A Question about Walt

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JDZ53086

New Member
Original Poster
I am a lifelong Disney fan, from the movies to the parks and everything in between. However, I heard something recently that seems to have some evidence backing it up. I decided to write my winter research paper (I am a college sophomore) about it, and I didn't know exactly where to turn to start, so I thought I'd take a shot here. Thanks in advance for the help, this seems like a great community.

So, it seems like there is a rumor that Walt Disney was anti-semitic, and it seems there is some substantial evidence to back it up.He went to various Nazi-sympathetic German immigrant meetings called the Bund, and some characterizations in his early cartoons seem to be of stereotypical Jews. Does anyone have any idea about this? I don't want to believe it, but as a very accepting and non-discriminating person, it's important for me to know. I'm not trying to bring down your community, I am a big fan myself.

Thanks so much! Happy Holidays!
 
B

billybluenose

Member
Take the skinheads bowling, take them bowing.

It appears the link within the link has the straight dope, pun intended:

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdisneyfascist.html

It's probably important that people take history in context. There was a time when the Nazi Party of Germany was just as legitimate as the Democratic or Republican Parties of America. Obviously many of the people who supported the party and Adolf Hitler wouldn't have done so if they were to see history in hindsight like we can now. The swastika wasn't always the symbol of ignorant hatred that we see it as today.

Regardless, it sounds like there is no more of a connection between Walt Disney and the Nazi party than any other means to grow his company.

Unfortunately, our country has a history of letting our wallets blind our foresight.

-Billy
 
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jrobinson424

New Member
I don't want to believe that, but, I also don't want to believe that Abe Lincoln was in fact a slave owner. He was. Just think of it this way, Walt was a good man. He built Disneyland and WDW with hopes of ALL people coming there. If he were a true bigot, he would have told everyone to come, except Jewish people. That should give some comfort.
 
M

Merlin

Account Suspended
jrobinson424 said:
I don't want to believe that, but, I also don't want to believe that Abe Lincoln was in fact a slave owner. He was. Just think of it this way, Walt was a good man. He built Disneyland and WDW with hopes of ALL people coming there. If he were a true bigot, he would have told everyone to come, except Jewish people. That should give some comfort.
Click to expand...

Not to get off the subject of Disney, but to correct you, Abe Lincoln was not a slave owner.
 
M

Merlin

Account Suspended
jrobinson424 said:
Watch some History Channel about him. The proof is in the pudding.
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The History Channel is a pretty reputable source. I can't imagine the History Channel ever claiming, at any point in time, that Abraham Lincoln was a slave owner. Clearly, you've gotten your facts mixed up in a major way, and without checking it out, you stated it here on these forums. It's true that some of Lincoln's early predecessors (including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson) were, in fact, slave owners. Lincoln himself was quoted as saying that his goal had nothing to do with ending slavery, but rather simply to preserve the Union by whatever means necessary. If it meant ending slavery, or NOT ending slavery, he didn't care. And in fact, the Emancipation Proclamation did not, as some mistakenly believe, end slavery. But none of this means that Lincoln, himself, actually owned slaves. Although none of this, of course, has anything to do with Disney, I would still ask that you please get your facts straight before posting them as fact on a public forum. I would also suggest that YOU watch the History Channel a little more. I guarantee it was NOT the source of your misinformation as you claim. Thanks!:wave:
 
M

Merlin

Account Suspended
Woody13 said:
Lincoln was an avowed racist and political opportunist.
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Very good, Woody! That's 100% correct! But that doesn't make him a slave owner. He didn't own slaves. As an attorney, he once DEFENDED a slave owner, but he wasn't one himself.
 
MickeyTigg

MickeyTigg

New Member
Just an observation....what the heck does this debate about Lincoln have to do with the OP's question about Walt Disney?

:veryconfu
 
DizWhizKid

DizWhizKid

New Member
TiggerRPh said:
Just an observation....what the heck does this debate about Lincoln have to do with the OP's question about Walt Disney?

:veryconfu
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Cause, uh, of course Walt designed "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln", which depicted Lincoln as a slave-hating racist, and Lincoln goes on a tirade against Jews in the show, which Roy made Walt take out before they released it to audiences, so Walt was really anti-semitic.

And, for the record, Abe Lincoln was really a eight-foot tall superman with bones of steel and lasers hidden in his top hat. It's true--the History Channel said so.

:hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:​
 
M

Merlin

Account Suspended
TiggerRPh said:
Just an observation....what the heck does this debate about Lincoln have to do with the OP's question about Walt Disney?

:veryconfu
Click to expand...

Lincoln was used as an example by jrobinson424 to back up a point he was making about Walt. Because jrobinson424's information that he stated about Lincoln was totally and completely incorrect, it hurt the credibility of the example, and ultimately the point that jrobinson424 was trying to make. I tried to politely inform jrobinson424 that his "fact" was incorrect, and instead of admitting that he was misinformed he cited the History Channel as his supposed source of this misinformation. There are readers on these forums whose opinions could possibly be swayed by examples that are given. If those examples are incorrect, then members are formulating opinions based on false information.

So in a round about way, the debate about Lincoln was still on topic. Though I agree it probably seemed otherwise.
 
M

Merlin

Account Suspended
DizWhizKid said:
And, for the record, Abe Lincoln was really a eight-foot tall superman with bones of steel and lasers hidden in his top hat. It's true--the History Channel said so.

:hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:​
Click to expand...

:lol: I think the History Channel makes for a convenient scapegoat. Maybe we should blame it for all the false Disney rumors out there. But of course, let's add the words, "The proof is in the pudding" or some other equally obscure cliche.
 
Woody13

Woody13

New Member
The White House and the Capitol were both built with slave and free African Americans. Lincoln did not own slaves, only because he came from a poor background. Had Lincoln come from a prosperous family, he would have had no objection to slave ownership. His wife (Mary Todd) owned slaves.

Also, this directly relates to Walt in many ways.
 
miksad

miksad

New Member
Walt and Lincoln

Is there a full moon, or is it something in the drinking water? I've read about 5 biographies of Walt Disney, some very well researched, others not. Walt Disney was not anti-semetic nor was he anything near a Nazi sympathizer - in fact, donated his time and studio to the war effort.

Walt Disney had his flaws, like all of us, but I truly believe that he is in the very same league as Thomas Edison, Einstein, and others - a visionary who created magic in nearly every endeavor, and all against great odds.

Will be going down to WDW in January for the 34th time to enjoy once again the fruits of his labors! :sohappy:
 
Woody13

Woody13

New Member
miksad said:
Walt Disney was not anti-semetic nor was he anything near a Nazi sympathizer - in fact, donated his time and studio to the war effort.
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Walt Disney did not "donate" his time or studio to the war effort. The U.S. Army seized the Disney studio and many of it's employees. Walt had no choice in the matter. There was a Lockheed Aviation plant near the Disney Studios and the Army needed to protect that plant from saboteurs.

Walt did what he was told. He either cooperated with the Army or he would be put out of business. He chose to cooperate.
 
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ducati748_4life

New Member
the way i see it... we all have our diff points of views. he might have changed that or just wanted to get to know a different aspect on things. guess we will never know.
 

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