More Curious Than Anything. . .

[lillasmom]

How about those (insert your favorite baseball team here)...

 

[Cool-Beans]

How about those (insert your favorite baseball team here)...

Indians!! We have the Indians here.

I suppose we could get rid of the Dixie thing and Coronado Springs. Also Wilderness Lodge (logging is bad) and the Grand Floridian and Beach Club (many people worked themselves to death for next to nothing so rich people could build places like that.) AKL will also have to go...poachers. BWI...I'm not familiar with who built that, but certainly someone suffered.

All Stars will absolutely have to go...rich Sports, Movie, and Musicians running around while people in Ethiopia starve.

Pop Century? Can we keep that one?

Obviously, the Germany and UK pavillions in Epcot will have to go. Half of Italy can stay, and France will have to be gone, but can pretend to stay. China and Japan both have to go. America's pavillion must go, too.

Both the Asia and Africa sections of the AK.

Have I forgotten anything?

 

[MJMcBride]

I suppose we could get rid of the Dixie thing and Coronado Springs. Also Wilderness Lodge (logging is bad) and the Grand Floridian and Beach Club (many people worked themselves to death for next to nothing so rich people could build places like that.) AKL will also have to go...poachers. BWI...I'm not familiar with who built that, but certainly someone suffered.

All Stars will absolutely have to go...rich Sports, Movie, and Musicians running around while people in Ethiopia starve.

I agree.

 

[Cool-Beans]

In fact, why don't we get rid of Disney World? Rodents carried the fleas that spread the plague. Isn't glorifying a mouse really a slap in the face to all the decendants of those who died such horrible deaths?

 

[sotoalf]

Not to mention an insult to the rather saucy mouse who glared at me from inside my condo complex's dumpster last night.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I was thinking about name-changing the following, to be Politically Correct:

Fort Wilderness
The name of the bloodiest and most gruesome battle of The French and Indian War, and it was the Americans who committed the worst acts of atrocity.

Raglan Road
The name of the English Lord who ordered and viewed The Charge of the Light Brigade, probably the worst military decision of all time.

 

[Another Voice]

Have I forgotten anything?

Adulthood.

 

[MJMcBride]

AV is correct.

The objection isn't to the word "Dixie" itself; it's Disney's deliberate appropriation of architecture, motifs, and literature and then recontextualizing them into harmless diversion.

To me this has always been one of Disney's more insidious habits. Look at "Fantasia." Classical music is too complex for you? Let's illustrate it with dancing hippos.

To me, this is two totally different things. I for one have no problem with Disney trying to initiate kids into the world of classical music by using cartoons. I think thats great. Its no different to me then Sesame Street introducing kids to numbers by having a cookie-eating monster.

I do have a problem glorifying "Dixie" and slapping a confederate flag to the back of a truck.

 

[DancingBear]

I have mixed feelings about this, but A-V, I have to wonder if you feel so PC about other Disney stuff, like the burning cabin with a dead pioneer lying out front with an arrow through his heart. What about the Pirates auction scene?

 

[Jason71]

I do have a problem glorifying "Dixie" and slapping a confederate flag to the back of a truck.

While I am with you on the "stars 'n bars"--a symbol of treason and racism I see with alarming frequency down here--I find it harder to condemn the idea of an "old South"-themed hotel.

Every country/era had its dark side. But, in EPCOT, for example, countries are distilled down to their most positive elements, ignoring the bad. Germany is the obvious example, but in Norway the vikings are depicted as explorers not raiders, in Splendors of China Tianaman Square is shown as the happiest place in the country, Ireland is basically presented as part of the UK with no mention of the centuries of contention on that issue...

I don't see the harm in presenting an idealized (and admittedly "sanitized") version of the past when done strictly for entertainment purposes. That is the very point of Main Street and Frontierland. I think one can admire the architectural style of Tara and the idea of sipping mint julips in a white suit or hoop dress under a magnolia tree without necessarily glorifying slavery, just as one can sing along to "Yo ho, yo ho..." without glorifying real piracy.

 

[raidermatt]

Look, this isn't a question of the relative morality of things. Sure, that can be debated from a logical point of view.

But the reality of the situation is that of all the atrocities mentioned in this thread (both genuinely and facetiously), slavery hits closest to home for more people in this country. Not only are the descendents of the victims integrated into all aspects of American society (well, almost all), but the descendents of the perpetrators are here as well. The land, the buildings, everything, is still here.

