Meryl Streep slams Walt Disney

[CaliBear]

I read that this will help separate Emma Thompson from the movie and thus help her with an Oscar bid. I don't get how that correlates.

 

[jdb in AZ]

This is yet another example of why average Americans should stop giving credence to the opinions of actors and celebrities. They are generally no more educated or informed than you and I, and probably much less.

So help me Dennis Rodman.

 

[disnutt]

As far as his working with women creatively, I can't think of Disney without thinking of Mary Blair.

 

[eliza61]

I think people bring these statements out because we hold these people up on a pedestal like they were gods (and admit it, folks here on the dis worship at the alter of walt).

For me it's like the founding fathers. I laugh whenever anyone gets up on their high horse about how great the founding fathers were. I don't care if they were a product of their environment. They wrote a document touting "freedom" while enslave a bunch of people and they did it for financial gain.

How many times on this very board do we read some one post the following.

1. What would walt do?
2. Walt must be rolling over in his grave.

Well if you are going to hold him up like a saint, there are going to be people who remind us that he wasn't.

I do have to ask a question, so if some one is a product of their times and environment, does that give them a free pass? I can remember when Nelson Mandela died a few folks were up in arms because they say he had a violent past? So how come he isn't a product of his environment?

bull Connor let loose german sheppard dogs on many people in my family or friends of my parents. ripping little kids apart. No harm no foul because that's how it was? I mean I totally get that we have to take stuff in historical content but just understand that there were people who suffered under it. Telling my Aunts that got the crap beaten out of them and washed down the street from fire hoses that it's all good now because "that's how it was" LOL may cause a bit of an argument.

Just some thing to ponder.

 

[Janepod]

As far as his working with women creatively, I can't think of Disney without thinking of Mary Blair.

Never heard of Mary Blair, but Leni Riefenstahl always claimed Walt was the only Hollywood figure who would screen her movies. Make of that what you will.

Personally I don't think he was an extremist, just someone with views that were pretty typical for his era. Kind of like the stuff my grandparents would say. But it's fair for Meryl Streep or anyone else to call him out -- as long as it's understood he was not alone in his thinking.

 

[NFLDERS]

I wasn't confused. It was my I have no idea shrug OR no clue what she was thinking shrug

Oops! My apologies.

 

[JanaDee]

Walt Disney isn't above criticism. Saying he was a "product of his time" just excuses the behavior.

 

[Jennasis]

Never heard of Mary Blair, but Leni Riefenstahl always claimed Walt was the only Hollywood figure who would screen her movies. Make of that what you will.

Personally I don't think he was an extremist, just someone with views that were pretty typical for his era. Kind of like the stuff my grandparents would say. But it's fair for Meryl Streep or anyone else to call him out -- as long as it's understood he was not alone in his thinking.

Really? But I bet you've seen her work...

 

[disney junky]

Actors should act. They shouldn't preach.

 

[LukenDC]

Walt Disney had the same human baggage as the rest of us.

 

[LSmith]

Walt Disney had the same human baggage as the rest of us.

The entire human race is flawed. Every single one of us.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Meryl Streep never met Disney, correct?

That's all I need to know.

I never met Hitler either. What's that have to do with anything?

 

[North of Mouse]

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/gender-bigot-anti-semite-meryl-streep-slams-walt-163941803.html



Disney, who brought joy arguably to billions of people was, perhaps, or had some racist proclivities. He formed and supported an anti-Semitic industry lobbying group and he was certainly, on the evidence of his company’s policies, a gender bigot," Streep said. She also read a letter written by the company in 1938 to an aspiring female animator that said, "Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that task is performed entirely by young men."

"Some of his associates reported that Walt Disney didn’t really like women,” Streep continued during her nine-minute speech, where she also quoted legendary animator Ward Kimball's description of his old boss: "He didn’t trust women or cats."


My thoughts are how can you compare how Walt was .......at least as far as women go...... in 1938 to todays standard

Who cares??

