'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[TP2000]

We agree! Leave the creative decisions to Disney. Parents can then decide whether or not they want their children to watch the resulting films.

Oh, look! We do agree!

If Disney wants to continue down this path, and make the princess in next summer's Wish the first Lesbian Princess who doesn't need a man, then more power to them.

I get to say that because I sold off the last big chunk of my Disney stock back in '21. So I've no longer got skin in the game as a childless adult with no Disneyland AP and no Disney stock to worry about. I don't even subscribe to Disney+ for 8 bucks a month.

But I do have to wonder, for the sake of all the cubicle drones in Burbank who need to keep their jobs, if this tactic of alienating a lot of parents around the world is the right path for the Disney brand to take? It's a business, remember. Not a social service agency.

 

[CaptinEO]

This is key. Parents are now on guard for Disney/Pixar products, and that could be the death of those brands.

This Harris Poll is from last March, before Lightyear or Strange World were released as "family films", but I look forward to seeing what happens with the upcoming 2023 edition of this poll. The trajectory of Disney's reputation with American parents is clear. Does it get a "dead cat bounce" in '23, or is there still more of the cliff they have to fall off of in '23?

It's an ominous sign. And quite sad to see.

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Wow this is very insightful! Again the people I know with kids aren't bigots by any means. They just don't feel they can trust Disney with their kids. This graph shows what's going on.

It's interesting that when I was growing up in the 90s and early 2000s the strictest parents actually ONLY let their kids watch Disney movies.

Some posters need to remember there's a difference between being a bigot and not feeling ready to have a conversation with a child about a topic.

People used to always trust Disney to be safe and family friendly. Now they make films about menstrual issues and homosexual love interests. Which again aren't bad things and are part of the real world, but not really the best things to expose toddlers to.

 

[LittleBuford]

If Disney wants to continue down this path, and make the princess in next summer's Wish the first Lesbian Princess who doesn't need a man, then more power to them.

But I do have to wonder, for the sake of all the cubicle drones in Burbank who need to keep their jobs, if this tactic of alienating a majority of parents around the world is the right path for the Disney brand to take? It's a business, remember. Not a social service agency.

Whether they're alienating a majority of parents is a matter of opinion. Time will reveal whether it's a winning strategy in the long run. My money's on yes.

 

[TP2000]

Wow this is very insightful! Again the people I know with kids aren't bigots by any means. They just don't feel they can trust Disney with their kids. This graph shows what's going on.

The only people who honestly think the average American middle-class parent is a bigot are people who have never actually talked to a middle-class American parent for at least 20 minutes.

It's interesting that when I was growing up in the 90s and early 2000s the strictest parents actually ONLY let their kids watch Disney movies.

Trust me, that was a thing in the 1960's also.

Some posters need to remember there's a difference between being a bigot and not feeling ready to have a conversation with a child about a topic.

Stop trying to inject reasonable nuance into the conversation. It's always immediately labeled as bigotry, and by people who have no children at that.

People used to always trust Disney to be safe and family friendly. Now they make films about menstrual issues and homosexual love interests. Which again aren't bad things and are part of the real world, but not really the best things to expose toddlers to.

I still haven't read any post here from anyone who would object to those subjects or jokes in a PG-13 rated Marvel movie. But when you push it downstream into the family films rated PG (which is the new G since Burbank is unable to create G rated movies any longer), it becomes an understandable sticking point with parents of young children. As it should be.

Unless you are a 50 year old man with no children who thinks they know how to raise a child better than any Midwest parent ever did.

 

[LittleBuford]

Some posters need to remember there's a difference between being a bigot and not feeling ready to have a conversation with a child about a topic.

Again, I find it interesting that parents are apparently comfortable with their children learning about death, murder (including fratricide), black magic, kidnapping, false imprisonment, teenage marriage, etc., from Disney films but draw the line at love between gay people.

 

[TP2000]

Whether they're alienating a majority of parents is a matter of opinion. Time will reveal whether it's a winning strategy in the long run. My money's on yes.

How many films and how many years are you going to give them to get there? Two more years and four more family films? Five more years and eight more family films? Longer?

Or will you know by next summer with Wish (assuming the princess in Wish is 2SLGBTQQIAP+)?

I'm fairly convinced on how this plays out for Burbank if they continue down this path, but I could be wrong. Maybe the family film Wish will have a Lesbian Princess and be a huge hit with families and parents with 8 year old girls?

