What is he talking about?!

[epcotfan]

ANY IDEA what on earth he was talking about?

I have a puzzle of that Little Mermaid poster. The turrets look exactly like what your friend was talking about. LOL.

 

[buzzmom3]

[]
Wow, sounds like some people have too much time on their hands. i would much rather have my son watch Disney than anything else! He would never pick up on anything that has been mentioned but he does get the real message. As far as Gay Day, well we're trying to teach our son about tolerence and understanding just because some has a different life style doesn't make them bad.

Sorry, didn't mean to postwith the quote. I wasn't talking about anyone on this thread!

 

[laceemouse]

Agree with Aimee, when the Southern Baptist Convention votes on anything individual churches can follow the recomendation or not. We were SB for many years and at every church we attended the pastor always said that stuff like this was up to the individual family, between us and God. We were instructed to read the info on both sides, pray, and decide for ourselves. I think they have some good points, Disney would be very different today if Walt was still around IMO. BUT....the stuff about Gay Days is nuts. Disney does not plan or organize this. Also, giving benefits to domestic partners, try to find any large company today that does not do that!!!! As far as animators sneaking stuff in, I don't think the whole company is at fault, just a few sick individuals...The only families that I know that followed the boycott were not Disney fans to begin with.

 

[puddleduck]

It was actually the American Family Association (AFA) that started the boycott. The head of the group is a man named Donald Wilemon, who was a southern baptist preacher. I know this because the group is based in our town in MS. This is also the man who many, many years ago was against Mighty Mouse, because he thought he (mighty Mouse) was on drugs, and yes I am being serious. I think he just has something against mice. And yes, I think it was last week that they dropped thier boycott. They said because they had bigger things to work on, I think that it was that no one really cared. Now they are going against the Ford company for their stand on offering health ins to gay partners and giving money toward charities that benefit gay rights. I personally think that AFA could do better by helping people instead of being hateful. It is so fun living where this group is based. When KISS came to our town they were at the coliseum with signs boycotting. I personally think they need to mind their business. Off my soapbox, but you really don't know how much I can't stand that man.

Sharon

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

I think Disney antimation is very clean and safe to watch compared to alot that is on today. I would prefer my dd watch Disney any day compared to some of the things that are on cartoon network and Nick.

I SECOND THAT!

 

[crisi]

I read an article about boycotts recently that addressed that very point. Very few people participate in boycotts who would have bought the product in the first place. Boycotts seem to be a way for you to make a political statement out of not wearing shoes you wouldn't be caught dead in or not going to theme parks you never intended to go to.

What is can do (and did do in the case of Nike) is to raise awareness and occationally the company does change its policies, recognizing that the bad publicity may not cost them customers, but does impact them getting new customers.

The problem with the Disney boycott was that it wasn't over something everyone agrees is questionable (i.e. children making shoes in Asian sweatshops for pennies), but over things like domestic partner benefits and Disney divesting themselves into non-children's entertainment. The resulting publicity managed to gain Disney fans that it didn't have before.

 

[tlbwriter]

Our Education Minister is one of the chief boycotters, though he thankfully doesn't force feed anyone his beliefs. He also doesn't believe it's necessary to boycott the entire Disney empire. Heaven forbid you take away his ABC or ESPN. Just keep away the Mouse and his associates. However, his children are constantly coming over to borrow our Disney movies. "We boycott Disney. Mom and Dad say we can watch the stuff though. We just can't buy it ourselves."

He sounds like a big hypocrite to me!

 

[barkley]

i have an ongoing teasing/debate with my daughter about disney (and the majority of other children's) movies-if they are anti anything-they are " anti-mom". when you think about it; cinderella, snow white, little mermaid, beauty and the beast, bambi, brother bear, land before time, finding nemo...all have dead moms or moms who die in the first few minutes. in fact two of the only "in tact families" my daughter (10) can site for me against this "argument" are sleeping beauty and 101 dalmations-but i tell my daughter they don't count cuz sleeping beauty is sent off by her mom to be raised by fairies, and the dalmation's mom knows they'll be out of the house in 10 weeks

i remember when disney put out their first pg rated movie (tron) and all the flack over it-now i look at the content of what the tv networks consider "family entertainment" and think "give me a disney pg rateing anytime". in fact i caught a movie on disney family channel the other night and was soooooooooooooooo glad i watched it before i told my daughter i had recorded it-i don't need my 10 year old thinking it's o.k. to have sex with another person if "just don't kiss and make it into a committment thing"

seriously, about the only videos i can rent and know that it's o.k. not to pre screen are the disneys (esp. the old classics-but if i have to see "the parent trap" one more time ) and veggie tales. i love disney, husband loves disney, kids love disney-but then i'm posting on a disney board with all of the rest of you, who i assume at least have a tremendous fondness for "the mouse"

 

[stemikger]

Oh boy. Why do some people need conspiracy theories in everything. If anything, the animators - were just having a little adult fun.

