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The Miscellaneous Thought Thread
- Thread starter mickEblu
- Start date
No Name
Well-Known Member
Well I’m not here to fight you on it but quite frankly I’m not sure people are wrong for assuming you’re coming at this from an anti-lgbtq angle.
Ne'er-Do-Well Cad
Well-Known Member
Keep in mind, the general public is (for now) way less cynical about Disney than we are. So while we may look at Disney's ads and see cringe-inducing, profit-motivated pandering, most folks just see Disney saying, "All are welcome."
(Of course a pair of They Live shades would reveal they're actually saying, "All are welcome [to hand over their hard-earned money]")
(Of course a pair of They Live shades would reveal they're actually saying, "All are welcome [to hand over their hard-earned money]")
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I agree that there is discussion to be had surrounding marketing. Motives, tone, and intention are everything, though. When it sounds like it’s coming from a bigoted viewpoint, well…
I don’t follow Disneyland on IG, but taking a quick look, most of the things they’ve posted don’t even seem to include guests. There are a few Pride posts in the screenshots below, but the other two with guests include one seemingly heterosexual white couple and one black or black biracial child.
EDIT: I also see one Asian child.
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Ne'er-Do-Well Cad
Well-Known Member
I agree wholeheartedly!
I re-watched Pinocchio last summer for the first time since I was a child, and was taken aback by how much warmth there is in that film. You wouldn't know it from the ride, haha. Such a dour experience. How about an update that includes more Geppetto, Figaro, Jiminy, Blue Fairy, even Monstro -- and less salt mines and crying children. As is, the ride is just a bummer.
And yeah, the underwater sequence is probably the most charming and dazzling in the film. Not sure why it's absent in the attraction.
I'm a big fan of the subtle Peter Pan and Alice plus-ups, but I'd be down for a more substantial reimagining of Daring Journey (like they did with Snow White).
Ne'er-Do-Well Cad
Well-Known Member
I'm offended by that IG post with the Pixar Hotel art. This used to be a society with some decency.
I think it’s mostly the photo pass account (or whatever ends up on my Instagram feed) but I’m not even sure.
It’s a crime that the music from the underwater scene is absent from the ride!
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Got it. I’ll take a look at that page.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I see mostly white people in these photos. Two interracial families, a few gay/queer people, and some people of color. I personally don’t see jarring issues here. DLR guests are diverse. I’ve seen plenty of people of color, gay/queer guests, white guests, straight guests, interracial families, disabled guests, etc. These posts are pretty accurate and they don’t feel forced to me.
Straight, white people are already found in plenty of ads and make up the majority. There should also be room for people from marginalized communities, especially for diverse companies like Disney. Straight, white people aren’t being forgotten. That’s literally impossible at this point and has never happened. Nothing to be concerned about, in my opinion.
mlayton144
Well-Known Member
Interesting convo , as a straight white male I must admit that marketing from Disney in general “feels” pandering to me as well. I’m guessing the west coast park experience has a more diverse mix of people than out East. Regardless, when I see a commercial or ad featuring largely non white/straight as the main groups in the park my first instinct is it’s a fake portrayal and contrived - then I realize that they are trying to send a sales message to prospective guests that all wallets are welcome.
I believe that all Marketing sincerely wants to maximize sales. It's usually their metric. It's nothing personal but the opposite; they don't want to alienate any money.
I worked in Development. We hated Sales and Marketing but understood their purpose.
Yup.
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Stevek
Well-Known Member
And this is what is disappointing. We are at a point where people automatically assume the worst for what the original poster asked out of curiosity, not at all from a point of condemning a lifestyle. It is absolutely possible to be fully supportive of LGBTQ but still wonder why Disney is doing something.
No Name
Well-Known Member
Yes but if you’ve read that last page you know that’s factually not the case here.
Yeah by sincere I meant “appears sincere”
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Choice of wording is important here. The topic is an interesting one, but the way it is worded is arguably microaggressive and just off overall. It starts off being on the defense with “no offense to some of our gay friends here.” I’d also say that starting the post by asking if “straight people still exist to Disney” is also problematic. The post later describes Disney’s social media posts depicting gay people, people of color, including blacks and Hispanics, and interracial families as being “over the top.”
