I know nobody looks in the Chit-Chat lounge, but since there isn't really another place to post this, I'll leave the thread here to die a relatively quick death. 
Is anyone else offended by the pandering, schmaltzy, annoying, too-weird-for-words D23 Disney Geek videos? If this is the way Disney supposes their D23 members are, it's no wonder the club isn't doing well.
I honestly cannot stomach the over-the-top presentation on the video blog. Never mind that the information is always old (WDW Magic does a fantastic job breaking stories!), and let's ignore how the latest Disney Channel trash is presented with the same level of respect and enthusiasm as the classic stuff. The host himself is the most annoying video blog host since the attention seeker who cried about Britney Spears. I feel like I'm watching a caricature of a Disney fan, not a real one.
I hate how the videos have a condescending tone, as if they're speaking down to preschoolers. I hate how the host's desk is full of weird clutter while they try to make him look like the "average" Disney fan. I hate how the videos reduce all Disney fans to pixie dust-snorting addicts. In short, the videos represent everything I hate about D23, and I'm a charter member! (Yes, I joined a week into it.)
At the recent D23 convention in Anaheim, the old-school Imagineers shared heartfelt, fascinating stories about the early days of WDI, and working with Walt. They seemed to be grounded in reality, and didn't hide the fact that WDI is a business. It's a business that makes magic, but it's still very much a business. In sharp contrast, the younger, newer D23 folks were gushing about corporate MAGIC and WONDER and MAGIC and PIXIE DUST and other Disney-ese nonsense. The guys who actually made it happen in the first place were nonchalantly trading stories and offering genuine fun. It was the closest I could have been to actually watching Walt film his Disneyland TV show. The old-school WDI experience was real. It was genuine. The D23 folks were corporate schmaltz.
I expect many of you to agree with me, but I know others will defend the D23 Disney Geek because you think he's cute, or he represents the magic to you. In that case, please watch an episode of Walt's "Disneyland" TV show, or watch any interview with an Imagineer; then watch the D23 videos. The corporate oil slick is sickening.
One last thing: I know he's supposed to be a geek, not an intelligent host. I think that's the biggest blunder in the D23 videos. The majority of fans who bought into the club are also active in unofficial online forums (Disney knows this, too), and are not the average screaming pin traders the Disney Geek video portrays. The videos are obviously aimed at someone's idea of a "foamer," and I do find it offensive.
Is anyone else offended by the pandering, schmaltzy, annoying, too-weird-for-words D23 Disney Geek videos? If this is the way Disney supposes their D23 members are, it's no wonder the club isn't doing well.
I honestly cannot stomach the over-the-top presentation on the video blog. Never mind that the information is always old (WDW Magic does a fantastic job breaking stories!), and let's ignore how the latest Disney Channel trash is presented with the same level of respect and enthusiasm as the classic stuff. The host himself is the most annoying video blog host since the attention seeker who cried about Britney Spears. I feel like I'm watching a caricature of a Disney fan, not a real one.
I hate how the videos have a condescending tone, as if they're speaking down to preschoolers. I hate how the host's desk is full of weird clutter while they try to make him look like the "average" Disney fan. I hate how the videos reduce all Disney fans to pixie dust-snorting addicts. In short, the videos represent everything I hate about D23, and I'm a charter member! (Yes, I joined a week into it.)
At the recent D23 convention in Anaheim, the old-school Imagineers shared heartfelt, fascinating stories about the early days of WDI, and working with Walt. They seemed to be grounded in reality, and didn't hide the fact that WDI is a business. It's a business that makes magic, but it's still very much a business. In sharp contrast, the younger, newer D23 folks were gushing about corporate MAGIC and WONDER and MAGIC and PIXIE DUST and other Disney-ese nonsense. The guys who actually made it happen in the first place were nonchalantly trading stories and offering genuine fun. It was the closest I could have been to actually watching Walt film his Disneyland TV show. The old-school WDI experience was real. It was genuine. The D23 folks were corporate schmaltz.
I expect many of you to agree with me, but I know others will defend the D23 Disney Geek because you think he's cute, or he represents the magic to you. In that case, please watch an episode of Walt's "Disneyland" TV show, or watch any interview with an Imagineer; then watch the D23 videos. The corporate oil slick is sickening.
One last thing: I know he's supposed to be a geek, not an intelligent host. I think that's the biggest blunder in the D23 videos. The majority of fans who bought into the club are also active in unofficial online forums (Disney knows this, too), and are not the average screaming pin traders the Disney Geek video portrays. The videos are obviously aimed at someone's idea of a "foamer," and I do find it offensive.