Disney is the best place in the world and anybody who dosen't feel like a kid when they go there is a very sad person.

 

[tlbwriter]

i have an ongoing teasing/debate with my daughter about disney (and the majority of other children's) movies-if they are anti anything-they are " anti-mom". when you think about it; cinderella, snow white, little mermaid, beauty and the beast, bambi, brother bear, land before time, finding nemo...all have dead moms or moms who die in the first few minutes.

That's one thing I really dislike about a lot of Disney movies. Why do they have to do that?

 

[disgal1]

Little mermaid cover is definately true. I own it, and it's there.
Also the wedding scene is true. My 20 year old son and his friends showed me the scene in slow motion, yup, it's there.
Of course being the juvenile that I am, I laughed.
It is so fast, that unless you do a frame by frame you won't see it.

Obviously some of the folks that worked on the movies stuck these little tidbits in for fun.

Unless you go looking for these things, you won't find them. small kids I think wouldn't notice a thing.

 

[zdesiree]

Hey!! What about Donald Duck. The guy is running everywhere with no pants on, but if he's going to the pool then he use them. just kidding! I wanted to add some fun.

 

[agnes!]

http://www.snopes.com/disney/disney.asp is a pretty interesting website for urban legends.

I was going to mention www.snopes.com as well. That is a great site, I use it every time a friend forwards me an e-mail that purports to be something that I am suspicious of (like making money for a sick little girl by forwarding e-mails, etc...)

agnes!

 

[agnes!]

That's one thing I really dislike about a lot of Disney movies. Why do they have to do that?

Because to certain folks, without 'Mom' around?...things happen (bad things, good things). 'Mom' is the archetypical story figure who usually keeps Life safe, the "Don't" within a story. Besides, especially in the past, most writers/power players are men...I don't notice them killing off most dads. (The only one I can think of right now is Mufasa in "Lion King").

Another post really, but that's why in Hollywood most lead characters are male, why men usually end up with younger women(other than the recent "Something's Got to Give", in the past Jack Nickholson is usually paired with a Helen Hunt), why many more characters in a movie(even cartoons! Look at 'Bugs Bunny' or 'Roger Rabbit' or even 'Lion King" again) are male...

agnes!

 

[crisi]

i have an ongoing teasing/debate with my daughter about disney (and the majority of other children's) movies-if they are anti anything-they are " anti-mom". when you think about it; cinderella, snow white, little mermaid, beauty and the beast, bambi, brother bear, land before time, finding nemo...all have dead moms or moms who die in the first few minutes. in fact two of the only "in tact families" my daughter (10) can site for me against this "argument" are sleeping beauty and 101 dalmations-but i tell my daughter they don't count cuz sleeping beauty is sent off by her mom to be raised by fairies, and the dalmation's mom knows they'll be out of the house in 10 weeks

This isn't unique to Disney, its true of children's lit in general. From Harry Potter to Anne of Green Gables. From the original fairy tales (Cinderella, Snow White) to Tom Sawyer to Michael Chabon's recent kid's best seller "Summerland". Kids lose their parents, particularly their mothers (though orphans are perhaps more popular). The theory is that in a kids fantasy world, having no parents allows them to solve their own problems. And getting rid of mom - the real problem solver in a child's life, opens up all sorts of possibilities.

Mulan also has an intact family. Tarzan has an intact adopted family (though his adopted father takes a while to come around).

 

[momsgoofy]

Well, I guess what my daddy told me years ago is true...opinions are like you know whats...some are just bigger and some stink worse. lol

In all honesty, individuals should chose for themselves and make the choices for their children. We have one person at Altar Society (women's group at our Catholic church), who gave the anti-Disney shpeel on a couple of occasions, most of the women just sit and listen, but one (my fellow Disney lover and DVC owner) was appalled and had to speak her mind in rebuttal...well, it did no good as most of these women are 50 plus who have made up their own minds about life, the universe and everything! (Thank you Douglas Adams!)

To each his own!!

 

[missj171]

Its true of all literature from the word go really. The hero/heroine has nearly always got to be denied their protector to triumph.

If you subscribe to the '7 basic plots' theory then Disney is just following the way its always been!

 

[dtsaos]

I have most of the "Classic" disney VHS as I started collecting when my son was born 19 years ago. I do have the first release of The Little Mermaid and yes, it is there on the front cover in the castle. I put that one up for safe keeping (you never really know) and won't let the kids touch that one. It may be worth a lot of money one day!

It is collectable already. Check on ebay and you'll see that these copies sell for more simply because of the "graphic artwork"

 

[Lora]

I have a friend who avoids all things Disney for many of the things mentioned here. I just never quite got it. If someone wants to avoid doing business with a company for whatever reason, that's fine. But, what I asked her was if she scrutinized every company she does business with in the same way? I don' think so.