News Jessica Rabbit's Car Toon Spin

[TP2000]

I see that this poster is using conservative law and order rhetoric. Not an inclusive or safe space for guests! Change immediately. #DefundtheToonSquad

You know, you joke, but I honestly thought about that for a second when I read that poster.

It seemed to hit a bit too close to home for humorless dolts like this to mention rising urban crime rates. Sure, it's very 2021, but it seems a bit... risky.

This is an HR Committee that just put Jessica Rabbit in a shapeless trench coat to satisfy no one. I wonder if that HR Committee actually approved the line about fighting rising crime rates?

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

I don’t think this’ll lead to the closure of anything. Again with the sensationalism. Removing anything as iconic as IASW would be detrimental to the image of Disneyland. Might as well bulldoze the Haunted Mansion and POTC while you’re at it, if we’re gonna play this game. Sure, we’re probably going to see minor changes here and there over the next few years, but I doubt we’ll see anything else on the level of, for example, the SM re-theme.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I had forgotten about that Olympics, but you are right!

Growing up, I always loved visiting my relatives up in BC. They lived on gorgeous land out in Kelowna and Penticton, although later some moved to the big city in Vancouver. They were wonderful people with a great sense of humor. From my dad's side of the family, where I got my sense of humor from.

Just needed to chime in. I was born and raised in Kelowna, with both my grandmas and a lot of my aunts and uncles in Penticton / Summerland. But I’ve lived on the coast now since 2011 (currently lower mainland, but also did 3 years in Victoria).

Really amazing how small our world is after all.

 

[lazyboy97o]

As far as I’m concerned they got rid of “it’s a small world” years ago.

 

[Californian Elitist]

As far as I’m concerned they got rid of “it’s a small world” years ago.

If we’re being honest.

 

[The Aracuan Bird]

Oh, you're kidding?! I often skip Small World at WDW because, well, because it's just so sad and short out there. And it smells funky.

I don't remember the Mountie being missing in the WDW version, but I believe you.

I'm almost positive he's in the Tokyo version though. So at least the Japanese know a thing or two.

I grew up going to Disney World, and I always found it odd there was no Canadian representation. When I finally went on the Disneyland version, I was surprised to see the Mountie. Better than nothing

 

[mickEblu]

I’d I’m not mistaken the Jessica Rabbit riding “Lenny” with Roger was missing yesterday too. They’re down to the Jessica with the Rope around her at the end.

 

[GoneForGood]

I’d I’m not mistaken the Jessica Rabbit riding “Lenny” with Roger was missing yesterday too. They’re down to the Jessica with the Rope around her at the end.

You know.. the photo someone posted of that figure, I don't recall seeing that in any videos of the attraction.. Now i'm curious, because that figure doesn't appear in Tokyo's version of the scene either..

Anyone got more info on this?

 

[el_super]

She's a caricature of a caricature. Like Baby Herman, she was designed to vaguely remind you of someone you might remember from old 40's cartoons. But instead of jokes about infants, diapers and pacifiers, it's all about wolf-whistling sex. There's no other defining attribute to Jessica - that's her whole reason for being.

She's drawn that way. Her voice is too - not sure how they're going to get around that.

I'd prefer that Jessica go the way of Song of the South personally. It would work more cleanly than for them to try some sort of version of her that isn't about sex.

Yeah... I think I mostly agree with this. Prior to this week I didn't give Cartoon Spin a second of thought... I never really personally had an issue with Jessica Rabbit, but I know people who did, for one reason or another. It might be heavily dependent on if you saw the movie or not.

So within the context of seeing her for 7 seconds on a ride-through, it certainly could be confusing and weird.

So what we get is the compromise: Jessica gets to stay, but in an altered state, meant to eliminate the complaints. Probably would have been easier just to remove her outright (or replace Cartoon Spin). I love the film, but it's inclusion in Toontown is beyond weird.

 

[The Aracuan Bird]

You are making that up! Tell me you are making that up. Please. And she's Canadian? A Canadian tween girl who turns into a red Panda when her mom embarasses her in public by demanding to speak to the manager?

I don't know whether to like it, or to hate it. It's weird. But I think I like it.

Seriously, are you making that up?

It does seem like an interesting idea. But will Disney be all “representing Canadian culture” with this one?

I don’t recall changing into a red panda. The occasional pink giraffe or purple moose, but never a red panda.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

l

Yeah... I think I mostly agree with this. Prior to this week I didn't give Cartoon Spin a second of thought... I never really personally had an issue with Jessica Rabbit, but I know people who did, for one reason or another. It might be heavily dependent on if you saw the movie or not.

This is interesting to me. I’m genuinely curious what issues these folks had with the presentation of Jessica Rabbit.

It’s one thing to find the placement of her in the trunk odd (which can be very easily addressed), but if it was truly bothersome one would think most educated individuals would have bothered enough to go to the source material or perhaps even sought out or researched interviews with the creators to research the origins of it more instead of jumping wildly to conclusions.

This isn’t Song of the South… while this movie isn’t at the pinnacle of popularity it’s still a cult hit that has plenty of media surrounding it, and is easily accessible on streaming.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

You know.. the photo someone posted of that figure, I don't recall seeing that in any videos of the attraction.. Now i'm curious, because that figure doesn't appear in Tokyo's version of the scene either..