 

[TP2000]

Again, I find it interesting that parents are apparently comfortable with their children learning about death, murder (including fratricide), black magic, kidnapping, false imprisonment, teenage marriage, etc., from Disney films but draw the line at love between gay people.

I can't explain parenting. As a part-time babysitter, I barely could get over laying out Ore-Ida brand chicken tenders as a menu item.

But it is what it is. And the box office returns for Disney's family films are increasingly flashing red at us.

 

[CaptinEO]

Again, I find it interesting that parents are apparently comfortable with their children learning about death, murder (including fratricide), black magic, kidnapping, false imprisonment, teenage marriage, etc., from Disney films but draw the line at love between gay people.

Just the world we live in. Star Wars and Super Hero movies with violence, war, and murder are acceptable but if an exposed female breast was shown it would be an outrage.

 

[_caleb]

They live in a bubble. They only get fed information that comforts them and supports them, never challenges them. And the information they do have of the world beyond their safe bubble is that it is full of bigots and backwards hicks who shop at WalMart and drive gas-powered trucks and go to churches where serpents are used and the pastor speaks in tongues. That is a big chunk of their audience for the products they sell, they are smart enough to know that. But they often think it's their responsibility to enlighten their paying audience and bring wisdom into their sad, bigoted lives that only they can bring.

Your post seems like a very uncharitable take on what those people think about those other people.

How do you know that it’s not you who lives in a bubble? I mean, we read your posts here every day, and your life (or what you present as your life) is really nothing at all like mine.

I only ask because I’m wondering if I live in a bubble. I mean, I try not to. I’ve traveled, lived abroad, I have friends who are just like me and friends who are nothing like me. I try to be a discerning consumer of news and information. But who knows? Maybe I don’t really understand what life is like for other people.

 

[CaptinEO]

The only people who honestly think the average American middle-class parent is a bigot are people who have never actually talked to a middle-class American parent for at least 20 minutes.



Trust me, that was a thing in the 1960's also.



Stop trying to inject reasonable nuance into the conversation. It's always immediately labeled as bigotry, and by people who have no children at that.



I still haven't read any post here from anyone who would object to those subjects or jokes in a PG-13 rated Marvel movie. But when you push it downstream into the family films rated PG (which is the new G since Burbank is unable to create G rated movies any longer), it becomes an understandable sticking point with parents of young children. As it should be.

Unless you are a 50 year old man with no children who thinks they know how to raise a child better than any Midwest parent ever did.

That is pretty wild that Disney as a company has operated for decades under the notion of being a safe family company and now is trying to be almost counter cultural.

It reminds of the story of hippies taking over Disneyland in the 70s. I feel if that happened today Disney corporate would be on their side.

It's only natural people feel somewhat betrayed that a company that played things safe culturally now takes the stance of believing they know better than parents.

No wonder Disney is tanking. It seems their political stance is just like imagineering where they insult their own fans. They have so far insulted theme park fans in the imagineering doc, insulted critical star wars fans by claiming they were racist, and are now telling parents they know better than them with their messaging.

The point about no more G rated films
is something I was unaware of and is again harmful for the brand and box office.

It's crazy to see a brand turn against their own fanbase like this.

 

[LittleBuford]

Just the world we live in.

The world we live in is one in which gay marriage is now legal in many countries, including the USA. Whether people like it or not, films are going to reflect that fact.

 

[CaptinEO]

The world we live in is one in which gay marriage is now legal in many countries, including the USA. Whether people like it or not, films are going to reflect that fact.

I don't get what this has to do with children's films and I was agreeing with you that people are somehow OK with violence for children but not other content.

Gay Marriage is legal and is part of the real world. There are many things in the world and there are plenty of film companies that can actually do justice to these topics. Disney showing a half second of a lesbian couple isn't doing any favors when films that actually cover these topics unashamed have existed for decades.

 

[LittleBuford]

Disney showing a half second of a lesbian couple isn't doing any favors

I disagree. It normalises something that should be regarded as unexceptionable. Just imagine the fuss if Disney had chosen to make it a prominent element of the plot rather than a subtle but touching detail.

 

[RobWDW1971]

We will have another important data point on Strange World and the marketplace demand for animated family films this weekend as "Puss in Boots:The Last Wish" will be opening in the US after its strong start last weekend in a couple of dozen international markets.

With a reported budget of only half of Strange World ($90M) and an incredible Rotten Tomatoes critics score currently at 97% and an equally impressive All Audience score of 93% (vs Strange World's disastrous 40%), it will be fascinating to see how a family animated film without controversy or baggage performs in the global marketplace.

