As a lifelong Disney fan I am bothered by the fact that Disney - or even Walt himself - has turned into what much of the public thinks is an evil company. Depending on who you believe, there is a list as long as your arm that contains certain things Disney has been accused of doing. Whether that is brainwashing or whatever. Here are some popular perceptions that are just false and I will go to bat for Disney here.
Song of the South was a racist movie - Made in 1946 under the watch of Walt himself. Arguably the most popular theme park attraction is built off of this movie but it isn't allowed on the shelves anymore. It's a shame. The movie is a masterpiece. I have heard that the arguments are that it doesn't focus on the Civil War and makes that timeframe look like a fantasy for blacks. However, it's a Disney movie, they don't deal with issues that deep. The entire premise of Disney movies are fantasy.
Subliminal messages in Disney movies - There are a couple of instances where this did happen. The Rescuers with the naked woman in the window. But to my knowledge that is the most conclusive evidence out there. The Lion King's "SEX" in the clouds? Very arguable that it was actually "SFX" as a nod to the audio. Or it was just dust in the clouds and it wouldn't be hard to vaguely make up three letters. The Little Mermaid I believed for years had an erection on the minister. I was fooled. That is clearly his knee. And the original picture on the front of the box that resembles a ? Again, pretty vague. I think somewhere along the line there has been a perverted animator or two that has thrown in a hidden sexual message. I do not think as a collective whole this is from the Disney company.
Walt Disney was anti-sematic/racist - In the film "Man Behind the Myth" one of Walt's former black employees (his name escapes me) goes to bat for him saying he wasn't a racist. If that isn't good enough for you then look at the evidence I point to: "Its a Small World." That attraction alone if anything makes Walt look like a hippie. It's about peace and love and joy and togetherness from all countries of the world. Walt wasn't a hippie, but at the same time when this was a hit at the 1964 World's Fair he turned it into a Disneyland attraction in 1966. I've always felt a genuinely racist and hateful man would not have been able to stomach that as an attraction. For me, Small World is proof enough.
Disney has a "hidden" agenda - Look, I am a pretty conservative man. But to the people who live their life trying to analyze cartoon characters that are gay boggles me as much as the ones who think everything in cartoons is racist. We know Walt himself wouldn't have done this, but more or less the animators since then. Look, I can understand one thing, in the arts business you are likely to have a more homosexuals per person on average. I am sure this happened in the 1940s in Walt's day as well. You can't tell me there weren't some animators a little more dapper than the average man. There were. That being said, Disney does not have an agenda in my mind. They do their best to stay out of any political side. Even the "gay days" are not Disney sanctioned like some believe. Disney allows all guests to come through. If certain groups like Brazilian tour groups, or church groups happen to gather thousands of people for a time frame at WDW then is their own organization and Disney just allows them in.
I have never thought Disney is ever trying to infiltrate our minds with anything other than pure joy. I guess if you look closely you can see that Donald doesn't wear pants or that none of the male characters are married. But seriously, they are characters, nothing more. For a company as large as they are Disney does a good job staying away from polarizing topics. They are neither Democrat or Republican (alright we all know Walt was Republican, but still). If anything the most controversial thing Disney seems to sanction is the Super Bowl MVP riding the float. So basically, in recent memory Disne has offended Patriots fans, and Tom Brady.
The crows in Dumbo were racist - I have never understood this accusation. I see no difference between the crows and Donkey from Shrek. The crows were helpful to Dumbo. They weren't evil, they were the only characters other than Timothy to be nice to Dumbo. I saw a documentary - the Disneyland documentary - on Youtube and they go into details on why they chose the crows to sing and dance and act the way they did. For a movie done in 1941 even to today's standards I see no harm in why they were chosen to act that way. All we have is an over paranoid society making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Song of the South was a racist movie - Made in 1946 under the watch of Walt himself. Arguably the most popular theme park attraction is built off of this movie but it isn't allowed on the shelves anymore. It's a shame. The movie is a masterpiece. I have heard that the arguments are that it doesn't focus on the Civil War and makes that timeframe look like a fantasy for blacks. However, it's a Disney movie, they don't deal with issues that deep. The entire premise of Disney movies are fantasy.
Subliminal messages in Disney movies - There are a couple of instances where this did happen. The Rescuers with the naked woman in the window. But to my knowledge that is the most conclusive evidence out there. The Lion King's "SEX" in the clouds? Very arguable that it was actually "SFX" as a nod to the audio. Or it was just dust in the clouds and it wouldn't be hard to vaguely make up three letters. The Little Mermaid I believed for years had an erection on the minister. I was fooled. That is clearly his knee. And the original picture on the front of the box that resembles a ? Again, pretty vague. I think somewhere along the line there has been a perverted animator or two that has thrown in a hidden sexual message. I do not think as a collective whole this is from the Disney company.
Walt Disney was anti-sematic/racist - In the film "Man Behind the Myth" one of Walt's former black employees (his name escapes me) goes to bat for him saying he wasn't a racist. If that isn't good enough for you then look at the evidence I point to: "Its a Small World." That attraction alone if anything makes Walt look like a hippie. It's about peace and love and joy and togetherness from all countries of the world. Walt wasn't a hippie, but at the same time when this was a hit at the 1964 World's Fair he turned it into a Disneyland attraction in 1966. I've always felt a genuinely racist and hateful man would not have been able to stomach that as an attraction. For me, Small World is proof enough.
Disney has a "hidden" agenda - Look, I am a pretty conservative man. But to the people who live their life trying to analyze cartoon characters that are gay boggles me as much as the ones who think everything in cartoons is racist. We know Walt himself wouldn't have done this, but more or less the animators since then. Look, I can understand one thing, in the arts business you are likely to have a more homosexuals per person on average. I am sure this happened in the 1940s in Walt's day as well. You can't tell me there weren't some animators a little more dapper than the average man. There were. That being said, Disney does not have an agenda in my mind. They do their best to stay out of any political side. Even the "gay days" are not Disney sanctioned like some believe. Disney allows all guests to come through. If certain groups like Brazilian tour groups, or church groups happen to gather thousands of people for a time frame at WDW then is their own organization and Disney just allows them in.
I have never thought Disney is ever trying to infiltrate our minds with anything other than pure joy. I guess if you look closely you can see that Donald doesn't wear pants or that none of the male characters are married. But seriously, they are characters, nothing more. For a company as large as they are Disney does a good job staying away from polarizing topics. They are neither Democrat or Republican (alright we all know Walt was Republican, but still). If anything the most controversial thing Disney seems to sanction is the Super Bowl MVP riding the float. So basically, in recent memory Disne has offended Patriots fans, and Tom Brady.
The crows in Dumbo were racist - I have never understood this accusation. I see no difference between the crows and Donkey from Shrek. The crows were helpful to Dumbo. They weren't evil, they were the only characters other than Timothy to be nice to Dumbo. I saw a documentary - the Disneyland documentary - on Youtube and they go into details on why they chose the crows to sing and dance and act the way they did. For a movie done in 1941 even to today's standards I see no harm in why they were chosen to act that way. All we have is an over paranoid society making a mountain out of a mole hill.