The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[SuddenStorm]

Latest update on the union strife at Disneyland this summer...

In an Unfair Labor Charge just filed, the union is making an accusation that Disneyland managers "intimidated, surveilled and disciplined” hourly Cast Members who wore a union pin on their park uniforms.

The union has now reported to its Disneyland CM members that the National Labor Relations Board has assigned agents to investigate the alleged illegal harassment and surveillance of unionized Cast Members by Disneyland managers.

Labor charges claim Disney retaliated against workers for wearing union buttons

Amid a contract fight, a coalition of four major Disney unions have alleged that the company unlawfully intimidated, surveilled and disciplined workers for wearing union buttons on the job.

www.latimes.com

If they're "cast members" they're expected to wear costumes. If that pin isn't part of the costume, Disney should be within their right to not allow it?

Unless there's a legality I don't know about.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

I looked into this a bit last night as I was intrigued. There are rulings stating that employees have the right to wear union paraphernalia at work. HOWEVER, employers can have policies (such as costuming of cast members) that do not allow it and that the special circumstances for maintaining the policies need to be proven.

"NLRB, 324 U.S. 793 (1945), the Board held that if an employer's dress code policy in any way interfered with an employees' statutory right to display union insignia at work, the employer's policy was subject to strict scrutiny and the employer would be required to prove special circumstances for maintaining the policy."

This being said, obviously things such as safety would prevail but I think there certainly is an argument to be had that the on-stage show of a Disney park is the product offering to a customer and the costuming is a major part of it. It's certainly different for employees working behind the scenes, desk jobs, after hours maintenance, or anything that is not part of the show (product). Disney could argue that their costume policies are part of their product to their customers and their policies are in place to protect public appearance and revenue (inferring that going against their policies would harm their business practice and create losses).

Does anyone have any word or evidence or rumors of CMs ONSTAGE wearing the things?

If you want to protest, do it on your own time, not the companies time. Arguably the wearing of pins on stage is a form of protest with direct outreach to the public (vs. showing solidarity with other employees in a normal employee setting).

These people here don't look like they give a rat's behind about any sort of 'show'-

On top of all this, Disney has been eroding its standards for costuming and cast member presentation for years... so why should personal 'flair' be any different? Give people an inch and they'll take a mile. Disney let the CMs look like they work at 7-11 in Albuquerque if they want to, so what does it matter any more.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Welp, we fly out tomorrow for our week in California! Back into the US for the first time since 2019.

“California dreamin’!!”

 

[Consumer]

Inside Out 2 absolutely dominated the box office this weekend. Amazing what can happen when Disney utilizes competent filmmaking.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/16/inside-out-2-box-office-opening-hits-155-million-domestically.html

 

[eddie104]

Inside Out 2 absolutely dominated the box office this weekend. Amazing what can happen when Disney utilizes competent filmmaking instead of forcing DEI mandates.

Ayo Edebiri's 'Inside Out 2' Smashes Box Office with $155 Million Opening

Ayo Edebiri might play Envy in "Inside Out 2," but she's not jealous of any other movie's box office -- 'cause her new movie smashed its opening weekend.

www.tmz.com

What year is this?

1965?

Or 2024???

 

[McMickeyWorld]

So is gravity.

Yeah, not sure why I linked that article in particular. Thought it was just about the box office. No idea who that woman is or her role in the movie. Some "movie star."

A theory with its proper support, its proponents didn't just show up one day and out of nowhere claim that it existed, without properly presenting their theory. In the end, I asked you what your bases was for believing that, but you didn't respond .

 

[𝕴𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖗97]

Bottom-line is, Inside Out 2 steers clear of social issues and tells a story that all can relate to. In other words, messaging is secondary to storytelling, as it should be.

It's a great movie.

 

[mickEblu]

Inside Out 2 absolutely dominated the box office this weekend. Amazing what can happen when Disney utilizes competent filmmaking.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/16/inside-out-2-box-office-opening-hits-155-million-domestically.html

I think I liked it. I’d like to see it again without the five kids under 6 years old in our group distracting us. Overall the theatre was very loud though. Especially the Paper Wrapper and Plastic Bag Orchestra behind me. God forbid a grown adult doesn’t stuff their face for one hour and 45 minutes straight during a movie.

Anyway, I can confidently say it was the best Disney or Pixar sequel since Toy Story 3.

EDIT: forgot about Incredibles 2. I think Inside Out might be objectively better even if I enjoy the Incredibles franchise more and found the sequel enjoyable.

