights In Education Act' and DeSantis has said he’s “receptive” to the state legislature revoking special privileges the company’s received. Sounds like standard 'tit for tat' at the moment. 

?? Sounds like a governor using his political power to force companies to bow to his will - basically to choose winners and losers according to a political litmus test.  Isn't that what the right wing has been opposing for decades?

Let's look at this in a different perspective.  Suppose Biden withdraws the child tax credit for anyone who publicly criticizes his presidency.  You OK with that?

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 I'm not yet sure how the right can 'cancel' (ban?) Disney products,

Is that a joke?  I am 99% sure you are just purposely misunderstanding, because the right has been fighting "cancel culture" for years.  You yourself have complained about it - and it would surely be odd for you to be railing against something you don't understand. 

But just in case you really, honestly don't know, it's the mass withdrawal of support for a person or organization, done to support a political agenda.  They hope to bankrupt Disney by organizing mass boycotts.

[gowlerk 2,283]

21 minutes ago, billvon said:

They hope to bankrupt Disney by organizing mass boycotts.

But that would be "cancelling" them wouldn't it? How outrageous!

Edited April 13, 2022 by gowlerk

[metalslug 36]

4 hours ago, billvon said:

?? Sounds like a governor using his political power to force companies to bow to his will - basically to choose winners and losers according to a political litmus test.  Isn't that what the right wing has been opposing for decades?

Let's look at this in a different perspective.  Suppose Biden withdraws the child tax credit for anyone who publicly criticizes his presidency.  You OK with that?

Is that a joke?  I am 99% sure you are just purposely misunderstanding, because the right has been fighting "cancel culture" for years.  You yourself have complained about it - and it would surely be odd for you to be railing against something you don't understand. 

But just in case you really, honestly don't know, it's the mass withdrawal of support for a person or organization, done to support a political agenda.  They hope to bankrupt Disney by organizing mass boycotts.

Yes, I'm against cancel culture, even against the left, although boycotts are not mutually inclusive with cancel culture as their success is largely determined by whoever chooses to participate. How does state government 'organize' mass boycotts?  By paying for rent-a-crowd?

Your Biden analogy would be a comparatively 'shitty' move but can Disney's special privileges fairly be compared to 'child tax credit'?  I'm having a little difficulty trying to source what Disney's 'special privileges' are. I'd welcome anyone's input on that. I'd like to be fair on this so long as we're comparing apples with apples.

[sfzombie13 324]

ok, it would be like 'rosanne' getting cancelled because of remarks supporting trump.  close enough for you?

[metalslug 36]

28 minutes ago, sfzombie13 said:

ok, it would be like 'rosanne' getting cancelled because of remarks supporting trump.  close enough for you?

?? Rosanne was cancelled by her employer. Are you implying that Disney is in the employ of 'the right'?

[sfzombie13 324]

no you <insert whatever you wish here>, i am giving you an entertainment equivalent that you asked for.  then you moved the goalposts again.  i expect it, so it's no surprise.

see how i avoided insulting anyone? 

[gowlerk 2,283]

1 hour ago, sfzombie13 said:

ok, it would be like 'rosanne' getting cancelled because of remarks supporting trump.  close enough for you?

Roseanne was not fired for being a Trump supporter. That did annoy many people, but she was fired for making racist tweets.

[metalslug 36]

12 minutes ago, sfzombie13 said:

no you <insert whatever you wish here>, i am giving you an entertainment equivalent that you asked for.  then you moved the goalposts again. 

??  OK... to help you then; I'm using the OP as the goalposts; 

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As most people know, the right wing is trying to cancel Disney....

 'The right' has not made any effort to dismiss Disney from their employ. Potential arguments so far seem to be that boycotts equate to 'cancelling' (which I'm not really convinced by,  listeners boycotting Joe Rogan does not equate to cancelling Joe Rogan.) and/or that the state governor might revoke 'special privileges' from Disney. The latter could be a good argument for the OP if we had a clear measure of what these 'special privileges' actually are. Comparable to child tax credit or something else?

[jakee 1,608]

4 hours ago, metalslug said:

Yes, I'm against cancel culture, even against the left, although boycotts are not mutually inclusive with cancel culture as their success is largely determined by whoever chooses to participate.

