Disney went woke now they're going broke

[Hoardasurass]

Woke Disney loses $900Million in recent box office flops https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12236445/Woke-Disney-loses-900Million-recent-box-office-flops-liberal-agenda-turns-movie-goers.html?ito=native_share_article-nativemenubutton
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I guess a mermaid could be any color? I mean, they're not actually real creatures.

And they probably would be grey or some other colour not seen in humans.

I did find it odd though that the daughters of Triton were all of different ethnicities - has he been sleeping around?

I'm just tired of all of these live action remakes. Have they really run out of fresh plots?

lostinfusion · 27/06/2023 13:02

I don't understand the remake of the little mermaid - in my mind Arial is a red headed girl

why not make a new disney princess rather than just change the race of a current story, surely that is more racist?

there you go. It was just up there, you silly sausage! 😁

You find it odd that mermaids have different ethnicities? You do get that it's a fairy tale... right? And that they are meant to represent the different oceans of the earth?

I mean you're OK with a singing crab, but you have a problem with actresses of different ethnicities playing sisters?

Great point. Perhaps when people negatively use ‘woke’ what they really mean is ‘tokenism’?

Tokenism really irritates me as it feels like a tick box exercise rather than genuine inclusivity.

Star Trek franchise got in a right pickle with Picard by being too woke which is ironic when you look back at earlier offerings which broke important taboos

I watched series one and two of Picard - DH watched series 3 and said it was the best but I was done by then. Wokeness was not the issue.

Star Trek tends towards positivity - learning exploring trying to do better - it goes very dark at times but still retains positivity overall - Picard was just set in a bleak universe. The plots were convoluted - Deus ex machina was overused - characters and their relationships were poorly defined and sometimes seemed to change with the plot needs.

If you were going to point to a start trek series that was woke - Discovery would be most people's first thought. It goes very dark but feels star treky - I think because it does have solid characterisations with well thought through and believable relationships - characters develop over time and events but you still know who they are and what is driving them. It does have issues - pacing in later series was off - you about to be blown up but suddenly have 5 minutes to talk though all your relationships and Michael Burnham does get a bit space Jesus zipping round the galaxy - I've seen critics use the term and it seems to fit - only she can save the universe again and again. However it works when Picard just doesn't.

I didn't say that I had a problem. I just said that I found it odd that a bunch of sisters were so different.

Disney has always been ideological, though the ideology changes over time. Disney has a global market,follows popular trends and tries to be acceptable to everyone. Hence the focus groups. And a lot of it is fun and creative and inspiring. I'm a big fan of their "Recess" TV series and Lilo and Stitch is one of my favourite films (so emotionally engaging and the opening sequence must be one of the best animated musical sequences ever!)

The flaws in the ideology show up most when they take an old story and manipulate it, whether it's one of their remakes or adapting old fairy tales and storybooks. They changed Pinnochio from the original ideology where becoming a "real boy" means accepting years of boring hard work earning pennies to support Geppetto to an exciting adventure where Pinnochio gets to rescue Geppetto from a sea monster. The point of the original story was to stop rushing off after adventures, Of course the new ending is more entertaining but there are consequences if children only see one kind of story.

Disney sells comforting escapist fantasy to children and families. Andnow their marketing even says you can "become yourself" at Disneyland -- which jars. Fantasay and escapism are great for a holiday but the exact opposite of "becoming yourself" and it's not healthy for children to believe they are only really "themselves" on holiday in a fantasy land.

But you didn't find the singing crab, the talking seagull, the shapeshifting witch, or the fact that they were half-girls, half-fish 'odd'?

All that was not odd at all...Just the fact that the actresses playing them were of different ethnicities?

I think Disney is missing the fact that parents today grew up on the animated Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Jungle Book etc etc and aren't particularly keen on the shit remakes. I saw the new Dumbo in the cinema with my kids and DS was 4 and utterly bored. I am the sort of person who is annoyed when film versions deviate from the book, so a live action remake which deviates from the animated version is always going to irritate. I've just stopped bothering with them. The added bits of story are always crap, and sometimes don't even make sense. Give me a brand new film, don't remake the old ones!

I think there’s an issue with most of these new star treks though. aside from committee meetings and talking about feelings every few scenes…

Old Star Trek made you think.

it didn’t tell you what to think.

Thankfully Star Trek fans like me, yep old school, got a chance to say goodbye with Picard S3. It’s not our franchise any more.

I prefer freedom of thought, something I believe young people have less of and are accepting of these days. It’s something that when you see it, you can’t unsee, and that’s why more and more are stepping away from the likes of Disney, tokenism and virtue Signalling. Hell I’m Bisexual, and I detest what Pride is nowadays for all the same reasons.

My DIL grew up with a red headed Belle. We all went to see the new one. We all enjoyed it. Three generations. Beauty and the beast, was fine . It's for children.

Now I love Frozen, Moana, Encanto we sing along all the time. The music makes it long lasting for us all

I like Star Trek Strange New worlds - which I know not all trek fans do.

I even liked what they did with James T Kirk in last night's episode - he was still very smart adaptable needed to be in charge - and was teased about that - charismatic but a bluff he pulled without enough information got him killed - it was fine as it was alternative timeline situation. He wasn't suddenly and inexplicable stupid - it was a recognisable version of his established character.

But you didn't find the singing crab, the talking seagull, the shapeshifting witch, or the fact that they were half-girls, half-fish 'odd'?

All that was not odd at all...Just the fact that the actresses playing them were of different ethnicities?

I read a time traveling witch story - ( I read classic as well) clearly suspending a lot of disbelief but what pulled me out the story was 10 th century Scottish kitchen peeling potatoes - just no.

