New host for D23 Disney Geek - anyone know why?

[SyracuseOrange]

I love "Disney Geek" from D23 (a weekly video series of Disney news.) However, it's been dark for about four months. It returned today, but with new hosts. Anyone have an inside scoop?

(Reference of what I'm talking about.)

 

[invader]

Very disappointed, it's almost Walmart-ification. They seem so much less enthusiastic than the previous host, Jeffrey. And why would they wait on the Fantasy?! It's only a billion-dollar acquisition...

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I love "Disney Geek" from D23 (a weekly video series of Disney news.) However, it's been dark for about four months. It returned today, but with new hosts. Anyone have an inside scoop?

(Reference of what I'm talking about.)

Okay first things first..What's the whole reason that Host Billy has his coller up looking like a prep school punk?

 

[Tigger1988]

The previous host was kinda creepy and his enthusiasm seemed forced. I almost never watched the videos because of him.

The closest comparison for him would be Kenneth from 30 Rock.

 

[disnyfan89]

Okay first things first..What's the whole reason that Host Billy has his coller up looking like a prep school punk?

It's the way those sweaters are designed to be worn....?

 

[Figment1986]

I love "Disney Geek" from D23 (a weekly video series of Disney news.) However, it's been dark for about four months. It returned today, but with new hosts. Anyone have an inside scoop?

(Reference of what I'm talking about.)

looks like D23 is emulating some popular internet shows now... perhaps the old host didn't fit with this image but is still working behind the scenes :shrug:

 

[TP2000]

The previous host was kinda creepy and his enthusiasm seemed forced. I almost never watched the videos because of him.

The closest comparison for him would be Kenneth from 30 Rock.

Which is why I think the show was called Disney Geek. They got an actual geeky guy who really loved what he was talking about, and they just filmed him riffing from his work cubicle about new stuff happening in the Disney empire. I saw Jeffrey at the last D23 Expo in Anaheim, and he was a real person who has worked for Disney for years and was exactly what he seemed; genuine, a bit geeky, but very likeable and knowledgeable about Disney.

Now it's "Billy" and "Carmen", sort of the Entertainment Tonight versions of Jeffrey. They are scripted, polished, attractive, and not geeky in any meaningful way. They should change the name of the show from Disney Geek to Disney Cool Kids Paid To Read A Teleprompter. :hurl:

This isn't the Walmartification of Disney, as Billy and Carmen are too pretty and too stylish for WalMart. I liken this to the Nordstromification of Disney. I enjoy shopping at Nordstrom (great service!), don't get me wrong, but it's staffed by rather plastic pretty people who just want to make a few bucks like Billy and Carmen, and they'll say anything to get you to buy what they're selling.

It's interesting that Disney used to staff its theme parks exclusively with very pretty people who looked like an army of Barbies and Kens. Now they staff the parks with a growing army of noticeably unattractive people with constantly-lowering standards of profesionalism and showmanship, but they pull the geeky-but-genuine guy off the Disney Geek show and replace him with a plastic, scripted Barbie and Ken. How very odd

 

[harryk]

Jeffrey brought fun and 'I really love doing this and bringing you this information' to this informative entry.
The new 'slick' entry is almost booooorrrrrring and lacks the fast paced entries Jeffrey had. I don't see it remaining long and it definitely does not need two individuals talking to each other rather than to the viewer.
Change for the sake of change is not always good.

 

[WDWFigment]

Which is why I think the show was called Disney Geek. They got an actual geeky guy who really loved what he was talking about, and they just filmed him riffing from his work cubicle about new stuff happening in the Disney empire. I saw Jeffrey at the last D23 Expo in Anaheim, and he was a real person who has worked for Disney for years and was exactly what he seemed; genuine, a bit geeky, but very likeable and knowledgeable about Disney.

Now it's "Billy" and "Carmen", sort of the Entertainment Tonight versions of Jeffrey. They are scripted, polished, attractive, and not geeky in any meaningful way. They should change the name of the show from Disney Geek to Disney Cool Kids Paid To Read A Teleprompter. :hurl:

This isn't the Walmartification of Disney, as Billy and Carmen are too pretty and too stylish for WalMart. I liken this to the Nordstromification of Disney. I enjoy shopping at Nordstrom (great service!), don't get me wrong, but it's staffed by rather plastic pretty people who just want to make a few bucks like Billy and Carmen, and they'll say anything to get you to buy what they're selling.

It's interesting that Disney used to staff its theme parks exclusively with very pretty people who looked like an army of Barbies and Kens. Now they staff the parks with a growing army of noticeably unattractive people with constantly-lowering standards of profesionalism and showmanship, but they pull the geeky-but-genuine guy off the Disney Geek show and replace him with a plastic, scripted Barbie and Ken. How very odd

Agreed completely. We met Jeffrey at a number of D23 events (as far as I know, he still works for Disney), and he clearly cares about the material. I'm sure the change was made to attract a more mainstream audience, rather than actual geeks.

Jeffrey was over-the-top, but in a totally "real" way and one to which most actual Disney "geeks" could relate. The new show seems forced, contrived, and overly polished. As a geek, I don't want actors delivering Disney information to me. I want someone who actually cares about the content delivering it to me. I'd much rather have over-emphasized REAL enthusiasm than something mundane and overly scripted.

