Disney pulls trans storyline from animated series. Parents like me appreciate it. | Opinion
Maybe Disney executives finally realize that the push for DEI in their content looks more like leftist propaganda than heartwarming or exciting stories for kids.
I have to hand it to the folks at Disney.
They make heartwarming movies that my kids and I love. They also say they're going to leave controversial storylines out of those films because they want me, not Hollywood executives, to parent my kids.
They really know how to touch a parent's heart. Or do they?
I'm not sure it's that simple.
Disney+ series pulls transgender storyline
Disney was in the news last week after the company yanked a transgender storyline from an upcoming Pixar animated series, "Win or Lose."
The series, which hasn't been released yet, follows a co-ed middle school softball team called the Pickles as they get ready for a championship game. Each of the series' eight episodes focuses on a different character. "Win or Lose" is set to stream on Disney+ in mid-February.
A spokesperson confirmed to news outlets that Disney had cut "a few lines of dialogue" from an episode that involved a character's gender identity. The company provided this statement to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter: "When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline."
Fair enough. As a parent of four children who has watched zillions of movies with my kids, I appreciate this.
But I'm not naive enough to think that Disney made the decision to pull this potentially controversial storyline because they respect parents and their decisions. I mean, sure, they do. Wink, wink.
Instead, this sounds like a business decision, and it's a solid one.
Entertainment for children and families is big business
Have you taken your kids to the movies lately? With ticket prices between $8 to $15, or even more, it's fun, but it isn't cheap. Still, children always want to see the latest movies, even though a family of four can easily spend $100 or more for an afternoon in a theater if they splurge on popcorn and soda.
Disney+, the future home of "Win or Lose," runs about $120 to $160 a year. That's actually a bargain compared with the cost of visiting Disney World or Disneyland, where a family can burn through thousands of dollars in a few days.
Entertaining kids is a lucrative industry. But film production companies like Disney know that when it comes to box office smashes, parents fund their revenue streams. This year, four of the top 10 box office hits were animated kids films.
But that means Disney and other children's entertainment businesses need to keep parents happy.
Most parents aren't keen on controversial storylines in a film that's supposed to be fun or uplifting. If there's a joke or two in there for parents, all the better. (One exception to this rule might be "Inside Out" and "Inside Out 2," a couple of emotionally heartwarming and astute films that capture puberty perfectly.)
Disney knows that more than a few parents will be upset if they plop their child in front of Disney+ on a sick day only to hear their first grader ask later what it means to be transgender.
So the company made a solid business decision by saying, "Nope. It's not worth the outrage and the financial risk."
Is Disney learning its lesson on DEI?
Still, it's an interesting turn of events because in recent years Disney has embraced diversity, equity and inclusion with the fervor of Remy in "Ratatouille" eating a piece of high-grade cheese. (The 2007 film is one of Pixar's best animated films, hands down.)
Disney even stepped into the world of politics over it. In 2022, Disney's CEO vocally opposed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Parental Rights in Education bill, which limits teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.
DeSantis pushed back and passed a law that stripped the entertainment giant of its special self-governing status. The resulting legal dispute was finally settled this year.
In 2022, Disney corporate executive Karey Burke said in a company meeting that, as the mother of one transgender child and one pansexual child, she wanted to have more "LGBTQIA characters" to lead narratives where "gay characters just get to be characters, and not have to be about gay stories."
And Disney production coordinator Allen March said his team was committed to “exploring queer stories” and kept a log to make sure they were creating enough “gender-nonconforming characters.” He especially wanted to make sure those characters were not in the "background" but "centered" into the story.
It sounds like the transgender character in "Win or Lose" was right on track for that goal.
For families of LGBTQ+ youth, these goals may be welcome and affirming. But other parents see these storylines, especially on transgender issues, as fraught and confusing for their children.
Maybe Disney executives finally realize that the push for DEI in their content looks more like leftist propaganda than heartwarming or exciting stories for kids.
I'd like to think that Disney cares about the role a parent plays in a child's life. But I suspect they have learned that storylines like the one edited out of "Win or Lose" will hurt their bottom line.
Either way, it's a win for many parents.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with Paste BN. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.