Why I Don't Review New Disney Stuff
This might seem like a downer post for my first regular month of articles, but I thought I should clarify this topic up front for those who may come to Taking Up More Room from Substack and naturally won’t have the background for my postion. I try to be positive and even-handed as much as I can, but that obviously isn’t always possible.
Mmmmkay, rant time…
I’ve always been a nominal fan of Disney, although I like Disneyland and have grown up going there, but given a choice between Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny wins every time. While I’m not knocking the way Disney used to be, Termite Terrace is more my kind of place—a little edgy, a little messy, and very literate.
Some of Disney’s business practices rub me the wrong way; namely, their longstanding habit of vaulting past films. While some of the content is problematic (and yes, I’ve seen Song of the South several times), this doesn’t really give the public the opportunity to decide what’s worthy of their attention. However, I’ve been able to let this slide because there’s also a lot to like. Disney has been a fun place for many decades.
When Disney bought Lucasfilm, though, things turned toxic, starting with The Last Jedi. We all know how this went down. The fans weren’t happy because they thought an iconic character had been disrespected, and Disney wasn’t happy because the fans weren’t gaga over the latest installment in the sequel trilogy. Well, I’m understating things because I’m trying to be diplomatic. Everyone was, shall we say, pissed off.
Even so, much of the fault lies with Disney, which, under Bob Iger, has gotten way too political and, frankly, too big for its britches. Lucasfilm and the mainstream media suddenly had no problem with people like Kathleen Kennedy, Pablo Hildago, Chuck Wendig and Rian Johnson calling fans incels, white supremacists, woman-haters, and so on via social media and blocking anyone who disagreed with them, no matter how civil they were or how sound their arguments. Granted, what happened to Kelly Marie Tran was not OK, but Disney employees feeling entitled enough to dismiss fans as much as they did indicates an unhealthy work environment.
The whole business turned me off, and I resolved not to review anything from Disney or any of their holdings from 2019 on. Why 2019? Because that’s when that hodgepodge also known as The Rise Of Skywalker came out. Plus, it’s when Disney bought 20th Century Fox and started welching on repertory contracts with theaters. Repertory screenings are oftentimes the only things standing between small, independent theaters and bankruptcy, so this was majorly vindictive on Disney’s part. The Star Wars debacle was bad enough, but this was the last straw.
Unfortunately, Disney’s actions since then have only galvanized that vow. They fired Gina Carano over a lie, for one thing, and they don’t support human rights. I mean, come on—why would Disney show a concentration camp in their Mulan remake and then thank the security company that runs it? Really? This company, and China’s government in general, are persecuting Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists, and Disney thanks them? It’s disgusting and ghoulish.
Equally disgusting and ghoulish is Disney’s handling of HB 1557, falsely called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by the mainstream media. They’ve not only lied about the purpose of the bill, but promised to have the bill repealed and feature more overt sexual content in Disney films going forward. I won’t go into all the details about this because everyone’s been talking it to death. Suffice it to say, Disney deserves what it’s getting right now.
I almost feel sorry for current Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who has been fighting what will likely be a losing battle, and I definitely feel sorry for the cast members who don’t agree with the company’s militant politics, but I have no sympathy for Disney itself.
There is forgiveness, of course, but there isn’t enough dirt in the world should Disney decide to mend its ways, and even then it may be too late. While it’s sad, we are where we are.
And now back to our regularly scheduled program. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest, all.