That's an odd thing to emphasize. What part of anything you might call cancel culture comes down to anything but people choosing to do something?

[gowlerk 2,283]

18 minutes ago, metalslug said:

and/or that the state governor might revoke 'special privileges' from Disney.

The state of Florida avoids having an income tax largely due to tourism. Disney is one of their largest attractions. Disney is a huge employer. When you make a deal with the devil, or the mouse, it comes at a price. 

[metalslug 36]

1 minute ago, jakee said:

That's an odd thing to emphasize. What part of anything you might call cancel culture comes down to anything but people choosing to do something?

In so far as most (if not all) 'cancelled' public figures were cancelled by a single individual or a small body of decision makers based on a small sampling of subjective judgement. If boycotts count as 'cancelling' then one might that say drivers who dislike Ford vehicles are 'cancelling' the Ford motor company. I don't regard the word as an appropriate fit there.  I also refer back to my Joe Rogan example; I would not accuse lefties of 'cancelling' Joe Rogan if they refused to listen to his work, but would if they fired or banned him.

[gowlerk 2,283]

37 minutes ago, metalslug said:

In so far as most (if not all) 'cancelled' public figures were cancelled by a single individual or a small body of decision makers based on a small sampling of subjective judgement. If boycotts count as 'cancelling' then one might that say drivers who dislike Ford vehicles are 'cancelling' the Ford motor company. I don't regard the word as an appropriate fit there.  I also refer back to my Joe Rogan example; I would not accuse lefties of 'cancelling' Joe Rogan if they refused to listen to his work, but would if they fired or banned him.

The word doesn't really fit anywhere but the place it came from. It's roots are in a desire to punish mostly overly entitled people for misbehavior that they have long been able to get away with because of their status in society. The word "culture" was added in order to deride it as something only unimportant people care about. 

[SkyDekker 1,465]

2 hours ago, jakee said:

That's an odd thing to emphasize. What part of anything you might call cancel culture comes down to anything but people choosing to do something?

Well, you see, Cancel Culture is directed by the Deep State against "The Right".

This thing with Disney is The Righteous Right choosing to do what is honourable and good.

[billvon 3,131]

6 hours ago, metalslug said:

Yes, I'm against cancel culture, even against the left, although boycotts are not mutually inclusive with cancel culture as their success is largely determined by whoever chooses to participate.

Boycotts are organized efforts to cancel a company, brand or person.  It's how cancel culture works.

Quote

Your Biden analogy would be a comparatively 'shitty' move but can Disney's special privileges fairly be compared to 'child tax credit'?

If you prefer a more apples-to-apples comparison, Biden could announce that any company that does not contribute to his campaign loses the abilty to depreciate their equipment.  "Why should companies get special privileges that Americans don't get if they don't support the government?"

Quote

I'm having a little difficulty trying to source what Disney's 'special privileges' are. I'd welcome anyone's input on that. I'd like to be fair on this so long as we're comparing apples with apples.

1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act.  The state government agreed to give Disney the right to tax people who lived there, and to not pay those state and local taxes that are earmarked for infrastructure.  In return, Disney agreed to provide roads, power, water, sewers, trash collection, and fire and EMS protection for everyone in the area.  So far Disney has built out all those power/water/sewer lines the population that lives there needs.  They have built 134 miles of roadways and 67 miles of waterways, and guarantee an 8 minute response time for fire and EMS (both for residents and the park) and deal with about 60,000 tons of trash a year.

Basically they said "we will put in all the stuff we need so you don't have to, as long as you exempt us from taxes that goes to that stuff."

DeSantis has provided no details on his attempts to rescind this, of course, but I have a feeling his take on it is "so now we tax you and we don't provide any of that stuff that you do on your own right now."  Which of course would violate the act, and Disney will win the resulting lawsuit - costing Florida billions in both court costs and support for that area.  (The court is going to say "if you don't live up to your end of the bargain, Disney doesn't have to live up to theirs - so start installing sewers and hiring fire crews!")

But this is much more about virtue signaling than anything real. 

