I’ve made no secret of my fondness of Disney’s creative side. I don’t like their corporate aspect, but their entertainment’s pretty reliable. Still, I can distinguish between the corporate and creative components, as a lot of the issues I have with them I also have with every corporate entity. This announcement’s another example of that. It’s also why this debate about “supporting the evils of Disney” by watching their movies bugs me.
See, Disney isn’t a collective hive-mind. They have subdivisions, like Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and, most-recently, 20th Century Studios. This doesn’t include TV, which also has subdivisions. Their different arms allow for many different projects in a given year. It’s why you can have three animated movies, nine MCU products, three Star Wars shows and various other excursions in one year, as they’re all worked on separately. It might be overly-efficient, but it’s how The House of Mouse operates.
I mention this because a lot of their entertainment’s quite good. I enjoy movies from Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars, while the Disney proper films, especially lately, are also solid. They’re not perfect, but they feel genuine. There are artists and visionaries working on them, and they know how to work under the same, larger umbrella. That last part needs emphasizing.
Disney’s corporate ventures, however are more…questionable? Ignoring the Fox merger, Disney’s made business decisions that’ve raised eyebrows. It’s worth noting that most of their revenue doesn’t even come from entertainment, but rather their parks, cruise ships and, in this case, real estate. It’s why they pushed for their parks to reopen during the pandemic, despite it not being safe. Disney’s an empire, and entertainment’s but one facet of that.
If this sounds daunting, it shouldn’t be. Or, rather, it should be, but there’s little we can do. Yet while corporate Disney’s a constant headache, creative Disney isn’t as much. Which is why comparing liking Disney to endorsing slavery, something that I’ve actually seen, is jarring. Disney may have a history of racism, but slavery became illegal in The US roughly 36 years before Walt Disney’s birth. Like all those shameless Holocaust comparisons, the slavery claim doesn’t make sense.
It's not like I’m excusing Disney, though. Whether it’s Dumbo’s crows being Jim Crow performers, Peter Pan dedicating a song to mocking Native Americans, or even recent issues like the Arabs in Aladdin, the company has plenty of red in their ledger. But while these portrayals are inexcusable, you shouldn’t damn the creatives who work on these films for a living. Nor should you make slavery comparisons, especially when no one from the time of slavery can call you out.
If this sounds daunting, it shouldn’t be. Or, rather, it should be, but there’s little we can do. Yet while corporate Disney’s a constant headache, creative Disney isn’t as much. Which is why comparing liking Disney to endorsing slavery, something that I’ve actually seen, is jarring. Disney may have a history of racism, but slavery became illegal in The US roughly 36 years before Walt Disney’s birth. Like all those shameless Holocaust comparisons, the slavery claim doesn’t make sense.
It's not like I’m excusing Disney, though. Whether it’s Dumbo’s crows being Jim Crow performers, Peter Pan dedicating a song to mocking Native Americans, or even recent issues like the Arabs in Aladdin, the company has plenty of red in their ledger. But while these portrayals are inexcusable, you shouldn’t damn the creatives who work on these films for a living. Nor should you make slavery comparisons, especially when no one from the time of slavery can call you out.
I also think the animosity toward adults who like Disney is unhelpful. True, Disney shouldn’t be the only part of their identity. But in the same breath, liking stuff from your childhood is fine. Not everything you enjoyed as a kid is bad, and some holds up better than the content aimed at grownups!
While I disapprove of the decision to start a real estate venture in California, especially when many people can’t afford houses, and worry about the long-term implications, the resurfaced discourse about the Disney corporation isn’t necessary. Or if it is, it’s overblown. You don’t need to look long or hard to find issues with Disney, they exist. But using that as an excuse to slam people who like their films and shows, even if you mean well, is unhelpful. Life’s tough and gruelling, and people should be allowed escapism. If that’s a “crime”, then arrest and take me in for questioning.
A quick update for all of you: you might’ve noticed that my output for this year has increased from last year. The reason for why is simple: I have less stress weighing me down. Last year I started a new job, and it diverted much of my focus. This year, despite the job still going, I have a better handle on my life-work balance, so I can focus more on my writing.
While I disapprove of the decision to start a real estate venture in California, especially when many people can’t afford houses, and worry about the long-term implications, the resurfaced discourse about the Disney corporation isn’t necessary. Or if it is, it’s overblown. You don’t need to look long or hard to find issues with Disney, they exist. But using that as an excuse to slam people who like their films and shows, even if you mean well, is unhelpful. Life’s tough and gruelling, and people should be allowed escapism. If that’s a “crime”, then arrest and take me in for questioning.
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Still, I don’t want to push myself too hard, so I’m setting limits. Not strict ones, like last year, but enough that I don’t burn out. My goal is to publish content whenever it comes to fruition, and to not force it. That might mean that my monthly output will fluctuate regularly, but I’ll try to be consistent. I owe that to myself.
That’s it for now. I hope you enjoy 2022, and I’ll see you next time!
That’s it for now. I hope you enjoy 2022, and I’ll see you next time!
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