As a black woman, I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrow there, and I would bet that some of my gay friends here who read that probably had the same reaction. It doesn’t sound welcoming at all. Our initial reactions weren’t far-fetched.Again, wording is everything, and as stated before, there is valuable conversation to be had surrounding this topic. If I had written the post, I would have worded it as such, mostly with discussion questions:
Let’s talk about the way Disneyland markets itself to guests. Looking at statistics (assuming the numbers and data are out there), straight, white people are the DLR’s primary demographic. However, I’ve noticed that many social media posts include depictions of gay people, people of color, and interracial families. What do you think of this marketing strategy? Do you find it somewhat misleading or is there value in showing depictions of the respective minority groups? What do you think it says about our current society as it relates to inclusion? Do you think this marketing strategy is working? Etc., etc., etc.
I believe this wording is way more appropriate and less divisive. Then again, I’m coming from a different perspective and have different views. Again, wording is everything. Tone, too. We can have this discussion, but it would have been better to have received a more welcoming introduction to the topic.
Stevek
Well-Known Member
I can understand where you might feel this way but I still feel the question was innocent and not meant to be divisive. I guess I'm giving @mickEblu the benefit of the doubt.Choice of wording is important here. The topic is an interesting one, but the way it is worded is arguably microaggressive and just off overall. It starts off being on the defense with “no offense to some of our gay friends here.” I’d also say that starting the post by asking if “straight people still exist to Disney” is also problematic. The post later describes Disney’s social media posts depicting gay people, people of color, including blacks and Hispanics, and interracial families as being “over the top.”
Again, wording is everything, and as stated before, there is valuable conversation to be had surrounding this topic. If I had written the post, I would have worded it as such, mostly with discussion questions:
Let’s talk about the way Disneyland markets itself to guests. Looking at statistics (assuming the numbers and data are out there), straight, white people are the DLR’s primary demographic. However, I’ve noticed that many social media posts include depictions of gay people, people of color, and interracial families. What do you think of this marketing strategy? Do you find it somewhat misleading or is there value in showing depictions of the respective minority groups? What do you think it says about our current society as it relates to inclusion? Do you think this marketing strategy is working? Etc., etc., etc.
I believe this wording is way more appropriate and less divisive. Then again, I’m coming from a different perspective and have different views. Again, wording is everything. Tone, too. We can have this discussion, but it would have been better to have received a more welcoming introduction to the topic.
Would the question have been taken differently if it was from a gay man? For example, my cousin who is gay, has a real issue with "over the top" (exactly his terms) representation of the gay community. We've had long discussions as I'm always concerned for him, his husband and his 2 sons and how they will be judged by others. He feels that the gay community pushes representation to the point of diluting the message, making it far less impactful, especially around events like Pride month. His opinion while he understands the intent, the message can cause more harm and create further division and he just wants to go about life and not be "highlighted" for the life he lives. Personally, I have zero issues with it and have more than my share of social media fights with fans in the hockey community that feel teams should stick to sports and not post anything around social causes.
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Choice of wording is important here. The topic is an interesting one, but the way it is worded is arguably microaggressive and just off overall. It starts off being on the defense with “no offense to some of our gay friends here.” I’d also say that starting the post by asking if “straight people still exist to Disney” is also problematic. The post later describes Disney’s social media posts depicting gay people, people of color, including blacks and Hispanics, and interracial families as being “over the top.”
Again, wording is everything, and as stated before, there is valuable conversation to be had surrounding this topic. If I had written the post, I would have worded it as such, mostly with discussion questions:
Let’s talk about the way Disneyland markets itself to guests. Looking at statistics (assuming the numbers and data are out there), straight, white people are the DLR’s primary demographic. However, I’ve noticed that many social media posts include depictions of gay people, people of color, and interracial families. What do you think of this marketing strategy? Do you find it somewhat misleading or is there value in showing depictions of the respective minority groups? What do you think it says about our current society as it relates to inclusion? Do you think this marketing strategy is working? Etc., etc., etc.
I believe this wording is way more appropriate and less divisive. Then again, I’m coming from a different perspective and have different views. Again, wording is everything. Tone, too. We can have this discussion, but it would have been better to have received a more welcoming introduction to the topic.
I mean sure I could have worded my post a bit differently. My opening line doesn’t even make sense as Disney obviously knows straight people exist. What you got was an unfiltered instant reaction to a feeling I had upon seeing some repetitive posts. The screenshots you shared earlier do show a lot more diversity. It’s not something I’m Uber aware of but a few months ago there were a string of posts that seemed very repetitive and calculated. I’m not sure if that was Photo Pass, something else or if maybe some have been taken down.
Anyway I’m a little turned off by how careful people have to be with their words these days. So you could say I’m here to balance it out a little. Subconsciously I think I have the desire to go against this very troubling trend.