
Mr Iger occasionally spoke on hot-button political issues during his time as chief executive. Disney is also facing a disruptive change of guard, with Mr Iger stepping down as executive chairman in December. Traditional cable networks gradually wither away. This all comes at a perilous time for Disney, which is racing to remake itself as a streaming titan as technology giants like Amazon and Apple move deeper into the entertainment business and companies like Disney-owned ESPN. One of the authorities is concerned that viewing artistic creations through a “politically correct filter” could stifle creativity.ĭisney declined to comment for this article. Maybe because he’s a villain.Īt least some people inside Disney are concerned that such sensibility goes too far.


The Stories Matter team warns that her dark color palette (lavender skin, dark legs) may be viewed through a racial lens She’s also a “queer coded” character, in ways inspired by real-life drag queens.Īccording to officials, Tinker Bell was marked for caution because she is “body conscious” and jealous of Peter Pan’s attention, while Captain Hook exposed Disney to allegations of discrimination or prejudice against persons with disabilities.

One was Ursula, the villainous sea witch in “The Little Mermaid” (1989). “These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now,” the disclaimer read.Īccording to two current Disney executives, the Stories Matter team flagged other characters as potentially problematic, with the findings distributed to senior Disney leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential information. As part of an initiative called Stories Matter, Disney added disclaimers to content that the company determined contained “negative depictions or abuses of people or cultures.” Examples included the 1970s episode of “The Muppet Show” and the 1941 version of “Dumbo”. meetings are held about how and what to answer Desperate talent partners should be reassured.Īs Disney prepares to launch its streaming service in 2019, it began a comprehensive review of its movie library. But even moderate online storms can be a distraction inside the company. , “which, in turn, prompted complaints by others about the “erasing” of people with dwarfism.ĭisney executives dismiss such incidents as storms in the teapot: Today in trend, tomorrow replaced by a new complaint.

Were were In January, Disney was accused of smuggling into the stereotype by actor Peter Dinklage and others by moving forward with the live-action “Snow White” film-until it was revealed that the company had created the Seven Dwarfs digitally. “Eternal,” a $200 million Disney-Marvel film, was “review bombing” in the fall because it featured a gay superhero kissing her husband, with online trolls flooding Internet movie databases with hundreds of homophobic one-star reviews.