 

[Parteecia]

I think I liked it. I’d like to see it again without the five kids under 6 years old in our group distracting us. Overall the theatre was very loud though. Especially the Paper Wrapper and Plastic Bag Orchestra behind me. God forbid a grown adult doesn’t stuff their face for one hour and 45 minutes straight during a movie.

Anyway, I can confidently say it was the best Disney or Pixar sequel since Toy Story 3.

EDIT: forgot about Incredibles 2. I think Inside Out might be objectively better even if I enjoy the Incredibles franchise more and found the sequel enjoyable.

Thank you for reminding me why I'll wait to watch at home.

 

[mickEblu]

Thank you for reminding me why I'll wait to watch at home.

Most of the time it’s not too bad but this particular showing was awful.

 

[TP2000]

Overall the theatre was very loud though. Especially the Paper Wrapper and Plastic Bag Orchestra behind me.

Oh, geez. That's brilliant.

I'm stealing that line to use in case my sister makes us all go to the movies this summer. Her husband will love it.

 

[TP2000]

If they're "cast members" they're expected to wear costumes. If that pin isn't part of the costume, Disney should be within their right to not allow it?

I agree with you strongly, but...

I'm struggling to keep up the belief that Disneyland CM's are a cut above. They've let the standards for CM showmanship and grooming and general decorum crash into the basement so fast that I don't see the point any more.

The CM's today are no more special or unique looking than your average Starbucks barista or McDonald's employee. So if male CM's can have black nail polish and piercings and long greasy hair, and female CM's (or whatever we are supposed to call the CM's wearing dresses with men's facial hair) can have full beards and lotso tats, why bother?

That battle was lost several years ago. The CM's are now tatted up and no rules apply any longer. So what's a dumb union protest button gonna do? If I were the NLRB agent assigned to this case, I'd discover that the appearance standards for CM's are now low enough a button wouldn't make a difference.

These people here don't look like they give a rat's behind about any sort of 'show'-

View attachment 791855

Well, that looks like a fun crowd, doesn't it?

 

[TP2000]

Bottom-line is, Inside Out 2 steers clear of social issues and tells a story that all can relate to. In other words, messaging is secondary to storytelling, as it should be.

It's a great movie.

It's funny how that works, isn't it?

Let's hope the kids in Burbank looking at weekend box office returns today realize the old formula still works extremely well.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Repotted my new Firefly Petunia. Sorry for the crappy photo, my phone takes horrific night photos and this was the best of the bunch-

It has been genetically modified to bioluminesce. Certainly one of the coolest plants I've ever had. I'll start fertilizing soon which should boost the bloom/glowing.

Soon I can put on cat ears and paint my face blue to be a real Na'vi.

 

[TP2000]

Repotted my new Firefly Petunia. Sorry for the crappy photo, my phone takes horrific night photos and this was the best of the bunch-

View attachment 792839

It has been genetically modified to bioluminesce. Certainly one of the coolest plants I've ever had. I'll start fertilizing soon which should boost the bloom/glowing.

Soon I can put on cat ears and paint my face blue to be a real Na'vi.

Bioluminescent house plants?!? Who knew that was a thing.

I've been trying out various ornamentals in my outside landscaping, as I adjust to amateur gardening in Zone 8b after spending a few decades comfortably in Zone 10b. It's been fun, but interesting. I've grown a new fondness for succulents here, as they provide steady color and contrast. I know succulents were a real hipster thing 15 years ago (I was an avid watcher of Portlandia circa 2008-2015), but they can be very pretty and very hardy if you need them to be.

Disneyland is in USDA Zone 10b too, which makes its gardens and landscaping almost criminally beautiful with minimal effort. I hope the cutbacks we've seen in landscaping at Disneyland long after the drought of 2019-2022 ended were just a typical delayed reaction from the TDA execs who are constantly chasing trends instead of setting them. Disneyland deserves all the beauty and diversity of landscaping that Zone 10b can offer. To purposely ignore that opportunity is criminal.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I agree with you strongly, but...

I'm struggling to keep up the belief that Disneyland CM's are a cut above. They've let the standards for CM showmanship and grooming and general decorum crash into the basement so fast that I don't see the point any more.

The CM's today are no more special or unique looking than your average Starbucks barista or McDonald's employee. So if male CM's can have black nail polish and piercings and long greasy hair, and female CM's (or whatever we are supposed to call the CM's wearing dresses with men's facial hair) can have full beards and lotso tats, why bother?

That battle was lost several years ago. The CM's are now tatted up and no rules apply any longer. So what's a dumb union protest button gonna do? If I were the NLRB agent assigned to this case, I'd discover that the appearance standards for CM's are now low enough a button wouldn't make a difference.

Hear! Hear!