 

[TinkerBelled]

It's really a wonderful speech. She's not singling out Walt Disney, she's talking about geniuses generally being flawed and Emma Thompson as a wonderful exception. To wit:

"And there is a piece of received wisdom that says that the most creative people are often odd, or irritating, eccentric, damaged, difficult. That along with enormous creativity come certain deficits in humanity or decency. We are familiar with this trope in our business: Mozart, Van Gogh, Tarantino, Eminem.

Ezra Pound said, ‘I have not met anyone worth a damn who was not irascible.’ Well, I have: Emma Thompson. Not only is she not irascible, she’s practically a saint. There’s something so consoling about that old trope, but Emma makes you want to kill yourself, because she’s a beautiful artist, she’s a writer, she’s a thinker, she’s a living, acting conscience....

Ezra Pound said, ‘I’ve never met anyone worth a damn who was not irascible.’ Well, he would say that because he was supposedly a hideous anti-Semite. But, his poetry redeems his soul. Disney, who brought joy, arguably, to billions of people, was perhaps, or had some…racist proclivities. He formed and supported an anti-Semitic industry lobby. And he was certainly, on the evidence of his company’s policies, a gender bigot...

When I saw the film, I could just imagine Walt Disney’s chagrin at having to cultivate P.L. Travers’ favor for 20 years that it took to secure the rights to her work. It must have killed him to encounter, in a woman, an equally disdainful and superior creature, a person dismissive of his own, considerable gifts and prodigious output and imagination."

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

I think that Meryl chose some very loaded words to use in her speech. Had she said that Walt was a chauvenist, rather than a "gender bigot" (what's that anyway? It's a loaded term intended to produce an emotional visceral negative response), then there would be a different feeling. She was also misleading on the fact that he didn't found the lobby, and as was stated before his association was because of the anti-communist activites of the group rather than the anti-semite activities, but it's easy to cherry pick to create the effect you want.

Given the speech, yes, she was trying to boost Emma Thompson, who I love, but she was trying to do it by tearing down others, which I think is a lazy way to do things. There are enough fantasic things about Emma Thompson and her abilities that Meryl shouldn't need to resort to cheap tricks to tout her abilities and talent.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I never met Hitler either. What's that have to do with anything?

So, I guess you are probably qualified to comment on his personal thoughts regarding any random topic, right?

 

[PrincessKsMom]

So, I guess you are probably qualified to comment on his personal thoughts regarding any random topic, right?

Like those here who have never met Walt yet are taking up his defense? While I don't necessarily feel one way or the other, I think in order to get a feel for the person you most certainly can look at their past history. While it may not be a complete picture, it can certainly give you insight. And I think given that he's dead for 50 years and so much has been written about him, you can get an idea of his thoughts, feelings, proclivities, etc.

 

[kimmar067]

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/gender-bigot-anti-semite-meryl-streep-slams-walt-163941803.html



Disney, who brought joy arguably to billions of people was, perhaps, or had some racist proclivities. He formed and supported an anti-Semitic industry lobbying group and he was certainly, on the evidence of his company’s policies, a gender bigot," Streep said. She also read a letter written by the company in 1938 to an aspiring female animator that said, "Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that task is performed entirely by young men."

"Some of his associates reported that Walt Disney didn’t really like women,” Streep continued during her nine-minute speech, where she also quoted legendary animator Ward Kimball's description of his old boss: "He didn’t trust women or cats."


My thoughts are how can you compare how Walt was .......at least as far as women go...... in 1938 to todays standard

....I read your post and was thinking the same thing....

 

[kimmar067]

It's really a wonderful speech. She's not singling out Walt Disney, she's talking about geniuses generally being flawed and Emma Thompson as a wonderful exception. To wit:

"And there is a piece of received wisdom that says that the most creative people are often odd, or irritating, eccentric, damaged, difficult. That along with enormous creativity come certain deficits in humanity or decency. We are familiar with this trope in our business: Mozart, Van Gogh, Tarantino, Eminem.....'

...and don't forget Poe....

 

[kimmar067]

Never heard of Mary Blair....