As a long-time Disney enthusiast and someone who has watched countless hours of their content throughout my life, I must say that I am disheartened by the recent decisions made by the studio. Having grown up with Disney’s inclusive and progressive values, it is disappointing to see the company cowering to right-wing political activism and excluding certain groups from representation.
The upcoming Pixar series titled “Win or Lose” features an episode revolving around a transgender character, marking the second time within a month that Disney has incorporated such a character. The series is scheduled to premiere in February and focuses on a mixed middle school softball team preparing for their championship game. Each episode will delve into the perspective of a different character, such as players, parents, or the coach. Unfortunately, one episode from the series has been pulled due to Disney’s contentious choice to withhold it, as its subject matter is deemed controversial.
Disney has chosen to eliminate an episode of “Win or Lose” featuring a character who identifies as transgender, as reported by Deadline. Although the character will still be part of the show, certain dialogue pertaining to gender identity that originally appeared in the series have been taken out. Deadline’s sources suggest that Disney made this adjustment several months ago. Here’s a statement released by Disney regarding their decision:
For young audiences’ animated content, we understand that many parents might choose to address specific topics at their convenience and according to their comfort level.
This is the second instance where Disney has chosen to omit an episode from one of its animated shows that centers around a transgender character. In November 2024, following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, it was disclosed that Disney had abandoned a completed episode of the popular Marvel series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, which focused on transgender athletes. Although Disney has yet to issue an official statement regarding the removal of the Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur episode, the decision to scrap an episode from Win or Lose raises concerns about a recurring trend at the studio.
Disney Is Making Some Troubling Decisions
It’s not unprecedented for right-wing political activism to seem like it influenced Disney’s changes to a Pixar production. After the movie ‘Lightyear’ underperformed financially, some within the studio speculated incorrectly that its poor performance was due to a brief, subtle kiss between two female characters. This led Disney to be cautious about ‘Inside Out 2’, ensuring that Riley’s affection for another student, Val, would not be perceived as romantic by audiences, even though many viewers still interpreted it as such.
Viewing this recent decision as anything but disheartening is challenging. Disney, known for creating a warm and inclusive environment for all children, seems to contradict itself by eliminating transgender narratives from the shows “Win or Lose” and “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.” This action appears to signal that a specific group – one that yearns for acceptance the most – is not valued. It’s concerning that Disney caters to its detractors, knowingly or unknowingly, in determining which voices deserve representation.
Disney’s stance on content control seems questionable upon closer inspection. They argue that parents should have the freedom to discuss sensitive topics with their children at their own pace and convenience, without resorting to censorship in their movies and shows regarding themes like romance. However, this policy appears to favor a specific type of parent as it overlooks those who are comfortable with or could benefit from episodes in Pixar series that deal with these subjects. If an episode can be excluded without disrupting the overall series, then parents should have the choice to skip it if they’re uncomfortable, rather than removing it altogether so it’s unavailable for viewing by others.
“Just like Phineas and Ferb, if I got a penny each time Disney took down an episode from their streaming service about transgender athletes, I’d have two pennies by now. It’s not much, but it’s unfortunate that it happened twice.
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2024-12-18 00:31