Orange Bird Back at Sunshine Tree Terrace in the Magic Kingdom!

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TalkingHead

TalkingHead

Well-Known Member
TeriofTerror said:
The Anita Bryant connection is a real minus in my book, but I posted a way I think Disney can address that issue in my blog:
http://disneygene.blogspot.com/2012/04/keep-moving-forward-not-backward.html
What do you think?
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I suspect relatively few people know about the Anita Bryant controversy today.

Even fewer people know the connection between Bryant and the Orange Bird, much less this obscure promotional ditty.

Why would Disney dredge up this controversy by acknowledging the historical connection to her?
 
TeriofTerror

TeriofTerror

Well-Known Member
peter11435 said:
So I guess they should remove Iago and John Smith from the parks too...
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Well, the pulling of the plug on "Under New Management" came at a rather fortuitous time, don't you think? :animwink:
In all seriousness though, this woman didn't just run her mouth with a few obnoxious comments. She made it her crusade to deny innocent people of their rights. I hope to heaven she doesn't see one penny in royalties from any sales of the Orange Bird's song; the mere thought makes me physically ill.
 
TeriofTerror

TeriofTerror

Well-Known Member
TalkingHead said:
I suspect relatively few people know about the Anita Bryant controversy today.

Even fewer people know the connection between Bryant and the Orange Bird, much less this obscure promotional ditty.

Why would Disney dredge up this controversy by acknowledging the historical connection to her?
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Of course people know. And if they didn't before, in the internet age they certainly will soon. Trying to sweep it under the carpet just looks like they have something to hide. I think the smart move is to acknowledge the unfortunate connection, make amends, and move on. Then everything looks open and above-board.
 
FigmentJedi

FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
As far as the Anita Bryant connection goes, Disney's basically been ignoring her involvement with the Orange Bird in all the press material, focusing on the Sherman Brothers having written the songs and that whole "Re-recording the Orange Bird song with the D23 Chorus" thing. It seems pretty clear trying to separate the bird from Anita was one of their priorities with the return.
 
wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
TeriofTerror said:
Of course people know. And if they didn't before, in the internet age they certainly will soon. Trying to sweep it under the carpet just looks like they have something to hide. I think the smart move is to acknowledge the unfortunate connection, make amends, and move on. Then everything looks open and above-board.
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Make amends how? And by dredging up something that occurred so long ago, Disney would just end providing free publicity to her now. It's best just to move on. Obviously Anita Bryant's point of view didn't take hold with Disney....
 
timoteo

timoteo

Member
It may not be a worth while corporate decision to re-use the orange bird with the connection to Bryant. It is like when Tropicanna orange juice dropped "Tropic-Anna" from the logo. While some may miss it, it smacked of colonialism, forced labor, slavery, etc. So while there may be some who do not remember "colonialism" or know if its negative connotations beyond "the orginal American colonies", Franklin etc, it still may be prudent to keep a low profile on the Orange Bird, unless they can give it a new song
 
TeriofTerror

TeriofTerror

Well-Known Member
wm49rs said:
Make amends how? And by dredging up something that occurred so long ago, Disney would just end providing free publicity to her now. It's best just to move on. Obviously Anita Bryant's point of view didn't take hold with Disney....
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Pretending the problem isn't there won't make it go away. You can't ignore a tumor and assume that you've cured cancer. They can make amends by doing as I suggested in my blog: have the song re-recorded by an artist known to be supportive of fairness and equality for everyone, and/or donate the proceeds to groups supporting marriage equality. It's fast, it's easy; problem solved.
 
wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
TeriofTerror said:
Pretending the problem isn't there won't make it go away. You can't ignore a tumor and assume that you've cured cancer. They can make amends by doing as I suggested in my blog: have the song re-recorded by an artist known to be supportive of fairness and equality for everyone, and/or donate the proceeds to groups supporting marriage equality. It's fast, it's easy; problem solved.
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Disney has moved past Anita Baker and her beliefs; that's readily apparent. Anything else is just giving her a free platform.....
 
misterID

misterID

Well-Known Member
TeriofTerror said:
and/or donate the proceeds to groups supporting marriage equality. It's fast, it's easy; problem solved.
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I understand where you're coming from and I think a re-recording of the song (by anyone, not someone specifically tied to any group would do) but that quote above will never happen and you can't expect Disney to even try to do that. That's not their place to weigh in on stuff like that and they shouldn't be expected to.

I agree with the sentiment, but that's asking wayyyyy too much of Disney and it's not so easy for them to do...
 
timoteo

timoteo

Member
TeriofTerror said:
Pretending the problem isn't there won't make it go away. You can't ignore a tumor and assume that you've cured cancer. They can make amends by doing as I suggested in my blog: have the song re-recorded by an artist known to be supportive of fairness and equality for everyone, and/or donate the proceeds to groups supporting marriage equality. It's fast, it's easy; problem solved.
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i support your blog idea fully. Not sure if I was corporate it would be worth it. I might bow out of further orange bird and a make a donation as you suggest no strings attached or amends. That would be me if I worked at Disney
 
MichWolv

MichWolv

Born Modest. Wore Off.
Premium Member
Hmmm...I don't remember this controversy at all. Guess I was more sheltered than I thought. Nonetheless, if Michael Jackson can star in a movie in the parks despite the child molestation allegations, etc., I doubt that this Anita Bryant connection will be too big a hurdle.

I'd be happy if Disney distanced itself from her as much as possible, but as long as they don't start playing her version of the song as the BGM in Adventureland, or putting it on the park CD, I'm not upset.
 
Jim Possible

Jim Possible

Active Member
Eh, they've successfully kept Brer Rabbit & Co. on Splash Mountain for 20+ years, despite the connection to Song of the South.
 
timoteo

timoteo

Member
Jim Possible said:
Eh, they've successfully kept Brer Rabbit & Co. on Splash Mountain for 20+ years, despite the connection to Song of the South.
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Agreed, but orange bird aint gonna make any money or pull them in. Also remember splash mountain was a reverse engineered cost saving attraction where existing animotronic characters in surplus needed a new home. That Brer rabbit story fit and then that sucka pulled em in. Doubt Orange bird stuff will do that so not sure it is necessary to shield or down low anymore "connections" unless you have to. So if i was corporate, I might say orange bird hello and there he goes
 
TeriofTerror

TeriofTerror

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I know that the donating thing isn't going to happen. But I truly think it would go a long way towards resolving this issue if Disney would just come out and say, "Look, we don't like the Anita Bryant connection, either. Therefore, we've decided to give a new narrator to the story of the Orange Bird to better reflect his open heart and spirit." My vote is for Anne Hathaway. She has a good singing voice, an established Disney connection, and is an outspoken advocate of gay rights. It's a win/win, IMHO.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Just because people can learn about something, does not mean that Disney needs to go out of its way to reignite an issue. The Company today is clearly not supportive of such beliefs.
 
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