Disney executives were worried they might have discovered that Tinker Bell and Captain Hook were “potentially problematic” during their review of the content that will be added to Disney+, as The New York Times reports. This review forms part of the “Stories Matter” initiative, which aims to provide greater diversity to the Disney-sphere. On the website of the initiative:
As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, we are reviewing our library and adding warnings to any content that contains negative images or negative treatment of any culture or person.
Tinker Bell (yes I thought it was a typo, too) caused concern as Tinker Bell was found to be “body conscious” and jealous of Peter Pan's admiration. A pretty young lady who is concerned about her appearance and loves boys — the terror! They also reportedly argued about Captain Hook because has a disability, yet enjoys doing criminal things, might be viewed by some as discriminatory.
As I've mentioned before, numerous well-meaning efforts to encourage diversity create the opposite effect, namely exclusion. For example, will people with disabilities likely be denied part in the villainy scene, which is where they are often the most sought-after because they get to take on the role?
The other character to draw fire was Ursula the Sea witch of The Little Mermaid. According to The Times:
Her dark-colored palette (lavender skin and black legs) can be seen as a reflection of race. As the Stories Matter team cautioned, she's also considered to be a “queer coded” character, with mannerisms that are influenced by an actual drag queen.
What, I thought that we were supposed to be fans of drag queens? I'm so confused.
The tweet below shows the absurdity of this whole thing and what we will become if we dive deep into the actions and attributes of every person.
What do you think of Goofy? He's well… goofy. Aren't you thinking that's a slap at the snarky? This could last forever.
The Stories Matter project came to the decision to place a disclaimer on any content that could contain some objectionable content. When you view content that is deemed objectionable, you will see the following warning:
This show depicts negative images and/or discrimination against people or their cultures. These stereotypes were not true back then and continue to be wrong today. Instead of eliminating this material, we'd like to recognize the negative effects as well as learn from it to engage in dialogue to create an inclusive future.
Content that has been warned about are Dumbo and The Aristocats, Peter Pan, and The Swiss Family Robinson.
All of this is not particularly controversial. Let people know that there are negative stereotypes embedded in our material? This seems like a great idea.
However, the path to hell is paved with good intentions. Once Disney became Woke, it appears that it is unable to stop. Disney was then forced to get involved in another state's political arena, by slamming the “Don't Say Gay” bill (which does not contain any use of the word Gay). The situation isn't going well for the company according to RedState's Nick Arama.
Florida Governor DeSantis attacked the company, and threatened to take away the company's self-governing status. A lot of left-of-center Disney employees staged protests and walkouts in protests of their belief that the company isn't doing enough to support LGBTQIA+ rights. Conservative employees responded by writing a letter of their own in which they urged the company to remain “politically neutral.”
Although focusing on seemingly innocent characters may seem like an act of inclusion, it's just one small step in the direction of the company's sinking into the unsettling mud they're currently in. Disney has a goal of pleasing everyone, but in the end, it's not pleasing anyone.