Anyone got more info on this?

Photo's fake. Roger has always ridden solo while Jessica is getting kidnapped nearby.

 

[GoneForGood]

Photo's fake. Roger has always ridden solo while Jessica is getting kidnapped nearby.
View attachment 587394

Ah, mystery solved!
Was seriously confused- noticed it didn't even appear in concept drawings. Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[Stevek]

As far as I’m concerned they got rid of “it’s a small world” years ago.

Because of the characters being added? Really, the only thing is the Toy Story/USA section which feels completely out of place. The other characters really aren't that noticeable at this point which begs the question...why even bother to add? Personally, I still love the ride. None of the changes have really dampened my enjoyment of it.

 

[waltography]

Because of the characters being added? Really, the only thing is the Toy Story/USA section which feels completely out of place. The other characters really aren't that noticeable at this point which begs the question...why even bother to add? Personally, I still love the ride. None of the changes have really dampened my enjoyment of it.

I happen to like the addition of the Disney characters, but lots of them are focal points of the areas they're in, for better or worse (Toy Story/USA is egregious, but Lilo & Stitch/Polynesia, Jasmine & Aladdin/Middle East, and Three Caballeros/South America are also all in very prominent places). Add to that the sonic inclusion of certain musical motifs (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo with Cinderella's figure, I've Got No Strings with Pinocchio, etc.) and I can see why some people are annoyed at how much it detracts from the original message.

 

[The Aracuan Bird]

Yeah... I think I mostly agree with this. Prior to this week I didn't give Cartoon Spin a second of thought... I never really personally had an issue with Jessica Rabbit, but I know people who did, for one reason or another. It might be heavily dependent on if you saw the movie or not.

So within the context of seeing her for 7 seconds on a ride-through, it certainly could be confusing and weird.

So what we get is the compromise: Jessica gets to stay, but in an altered state, meant to eliminate the complaints. Probably would have been easier just to remove her outright (or replace Cartoon Spin). I love the film, but it's inclusion in Toontown is beyond weird.

ToonTown came from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It was a tie in land from the start, but they organically found a way to incorporate Classic Mickey. A Roger Rabbit ride in ToonTown is anything but weird.

 

[Stevek]

I happen to like the addition of the Disney characters, but lots of them are focal points of the areas they're in, for better or worse (Toy Story/USA is egregious, but Lilo & Stitch/Polynesia, Jasmine & Aladdin/Middle East, and Three Caballeros/South America are also all in very prominent places). Add to that the sonic inclusion of certain musical motifs (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo with Cinderella's figure, I've Got No Strings with Pinocchio, etc.) and I can see why some people are annoyed at how much it detracts from the original message.

I get all that...I guess I really just don't notice them enough to spoil the ride or any message. But yeah, I do kinda agree that even adding them wasn't necessary.

 

[el_super]

This is interesting to me. I’m genuinely curious what issues these folks had with the presentation of Jessica Rabbit.

Pretty much what I had said before. Some people from more traditional/religious backgrounds will take offense to any depiction of someone as a sex object, even if that depiction is overall meant to be ironic.

It’s one thing to find the placement of her in the trunk odd (which can be very easily addressed), but if it was truly bothersome one would think most educated individuals would have bothered enough to go to the source material or perhaps even sought out or researched interviews with the creators to research the origins of it more instead of jumping wildly to conclusions.

That is a pretty tall order for a theme park audience. Especially one as varied in cultures as Disneyland is. Some 30 years after it's been released, what percentage of people riding Cartoon Spin have actually seen the movie and really know who Jessica is? I've seen the movie and I can admit I never read the book.

If the qualification for understanding Jessica's character is a firm understanding of 1940's film-noir tropes and/or the changes in gender identity between the 1940s and the 1980s, then how do you communicate that to the audience? Do you have them fill out a "Waiver of Understanding" before joining the queue? Quiz them on several aspects of the film to be sure? Or if you are WDI just create some convoluted pre-show film that explains how Jessica is far more nuanced and empowered before you let the children on the spinning car ride?

It's not that any of that is untrue about Jessica, it's mostly that the storytelling cost is too high for the value. It's easier to remove the figure from the ride, than it is to try to explain, exonnerate and extraplate for every position in between.

 

[el_super]

ToonTown came from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It was a tie in land from the start, but they organically found a way to incorporate Classic Mickey. A Roger Rabbit ride in ToonTown is anything but weird.

The name ToonTown came from the movie, but the concept of the land really didn't. It was based in-part on Mickey's Birthdayland at Magic Kingdom and the later testing of Afternoon Avenue at Disneyland. The latter being based more on the success of Ducktales than Roger Rabbit.

 

[Dear Prudence]

The film Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a sophisticated examination of bias. It's much better than the source material. I get that that wouldn't necessarily translate to an attraction that's 3 to 4 minutes long, but it's worth remembering that everything we are first presented with for the characters ends up not being true. I know that the ride itself focuses on the surface level stuff, hits on some really meaningful beats: alcoholism stemming from PTSD, bigorty, sexism, public servant corruption, true love, etc etc etc. The film has some really remarkable stuff. Again, it's like no one who works in the Imagineer department actually understands its own IPs. I get that an attraction only has superficial capability in its very limited scope, but I think mining the film has a lot of untapped potential.