 

[billvon 3,131]

3 hours ago, metalslug said:

If boycotts count as 'cancelling' then one might that say drivers who dislike Ford vehicles are 'cancelling' the Ford motor company.

Nope.  That would be drivers who dislike Ford vehicles.

If Trump announced that the people who ran Ford were child rapists who groomed children for use by older politicians, and said that there were plenty of car companies that DIDN'T do that if you wanted a car, and as a result people boycotted Ford - then that would be cancellation.

Or let's use an actual example.

Mike Lindell's company (MyPillow) was boycotted by democrats due to his support for Trump.  The conservative Washington Times used the MyPillow boycott as an example of cancel culture.

[JoeWeber 2,967]

3 hours ago, metalslug said:

??  OK... to help you then; I'm using the OP as the goalposts; 

 'The right' has not made any effort to dismiss Disney from their employ. Potential arguments so far seem to be that boycotts equate to 'cancelling' (which I'm not really convinced by,  listeners boycotting Joe Rogan does not equate to cancelling Joe Rogan.) and/or that the state governor might revoke 'special privileges' from Disney. The latter could be a good argument for the OP if we had a clear measure of what these 'special privileges' actually are. Comparable to child tax credit or something else?

Maybe we need some input from our most experienced goalie. Yo, Brent! Are you getting much sleep knowing that your pilgrimage  to Disney in support of DeSantis and his right wing policies is now tainted?  After all, the park is receiving government subsidies in the form of a special district and now needs to be cancelled, too? 

[Phil1111 1,192]

24 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

Maybe we need some input from our most experienced goalie. Yo, Brent! Are you getting much sleep knowing that your pilgrimage  to Disney in support of DeSantis and his right wing policies is now tainted?  After all, the park is receiving government subsidies in the form of a special district and now needs to be cancelled, too? 

We all hope that word doesn't get out that Brent is a traitor to the right. Because of his Disney trip. The mocking he would get at Uncle Billy Bob's "Guns and Liquor" would be humiliating.

[jakee 1,608]

7 hours ago, metalslug said:

In so far as most (if not all) 'cancelled' public figures were cancelled by a single individual or a small body of decision makers based on a small sampling of subjective judgement. 

How can a single individual cancel a public figure?

Quote

If boycotts count as 'cancelling' then one might that say drivers who dislike Ford vehicles are 'cancelling' the Ford motor company. 

Exactly - and here you get the problem with all the complaints about so-called cancel culture.

Quote

I would not accuse lefties of 'cancelling' Joe Rogan if they refused to listen to his work, but would if they fired or banned him.

Why do you want to cancel the right of employers to choose their employees? Who do you propose should make hiring and firing decisions for them?

[billvon 3,131]

4 hours ago, Phil1111 said:

We all hope that word doesn't get out that Brent is a traitor to the right. Because of his Disney trip. The mocking he would get at Uncle Billy Bob's "Guns and Liquor" would be humiliating.

There's even a Tshirt for that.

"Liquor and guns - where bad decisions are on sale for 20% off list!"

[metalslug 36]

7 hours ago, billvon said:

Mike Lindell's company (MyPillow) was boycotted by democrats due to his support for Trump.  The conservative Washington Times used the MyPillow boycott as an example of cancel culture.

Fair enough. 

Quote

If boycotts count as 'cancelling' then one might that say drivers who dislike Ford vehicles are 'cancelling' the Ford motor company.

3 hours ago, jakee said:

Exactly - and here you get the problem with all the complaints about so-called cancel culture.

7 hours ago, billvon said:

Nope.  That would be drivers who dislike Ford vehicles.

 

 

Seems there's a few differing opinions on what constitutes 'cancel culture'. I concede I may be on the wrong side of what constitutes the more popular definition then.

3 hours ago, jakee said:

How can a single individual cancel a public figure?

It is said that Will Smith now fears being 'cancelled' as several pending movie deals are now suspended or cancelled. The individuals making those contract decisions did not put out a national poll on the matter before deciding that. They subjectively determined that he was just not good business right now and unilaterally decided, as is their right. It's entirely possible for a handful of people to scuttle someone's career, whether deserved or not.