Darth Maul/Kid Incident - SWW '09

[hrcollectibles]

I will say Darth Maul could've handled it a little better..... Maybe by moving him to the side without him actually pushing him. However, where are the parents???? You do not let your child run out on to the parade route ever! Whether there are large floats or just characters it doesn't matter. You can't allow that to happen.

I think the mother was next to him and the father was behind the camera.. And how do we know that the father didn't wave to the kid to run.. The kid obviously looks back at the camera right before he runs into the parade route....And special needs or not...This is ultimately a case of bad parenting...

 

[muse1983]

Look, if the cast member aka Darth Maul knew this kid had something wrong with him he wouldn't have shoved him. However that's not the point, the point is that the kid shouldnt have walked onto the parade route, they are pretty specific in telling you to stand in a certain spot and it was because of the parents negligence that their kid was put in the situation. The cast member went a little overboard but I have to give him credit for being so deep into character. He wasn't trying to injure a child and if the parents have an issue then they have no one else to blame but themselves.

 

[Phonedave]

I said that the parents are morons but Disney should put up a rope because some people are really really syupid and do stuff like this.

Because then you are tacitly confirming the behavior.

The point is that ropes should NOT be needed. A civil human being should be able to stand behind a line of masking tape.

What they need to do is become a little less PC and when people do cross the tape line, gave the CM's the latitude to call them on it, and if necessary remove them from the area.

But now we are getting into a whole "this is what is wrong with society today issue"

-dave

 

[JimboJones123]

I think it should be okay to lock this thread. The link has clear TOS violations, and what really could be gained from further discussions beyond insensitivity?

2 wrongs did not make a right -- a third of exploitation does not either -- but a fourth of dragging all parties through the mud is really unnecessary.

I did find it interesting that the video was posted NEARLY 9 MONTHS AFTER Star Wars Weekends though.

The comments on the page have no place being linked to from this site though.

 

[the-reason14]

It look like the kid looked at the camera, perhaps to get the OK from his parents... Just another example of someone trying to get $$ from Disney. Why where his parents not near him. They appear to be several feet away from him. Darth Maul did nothing wrong, in my opinion..He was just defending himself.. What is anyone's natural reaction to someone charging, you take a defensive stand...I like how user comments have been disabled...

Im sorry, but defending himself? From a little kid? Yea, the parents probably are trying to get something from disney yadda yadda ya, but how in the world is it ok for a grown man to hit a kid like that. I could see if it was grown man charging him, but a little kid. Give me a break.

 

[Raven66]

I think some of the comments made on his site about this incident were awful. Some of the things people said were just plain rude.

Is it possible that maybe Darth Maul didn't actually see the kid but got a little startled when he saw someone coming at him out of the corner of his eye? And then just stayed in character. I just noticed little joe kept looking back at the camera before he ran out to the street. And there were several ladies standing around him and they didn't do anything to stop him.

I'm of two minds here. I would take down anyone that touched my daughter, but if she is doing something that she knows is wrong then she would be at fault. I would always tell her that if she is going to haul the cat around and then she got bit, then it's all her fault. I wouldn't punish the cat. He "looked" as if he was a high functioning autistic. I have 2 nephews that are and they know between right and wrong. I believe the parents knew how he would react, maybe they didn't know what would happen tho. I don't know, I'm all over the place!

 

[Geoff]

I think this is pretty funny, darth mall attacks kid... sounds like maul to me! what did the parents expect to happen? did they think he'd give the kid a lolipop or something.. "Here's a sticker for getting in my way while I'm trying to do my job"

I feel sorry for the CM on this occasion, like I said he was trying to do his job, and he's likely now in a tough position. either fired or in big trouble... he probably woke up that morning thinking "today is going to be a good day, I get to dress up as darth maul and go to the best place in the world!" then along comes little kid under no parental control, in fact worse than that.. his parents just standing about filming their kid cause havoc in the middle of what is probably quite an intricately timed parade. Ruined day, possibly ruined career.

This family clearly think it's ok to ruin somebody elses career in aid of what is basically theft from disney, trying to get money out of them for something that could easily have been prevented with a little parenting. I don't know about anyone else here but I wouldn't have known what to do in maul's position, he was probably trying to get the kid out of the line of potential danger

 

[Master Yoda]

I think this is pretty funny, darth mall attacks kid... sounds like maul to me! what did the parents expect to happen? did they think he'd give the kid a lolipop or something.. "Here's a sticker for getting in my way while I'm trying to do my job"

I feel sorry for the CM on this occasion, like I said he was trying to do his job, and he's likely now in a tough position. either fired or in big trouble... he probably woke up that morning thinking "today is going to be a good day, I get to dress up as darth maul and go to the best place in the world!" then along comes little kid under no parental control, in fact worse than that.. his parents just standing about filming their kid cause havoc in the middle of what is probably quite an intricately timed parade. Ruined day, possibly ruined career.