I had a similar irritation with London based working class repair man who discovers magical society and rapidly gets involved - all fine talking book/animals world wide conspiracies - jarring bit was constant talk of him attending public school - when it became very clear they actually meant a rough state comprehensive.

My kids were much more Pixar golden age and Studio Ghibli films so Little mermaid isn't something I've personally watched and not keen on live remakes so haven't seen latest versions - so I can't say it's something I personally would notice or not but It can be odd details that jar even when rest is clearly fantasy.

Hahahaha, it’s so funny, they are going broke because they cast a black girl to play Ariel, hahahaa serves them right.

fuck off.

there is a very concerning crossover on the FWR board between the anti-pride sentiments and racism. All in the name of proudly being ‘anti-woke’. I don’t know why Mumsnet allows this to fester

Thus could be true, I think a bigger picture is needed on this

Are we going to the movies less often generally

My preference is to separate out GC issues from this though

Lightyear has a lesbian couple which is completely fine, even if people react, children are less likely to (my dc didn’t they know a few same sex parents anyway)

Hmmm. What thread are you reading. I see reference to storytelling, art, suspension of disbelief, dislike of prescriptive messages. There are many problems with Disney output that have nothing to do with race. For example:
Costuming. In the Little Mermaid ditched half the iconic costumes and settled on drab versions. I loved the costuming in Aladdin but they got in trouble for being not authentic enough and too fantasy so I guess that could have influenced the costuming in later films.

I follow mermaiding on social media and the costumes regular people come up with which are functional and beautiful to use with a monofin are unbelievable. The little mermaid strip of material is so disappointing compared to these, I'd expect more from a film with an enormous budget. I assume they kept it looking like a cheap swimming costume so they can sell cheap swimming costumes.
The actress has actually done really well with using mermaid themed red carpet dresses. Such a shame she was denied these in the film.

The colour palette is nowhere near as vibrant as the original. Why set it in the Caribbean if you are not going to use bright colours? If they wanted it drab the original Dutch setting would be fine. I think this ties into a lot of people's disappointment they didn't make her hair brighter. I'm not sure anyone is asking for a super realistic, drab world so that excuse doesn't fly. A lot of the live remakes seem to go for realism over beauty and I question if anyone actually wants that.

The singing in the new Disney's are autotuned beyond recognition (see Emma Watson) The originals used Broadway actresses and their voices have soul. Even good singers sound bland when there's too much processing.

It's all too easy to complain about racism but they're making it very difficult to love the remakes and I'm not sure who they're marketed at: too scary for kids, deviate too much from.the originals for the adults that grew up with the originals. I suppose there's a small generation gap between those that may enjoy it, but do they really enjoy drab films that tell them what to think?

I am reading the thread, with the title and opening post (the ends with a laughing emoji) that links an article from the DM.

that article goes on about ‘wokeness’ juxtaposed against picture of the little mermaid (which the article has to admit is actually reaching its global box office target, so it is making money), and other pictures of racist imagery (Siamese cats and Native Americans behaving in a racist stereotypical way) against captions such as ‘now they are posting warnings on their films’ in a very ‘can you believe this rubbish’ tone.

and I’m also reading comments like ‘but she’s a RED HEAD, isn’t it racist to cast someone different?’

what thread are you reading?

I haven’t seen the Little Mermaid to comment but I’d say some of it is the overall mood if it is drab

Look at Spider-Man multiverse films which were superb and likely did well, and Encanto which was non white

Both fantastic graphics and animation which appeal, and good characters, storyline etc

So one or two posts that at a stretch could be considered racist, makes the whole of fwr racist. Ok then.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is really good - near prefect very rewatchable - up in my top ten ever films - on basis of that we're heading this weekend to cinema see the next one.

I was tempted to see Guardian 3 in cinema but no-one else was that bothered - and we can catch it on Disney + over summer with second wakanda film - but rest of marvel recent output we're not that bothered by as it's often been okay rather than great and the getting to and buy tickets does get pricy compared to month or two of Disney +.

It's an ongoing theme. It's more than 1 or 2. Some get deleted.

There's a comment (that was deleted) on a post recently where someone said that non-European Christians weren't real Christians because they adapted the religion over time and don't possess the intellectual ability to understand true religion.

So for me, It's the fact that

1. people think it's ok to post them in the first place and
2. they post them on FWR.

near prefect very rewatchable - up in my top ten ever films

Here too. I bloody loved it, that sound and look. I felt similar about Hamilton (slight tangent), which has a better pay structure iirc and great cast plus the energy and newness

There’s a lot to celebrate so it may just be the drab thing for The Little Mermaid

In fairness people post stuff like that all over mumsnet. I don’t believe they think it’s ok in FWR and nowhere else on MN.

If they happen to post their bullshit in FWR, it’s not the entire boards fault.

again - where did I mention realism ?

I think some people get confused about FWR.

First they think the board is 'anti trans' when in fact is it pro women's rights, and for the safeguarding of children.

Others confuse being anti surrogacy (from a position that babies shouldn't be created with the intent they will be removed from the woman who carried them for 9 months) means homophobic.

They then jump from these two misunderstandings to think this board will be against LGB rights or is inherently racist (where I see no reason to think it would be more racist than any other part of MN, quite possibly less racist.)

I've seen the new Little Mermaid in the cinema - I liked it. I also saw the original in the cinema when I was a kid, and liked that too.

I would suggest that someone who has no difficulty suspending belief in talking seagulls, singing crabs, shape-shifting witches, and fish/human hybrids, but finds siblings with different skin colours "jarring", has a problem with their attitudes to race.

I took my own children and several of their friends and it's not something that was mentioned even in passing in the hours of excited chatter afterwards.