Overall, the change reminds me of the one made to the "Top 7" with Stacey. It used to be fun, albeit over the top. Now it's too restrained and to me feels even more forced.

 

[bgraham34]

I think I am going to pass on the new hosts. I just don't connect with them. They do seem forced and to be honest like its just a job to them. They could have at least held open auditions on the net. I would have given it a shot.

 

[SyracuseOrange]

Agreed completely. We met Jeffrey at a number of D23 events (as far as I know, he still works for Disney), and he clearly cares about the material. I'm sure the change was made to attract a more mainstream audience, rather than actual geeks.

Jeffrey was over-the-top, but in a totally "real" way and one to which most actual Disney "geeks" could relate. The new show seems forced, contrived, and overly polished. As a geek, I don't want actors delivering Disney information to me. I want someone who actually cares about the content delivering it to me. I'd much rather have over-emphasized REAL enthusiasm than something mundane and overly scripted.

Overall, the change reminds me of the one made to the "Top 7" with Stacey. It used to be fun, albeit over the top. Now it's too restrained and to me feels even more forced.

He does still work for Disney - he's still credited as Producer in the new Disney Geek video.

And I agree with everything you said.

 

[bearboysnc]

I agree with the previous posters, the original host's personality and delivery rubbed me the wrong way. I'll give the new ones a try.

23 has been a let down in general for me.

 

[MichWolv]

The previous host was kinda creepy and his enthusiasm seemed forced. I almost never watched the videos because of him.

The closest comparison for him would be Kenneth from 30 Rock.

Jeffrey brought fun and 'I really love doing this and bringing you this information' to this informative entry.
The new 'slick' entry is almost booooorrrrrring and lacks the fast paced entries Jeffrey had. I don't see it remaining long and it definitely does not need two individuals talking to each other rather than to the viewer.
Change for the sake of change is not always good.

Which is why I think the show was called Disney Geek. They got an actual geeky guy who really loved what he was talking about, and they just filmed him riffing from his work cubicle about new stuff happening in the Disney empire. I saw Jeffrey at the last D23 Expo in Anaheim, and he was a real person who has worked for Disney for years and was exactly what he seemed; genuine, a bit geeky, but very likeable and knowledgeable about Disney.

Agreed completely. We met Jeffrey at a number of D23 events (as far as I know, he still works for Disney), and he clearly cares about the material. I'm sure the change was made to attract a more mainstream audience, rather than actual geeks.

Jeffrey was over-the-top, but in a totally "real" way and one to which most actual Disney "geeks" could relate. The new show seems forced, contrived, and overly polished. As a geek, I don't want actors delivering Disney information to me. I want someone who actually cares about the content delivering it to me. I'd much rather have over-emphasized REAL enthusiasm than something mundane and overly scripted.

Overall, the change reminds me of the one made to the "Top 7" with Stacey. It used to be fun, albeit over the top. Now it's too restrained and to me feels even more forced.

I haven't watched the new show, and didn't watch the old one all that often, but I want to add my voice to the supporters of Jeffrey. I met him at a couple of D23 events in Chicago, and he is us -- a guy who loves Disney. He's not an actor pretending to like Disney. He's not excited because it's his job to be excited or a role he's playing -- he's actually excited about this stuff. I thought he was a perfect embodiment of "Disney Geek".

 

[wm49rs]

His absence (and the other changes) are definitely being noticed:

http://thedisneyblog.com/2012/04/12/fans-react-poorly-to-new-d23-disney-geek-host/

 

[wdwfan22]

I like the more polished look of the new host compared to the other guy. The old format i hardly ever watched because I thought he was to over the top and strange. He was a Disney version of a trekkie and I for one don't want to be associated with that LOL

 

[SyracuseOrange]

I like the more polished look of the new host compared to the other guy. The old format i hardly ever watched because I thought he was to over the top and strange. He was a Disney version of a trekkie and I for one don't want to be associated with that LOL

But the title of the show was "Disney Geek" - not "polished mainstream Disney news." I feel like Disney Geek (a production of D23, the fan club of Disney) was targeted at a very specific niche audience of "Disney Geeks" (AKA the Trekkie's of Disney.) They are forgetting that.

 

[Tigger1988]

But the title of the show was "Disney Geek" - not "polished mainstream Disney news." I feel like Disney Geek (a production of D23, the fan club of Disney) was targeted at a very specific niche audience of "Disney Geeks" (AKA the Trekkie's of Disney.) They are forgetting that.

I'm a Disney Geek and I found nothing about him appealing, like I said. He was a caricature.

 

[bgraham34]

But the title of the show was "Disney Geek" - not "polished mainstream Disney news." I feel like Disney Geek (a production of D23, the fan club of Disney) was targeted at a very specific niche audience of "Disney Geeks" (AKA the Trekkie's of Disney.) They are forgetting that.

But it looks like Disney is trying to go more main stream. The new hosts are boring and not worth watching.

 

[asianway]

I'm a Disney Geek and I found nothing about him appealing, like I said. He was a caricature.

I would go one step further and say offensive caricature.

 

[TropicalFig8]

I really enjoyed Jeffrey being the host. I can tell he is a true Disney Geek and had lots of fun doing the videos. Representing all the Disney fans of the world. The best part was when he wore old Epcot Center T-Shirts.

These new hosts are very bland and boring. It didn't even seem like they wanted to do the video but was forced to.