I consider the term “progressive” disingenuous. A few variations on that word “disingenuous" include “lacking in candor; giving a false appearance of simple frankness; calculating." It’s that last one that stands out to me. Calculating.
Earlier this month, the Washington Post hoped to enlighten their readers with this story: “Conservatives want to cancel Disney. It’s not the first time.” As with many progressive offerings, this headline was intended to be “calculating” — acting in a scheming and ruthlessly determined way. It’s also misleading!
Let me digress. My first experience into the wonderful world of Disney came as a 7-year-old. My family was moving from Seattle to Minnesota, traveling by way of California to see relatives. It was the summer of 1959.
That was the year when the “E” ticket was born. That got you on the best rides! These included the Submarine Voyage and the Matterhorn Bobsleds! The Disneyland-Alweg Monorail would also premiere that June.
I can assure you my parents were “conservative” as the day is long. There was nothing about the Disney experience that made them wince. Nothing.
Times have changed. The Disney brand has caused many conservative-minded families to wince. It drives so called progressives nuts that there remains strong resistance to the theme park’s “gay week.” We also resist ideas about the earth and its origin, and won’t conform to their interpretation of “science.”
No one can state with assurance what Walt Disney would think of what has been produced in film and in the theme parks that bear his name. What we saw in the late '50s and early '60s seemed to hold to family friendly values. But would Walt have yielded to the progressive minds that exist today? Would he still think Disney was “family friendly?”
Walt Disney’s reputation does leave a lot of questions. In a much disputed 1963 book by Marc Eliot titled, Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince, allegations were made that Disney was “sexist, racist, fascist, anti-Semitic, and a heavy drinker.” In Walt’s early life he reportedly attended a number of pro-Nazi gatherings. His only physical vice seemed to be tobacco.
The employees who would come to know him best would say they never, ever saw Walt expressing negative feelings toward any race, religion, or creed.
The Disney-world of today is different. A most recent illustration can be found when a Disney spokesperson verbally opposed the Parental Rights in Education law in Florida. The bill prohibits discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in lower elementary school grades. The Florida governor challenged Disney and claimed the company “crossed the line.”
Then came the discovery of internal Disney agenda-driven videos obtained by an activist. They apparently revealed employees discussing needed efforts to add more representation of LGBTQ+ characters to the Disney franchise. This made a number of families respond with, “Enough.”
Walt Disney claimed to be a Democrat. But the Kennedy “democrat” of the early '60s in Walt’s day doesn’t exist anymore. Progressivism has taken the party down a severe left turn lane. I doubt Walt could rescue it.
Generating a headline that conservatives want to "cancel Disney" is grossly overstated. The writers know that such inflammatory language fires up the progressive mind. This is what I mean by calculating.
Families with conservative values don’t have an issue with theme park rides of roller coasters and fast cars. They like interesting displays on history and science—provided that the science can truly be PROVEN. They enjoy taking their children to a place where all the family can getaway and have fun.
But when the theme parks and movies and literature aim to create a counter-influence to values the families hold dear, well, stop the presses! Of course the opposition will rise up! It’s why we have the so-called “culture wars.”
And when gender issue advocacy is involved, then the “happiest place on earth” has now become the "most confused place on earth." Along with theme park fees being horribly expensive. I doubt that’s what Walt Disney had in mind.
It seems to me that the Disney-world of today is where the land of make believe is more about their own moral universe. And we’re expected to jump on the Disney World Railroad and accept the agenda while paying the price.
Well, not all of us are on board.
That’s Forward Thinking. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.
You can find a number of YouTube episodes and podcasts of Mark’s program, Moving People Forward at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCosyuBzdSh1mXIas_kGY2Aw?
For more information on the Elfstrand Group, please visit www.elfstrandgroup.com
Articles of interest:
https://www.awn.com/animationworld/was-walt-disney-saint-evil-sinner-or-devil-incarnate-truth-about-some-those-nasty
https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/04/18/disney-boycott-theme-parks-lgbtq/
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