We should also have the CinemaScore by Thursday am gauging the domestic audience's reaction, which we can compare to Strange World's, which was the lowest in the history of Disney animation.

 

[CaptinEO]

I disagree. It normalises something that should be regarded as unexceptionable. Just imagine the fuss if Disney had chosen to make it a prominent element of the plot rather than a subtle but touching detail.

I agree a lesbian couple is inoffensive and not anything to be scared of. I don't know if the half second gay moments Disney does actually normalizes anything. I do know that Disney has leaked stories about each and every gay moment prior to a film's release to get brownie points.

If anything I find it pretentious for Disney to think they are the deciders and are influential on culture and society. When did they get a messiah complex?

There has been gay cinema and even a gay television station that actually portrays gay couples and relationships. I don't find any of the blink and you'll miss them moments as noteworthy for inclusion.

 

[LittleBuford]

I don't know if the half second gay moments Disney does actually normalizes anything.

I disagree. I would have benefitted from such moments a great deal as a gay child.

If anything I find it pretentious for Disney to think they are the deciders and are influential on culture and society. When did they get a messiah complex?

This seems like a great deal of projection on your part.

There has been gay cinema and even a gay television station that actually portrays gay couples and relationships. I don't find any of the blink and you'll miss them moments as noteworthy for inclusion.

Again, I disagree. It needn't be one or the other; both approaches have their place and their merits.

 

[mickEblu]

It’s interesting. Why aren’t Dreamworks, Illumination and other studios being more inclusive? Or maybe they are and I just don’t notice because I don’t follow them as closely? I think it has something to do with always going after the big fish in the pond first. And the people fishing in this case I think are Gen Z and Disneys own employees. Supersize Me went after McDonalds not Wendy’s. I wonder how ecstatic the other studios are that Disney was the Guinea pig that they can learn from while they fly under the radar?

 

[mickEblu]

This seems like a great deal of projection on your part.

It’s the only logical conclusion. That and/ or they re either stupid or living in a bubble like TP said.

- Messiah Complex
- ignorance
- bubble

Its one, two or all of the above.

 

[TP2000]

I only ask because I’m wondering if I live in a bubble. I mean, I try not to. I’ve traveled, lived abroad, I have friends who are just like me and friends who are nothing like me. I try to be a discerning consumer of news and information. But who knows? Maybe I don’t really understand what life is like for other people.

It doesn't sound you live in a bubble. Most folks who don't live/work in LA, DC or NYC do live in a bubble.

But the people who do live in bubbles, primarily in those three cities in this country, are so bubbled in that it's hard to extricate them.

I went to a fabulous Lesbian wedding a few years ago in Seattle. The creme de la' creme of Seattle society was there, including the mayor, as one of the brides is big in King County political circles. The Seattle celebrity chef and restauranteur who caters all the First Class food for Alaska Airlines, Tom Douglas, was manning the salmon smoker at the reception. But there was still a table of guys, plus two Lesbians, who were talking about the best ammo to use for deer hunting out on a rainy morning in Monroe.

Bubbles really only exist in the big media cities in this nation. Otherwise, there's always a table or two of straight guys (plus Lesbians) who pop the bubble within 10 or 20 minutes. At least in my lifetime of experience coast-to-coast.

 

[TP2000]

It reminds of the story of hippies taking over Disneyland in the 70s. I feel if that happened today Disney corporate would be on their side.

That's a fabulous point. And it's sad to think that it isn't wrong. To be fair to our Leftist friends here, they were Yippies, not hippies. Yippies were even more radical and anti-establishment and rabidly anti-Capitalist than your average pot smoking hippie circa 1970.

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/disneyland-shut-down-1970/

I imagine that the average working class Anaheim Dockers-clad manager of 2022 would be just as horrified as their 1970 polyester-suit counterpart if that type of anti-Capitalist takeover happened today. But then the HR team from Burbank would weigh in via Twitter and declare that they value the diversity of the Yippies and that they are welcome in the Magic Kingdom during this festive season of wintertime enchantment and sparkle. Don't forget to try the Seasonal Holiday Churros in Frontierland!

It's only natural people feel somewhat betrayed that a company that played things safe culturally now takes the stance of believing they know better than parents.

That's not exclusive to Disney, but I can completely understand how it angers and alienates parents.

It's crazy to see a brand turn against their own fanbase like this.

It's insanity, and it makes no logical sense. Which is why I think the idiotic bubble-think is to blame. I can't figure it out otherwise.