This family clearly think it's ok to ruin somebody elses career in aid of what is basically theft from disney, trying to get money out of them for something that could easily have been prevented with a little parenting. I don't know about anyone else here but I wouldn't have known what to do in maul's position, he was probably trying to get the kid out of the line of potential danger

According to the comments on youtube he was fired the next day.

 

[Figment632]

Because then you are tacitly confirming the behavior.

The point is that ropes should NOT be needed. A civil human being should be able to stand behind a line of masking tape.

What they need to do is become a little less PC and when people do cross the tape line, gave the CM's the latitude to call them on it, and if necessary remove them from the area.

But now we are getting into a whole "this is what is wrong with society today issue"

-dave

Sorry but people today in this country just don't wan't to follow the rules and have an extreme sense of entitlement, if I am DIsney I would take every precaution.

 

[mousefan1972]

No reason to be afraid to post your opinion in an opinion forum. :wave:

The people who usually are bullying others around here are little dweebs with no friends in real life, posting from their mother's basement, and would probably burst into tears if someone so much as looked at them funny.

Don't be intimidated.

Win.

Some of said dweebs are so tight as toast with their computers that they wouldn't know how to interact with people in the real world if their lives depended on it.

 

[Saoirse1916]

According to the comments on youtube he was fired the next day.

Wow, that's really disappointing. Looked to me like the kid was not going for a high five but was trying to slap him or something. Not that I'd call it self defense but he was staying in character as I'm sure he's told to do...Darth Maul is a bad dude, what's he supposed to do -- roll over and cry when a kid slaps him?

 

[captainkidd]

Wow, that's really disappointing. Looked to me like the kid was not going for a high five but was trying to slap him or something. Not that I'd call it self defense but he was staying in character as I'm sure he's told to do...Darth Maul is a bad dude, what's he supposed to do -- roll over and cry when a kid slaps him?

I don't blame Disney for firing him. I'm pretty sure they don't tell CM's in training "If a nine year old child should approach you during a parade, feel free to shove him away."

 

[Saoirse1916]

I don't blame Disney for firing him. I'm pretty sure they don't tell CM's in training "If a nine year old child should approach you during a parade, feel free to shove him away."

Yeah, I realize it was a bit strong but it looks to me like it was the parents' fault for goading the kid out into the parade route.

 

[captainkidd]

Yeah, I realize it was a bit strong but it looks to me like it was the parents' fault for goading the kid out into the parade route.

Oh, I agree 100%. I'm just saying Disney really did what they had to do.

 

[TubaGeek]

Reminds me a bit of that video of Pluto chasing a kid before he falls over the curb. Anyone know what that was all about or what became of it?

 

[MKCP 1985]

I thought it was a pretty good video until I read all the comments in this thread, but now I've seen the light.

I am now disappointed in the video that either mom or dad didn't tackle Darth Maul for giving the kid a tussle.

 

[Phonedave]

Sorry but people today in this country just don't wan't to follow the rules and have an extreme sense of entitlement, if I am DIsney I would take every precaution.

I understand that, but I am going to draw the proverbial line in the sand and say "no more". If people can't monitor themselves, then they deserve whatever the consequences may be - including a beat down by Dath Maul

This cartoon has been hanging on my office wall for years now

-dave

 

[smk]

Is that the kids mom in the video? WTH was she doing? Snapping pictures while her kid was in the street? WOW. Did the kid deserve to be pushed? Probably not. Do the parents hold the greater responsibilty here? Yes. Some other characters, earlier in the parade, appeared to try to get a CM over to get the kid back and under control, the CM just did not come up and do her job, at least not until it was too late.

IF the kid is suffering now it is totally the fault of his parents. If they can't control his behavior now when he is small imagine what will happen when he is adult size? I thought the warning to other parents was laughable. Disney CM's do not want to hurt your kids, they want parents to control their kids. I hope the family didn't even get ice cream in response to the incident, that would be too much compentsation.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

Some of the comments on YouTube are harsh but some are priceless.

Not like Darth Maul forced choked Little Joe. Just taught him not to approach strangers.

I see Little Joe and I think of Bonanza. So Darth Maul assulted Little Joe, paints a funny picture.

 

[drew81]

You have learned well, young jedi....


Beyond that, GUESTS RUIN EVERYTHING.

Not all guests but some sure do.

I think the mother was next to him and the father was behind the camera.. And how do we know that the father didn't wave to the kid to run.. The kid obviously looks back at the camera right before he runs into the parade route....And special needs or not...This is ultimately a case of bad parenting...

Most definitely bad parenting.