Shiny

I once watched everything Disney with the rapt admiration of a child for the shiniest object in view. I loved the smoothness of the animation, the emotions of little Dumbo cradled by his imprisoned mother, the creation of a more colorful world. But as I got older, I began to sense the deep misogyny, and the obvious racism, as well as the aggressive marketing. Stories of Disneyland and -world taking visitors, turning them over and shaking until all their money fell out were common long before EuroDisney's issues with poor treatment of their employees. (Not to mention abuse of artists right from the beginning of the Disney Studios.) Accidents hushed up, local takeover of law enforcement, surface gloss to cover cracking infrastructure.

These days, I resent the Disney takeover of classic children's books, turning them into sly and suggestive, and overblown, PG rated films. Selling crack to kids. Pushing the Princess ideal to little girls, when real princesses were political pawns, whored out to whatever noble could pay in influence. That it is now seen as a fairy tale in pink sickens me. That girls see this as what they should be, instead of pursuing intellectual, or even spiritual study, undermines our humanity.

Disney is a huge, multinational corporation out to get our money, and every child in the world's money. That some folks react to any criticism of it as though I were kicking a puppy, is just ridiculous. It's not harmless. We live by our stories, and when we give over our stories to the most mercenary, and effectively larcenous, company, is poisonous.

At least one reader, long ago, took umbrage at my calling the megacorp of Disney evil. She left in a huff. Didn't bother me.

I once much preferred the Disney Winnie the Pooh, baffled by the appeal of the E. H. Shepard drawings. I got a little older, and knew better. I came to appreciate not having all the lines colored in to perfection, allowing the space for my own interpretation and participation.