The feud is a very modern morality tale full of woke words and gestures – but the hypocrisy from the House of Mouse is taking the Mickey
1994 a little-known American writer named James Finn Garner published a book, Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, which went on to become a number one bestseller. How people laughed at the far-fetched notion of Cinderella being given a crash course in female empowerment by her “fairy godperson”. And guffawed at her first official act when she takes over the realm alone being “to dress the men in [women’s] discarded dresses”.
How they fell about at Snow White, “a victim of colourist thinking”, resenting both the “seven, bearded vertically challenged men”, who took her in, and the prince who attempted to wake her from her eternal sleep with a kiss. “Trying to make it with a girl in a coma! Yuck!”
Almost 30 years on, Disney is close to making Garner’s satire a reality. That’s how “committed” new CEO Bob Chapek is “to creating a more inclusive company and world”. Disney’s 2021 Cinderella remake shows the progressive fourth-wave feminist refusing to be scooped up by her prince: “I can walk, it’s faster”. And excitement over the new Snow White, to be released next year, has been marred by the revelation that the dwarves will be replaced by “mythical creatures”, as well as woke pressure to make That Kiss “consensual”.
Meanwhile, Disney World Florida – the empire’s biggest theme park – has ditched its traditional welcome of “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” in favour of the more inclusive “Dreamers of all ages”.
Nobody’s laughing now. Least of all Disney. Because last Friday, in an act of retaliation against Disney bosses publicly attacking new legislation introduced by Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis – which bans primary schools from teaching children under the age of nine about gender identity and sexual orientation – the company was stripped of the right to govern its own Disneyland theme park.
It’s a morality tale in itself. The story of a vainglorious and hypocritical king whose over-polished halo has become a dead weight – impeding all logic – having the keys of his Magic Kingdom taken away. Hypocritical because while Disney has been flaunting its LGBTQ+ credentials, it has also been planning to extend its streaming service into Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian National Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Yemen – countries not known for their rainbow flag-waving stances. And, of course, Disney has censored its films to make them more appealing to China, and its repressive Communist regime.
These are details the company would rather we didn’t focus on. It’s words and gestures that matter most in the cowardly new world of virtue signalling. Words like those of Disney’s general entertainment president, Karey Burke, who on a Disney-wide Zoom call last month said: “I’m here as the mother of two queer children – actually, one transgender child and one pansexual child – and as a leader.”
The call was part of Disney’s “Reimagine Tomorrow” campaign, which promises that 50 per cent of characters and content will be from underrepresented groups such as LGBTQ+ by the end of 2022.
Gestures like Chapek’s condemnation of Florida’s new, so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.
The point is, however, that Disney didn’t have to wade into this complex debate, or any other beyond its remit. We don’t need to imagine a world in which companies feel obliged to weigh in on hot-button political topics and declare their affiliations. That, sadly, is the world we live in.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2022/04/25/disney-vs-florida-cautionary-tale-pointless-virtue-signalling/
1994 a little-known American writer named James Finn Garner published a book, Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, which went on to become a number one bestseller. How people laughed at the far-fetched notion of Cinderella being given a crash course in female empowerment by her “fairy godperson”. And guffawed at her first official act when she takes over the realm alone being “to dress the men in [women’s] discarded dresses”.
How they fell about at Snow White, “a victim of colourist thinking”, resenting both the “seven, bearded vertically challenged men”, who took her in, and the prince who attempted to wake her from her eternal sleep with a kiss. “Trying to make it with a girl in a coma! Yuck!”
Almost 30 years on, Disney is close to making Garner’s satire a reality. That’s how “committed” new CEO Bob Chapek is “to creating a more inclusive company and world”. Disney’s 2021 Cinderella remake shows the progressive fourth-wave feminist refusing to be scooped up by her prince: “I can walk, it’s faster”. And excitement over the new Snow White, to be released next year, has been marred by the revelation that the dwarves will be replaced by “mythical creatures”, as well as woke pressure to make That Kiss “consensual”.
Meanwhile, Disney World Florida – the empire’s biggest theme park – has ditched its traditional welcome of “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” in favour of the more inclusive “Dreamers of all ages”.
Nobody’s laughing now. Least of all Disney. Because last Friday, in an act of retaliation against Disney bosses publicly attacking new legislation introduced by Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis – which bans primary schools from teaching children under the age of nine about gender identity and sexual orientation – the company was stripped of the right to govern its own Disneyland theme park.
It’s a morality tale in itself. The story of a vainglorious and hypocritical king whose over-polished halo has become a dead weight – impeding all logic – having the keys of his Magic Kingdom taken away. Hypocritical because while Disney has been flaunting its LGBTQ+ credentials, it has also been planning to extend its streaming service into Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian National Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Yemen – countries not known for their rainbow flag-waving stances. And, of course, Disney has censored its films to make them more appealing to China, and its repressive Communist regime.
These are details the company would rather we didn’t focus on. It’s words and gestures that matter most in the cowardly new world of virtue signalling. Words like those of Disney’s general entertainment president, Karey Burke, who on a Disney-wide Zoom call last month said: “I’m here as the mother of two queer children – actually, one transgender child and one pansexual child – and as a leader.”
The call was part of Disney’s “Reimagine Tomorrow” campaign, which promises that 50 per cent of characters and content will be from underrepresented groups such as LGBTQ+ by the end of 2022.
Gestures like Chapek’s condemnation of Florida’s new, so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.
The point is, however, that Disney didn’t have to wade into this complex debate, or any other beyond its remit. We don’t need to imagine a world in which companies feel obliged to weigh in on hot-button political topics and declare their affiliations. That, sadly, is the world we live in.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2022/04/25/disney-vs-florida-cautionary-tale-pointless-virtue-signalling/