What's more, as has been mentioned, the issue didn't go away when slavery was abolished. We can debate where things are today, but nobody can deny that as recently as a few decades ago, horrible atrocities were still being committed, and were being condoned by people in legitimate positions of power.

Its not that slavery and the ensuing issues were "worse" than the Holocaust, or "worse" than the systematic destruction of Native American peoples. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. Its just that, for a variety of reasons, its still relevant to a lot more people. Hence Disney's response, purely for business reasons.

 

[Jennasis]

Uh oh....I think I'm in trouble. The name of my horse farm is DIXIELAND FARM! No kidding.

I'm a born and bred New Yawker, and moved down south to my farm about 4 years ago. I actually did consider changing the farm's name when we bought it, but it was an already established business so I left it alone. I guess we'd better get going on that name change now....

 

[Daydreamer]

I agree completely about changing the name for business reasons and previously stated that I would have done exactly the same. I have no problem the name of the resort being chained. Heck, I don't have a problem with them changing the theming if they feel it reflects negatively on the image the business wishes to convey. My problem was entirely with the blanket statement referring to the "Old South" and ALL it stood for in a negative light.

My point is there is negative and positive in everything. If we choose to take the negative and throw the positive to the side then we will soon be left with nothing. I'm certain that someone can find a negative context for every character and attraction and WDW if they so choose.

 

[RickinNYC]

Edited

 

[Fitswimmer]

My point is there is negative and positive in everything. If we choose to take the negative and throw the positive to the side then we will soon be left with nothing. I'm certain that someone can find a negative context for every character and attraction and WDW if they so choose.

(written with tongue firmly in cheek)
I've been long convinced that somewhere there is a group of people that spend their day looking for things to be offended about. As soon as they find something, they begin to circulate the information-most likely using the internet-to get the appropriate group all lathered up. Letters get written, threats of boycotts come and then whatever this little shadow group deemed offensive is gone. The shadow group then gleefully celebrates their power over America. (written with tongue firmly in cheek)

I have no issue with an honest effort by a company or individuals not to offend various groups, in general it's a good thing. My concern is that our country is becoming a nation of hyphens instead of a nation of Americans. We are so focused on our differences and celebrating our differences and allowing each culture to maintain it's differences that we've lost our sense of what makes us the same. If we spent more time talking about our similarities, and working towards unity-there would naturally be less offensive acts and statements.

 

[raidermatt]

I agree, it sometimes (often?) gets overblown, and actually slows real progress..

 

[Cool-Beans]

Adulthood.

I didn't realize adulthood required getting yourself all worked up about the tiniest reference to bad things that happened ages ago.

OK, I'm Irish and American. So, I'd like to see all references to the "United" Kingdom go. They starved and murdered my ancestors. Then they tried to prevent my country from developing.

I think this and demand that everyone act according to my wishes. If they do not, they are evil, Anti-Irish and childish.

 

[DisneyPhD]

While I am with you on the "stars 'n bars"--a symbol of treason and racism I see with alarming frequency down here--I find it harder to condemn the idea of an "old South"-themed hotel.

Every country/era had its dark side. But, in EPCOT, for example, countries are distilled down to their most positive elements, ignoring the bad. Germany is the obvious example, but in Norway the vikings are depicted as explorers not raiders, in Splendors of China Tianaman Square is shown as the happiest place in the country, Ireland is basically presented as part of the UK with no mention of the centuries of contention on that issue...

I don't see the harm in presenting an idealized (and admittedly "sanitized") version of the past when done strictly for entertainment purposes. That is the very point of Main Street and Frontierland. I think one can admire the architectural style of Tara and the idea of sipping mint julips in a white suit or hoop dress under a magnolia tree without necessarily glorifying slavery, just as one can sing along to "Yo ho, yo ho..." without glorifying real piracy.

I agree.

I for one am still sad over the name change. Dixie landings was the 1st WDW resort DH and I ever stayed at and will always be in our hearts. We love the place and I think the name was much better fitting of the resort then Port Orleans River Side. PO if fine for the original resort. Heck am surprised people are offended now considering the Katrina damage to the City. The new name just doesn't fit it and is a lame attempt to please protesters (and must of cost a lot of $ in just printing and signs.)

We stayed at Riverside 2 years ago for the 1st time since the name change. The feel was the same but I missed the pretty logo with the red roses on it.

Still be bought DVC so for the most part the names of mod resorts don't affect us to much anymore.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Just remember that the victor always gets to write the history books.

 

[MJMcBride]

Just remember that the victor always gets to write the history books.

Meaning what exactly?