Disney Studios at 100

As Disney Studios—a U.S. company with global influence—turns 100, the time is ripe for an ethical assessment of the company’s undeniable influence on culture and the ways culture shapes political and social life. Disney’s historical productions are rightly criticized for conveying racial stereotypes and failing to depict people of color as heroic protagonists, but today, the company’s attempts not to make the same mistake with regards to LGBTQ+ characters have earned it censure and even legal opposition from the U.S. Christian Right.

Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio began on October 16, 1923, the day that the Disney brothers contracted with Margaret J. Winkler (M.J. Winkler), the first female member of the Motion Picture Producers Guild. Winkler supported the creation and distribution of Alice Comedies, a series of animated shorts based on Disney’s cartoon Alice’s Wonderland.[1] “Producer and distributor Margaret Winkler was not just responsible for giving the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio their start, but was a champion of the animation industry which turned inked drawings into internationally-beloved characters.” Before the term was common, M.J. Winkler was an early feminist: noting male pushback in The Boston Traveler over her invasion of the production companies, Winkler wrote “I think the industry is full of wonderful possibilities for an ambitious woman, and there is no reason why she shouldn’t be able to conduct business as well as the men” and, conduct she did.[2] For Alice’s Wonderland, M.J. Winkler specified that “the part of Alice had to be played by the same little girl in the unfinished pilot reel.”[3] Winkler was also responsible for the distribution of other cartoon series, notably, Pat Sullivan’s “Felix the Cat” (the wonderful, wonderful cat), considered the world’s first animated film star,[4] and Max Fletcher’s “Out of the Inkwell” (comes Koko the Clown).[5]

Mickey Mouse made his first appearances in 1928, in three silent films, “Plane Crazy,” “The Galloping Gaucho,” and “Steamboat Willie.” Synchronized sound was added to “Steamboat” later that year with its opening “at New York’s Colony Theater on November 18, 1928, a date that would become known as Mickey’s birthday.”[6] In 1937, Walt Disney Animation Studios released its first fully animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, pioneering a new kind of entertainment. … [unsurprisingly,] Snow White was [also] the first feature-length animated film in color,” with 61 Disney features to date.[7] Since its start, Disney’s productions have captured the hearts of children and adults alike.

A staple of pop culture, “Disney is not merely a brand. It is an icon of American culture,”[8] which offers a particular image of (a predominantly White) U.S. culture in its heroic past and visions for the future. It offers the public an opportunity to think of our better selves and the promises of one nation under (the Christian) God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.[9] For example, The Hall of Presidents premiered at the New York World’s Fair with Disney’s attraction featuring animatronic historical figures of the Presidents, inclusive of a speech by Abraham Lincoln; the attraction was and remains named at the theme parks Disneyland and Walt Disney World “One Nation Under God.” “As One Nation Under God … illustrated, the patriotism and capitalism on display at Disneyland [and] Disneyworld were merely manifestations of a deeper foundation of faith. It was … a modern variant of the City on a Hill of Puritan dreams.”[10] However, that brand of Christianity is decidedly dangerous as the nation becomes increasingly aware of its past enslavement of Black folk, extermination of Indigenous peoples, disdain for persons who do not speak English, immigration quotas, fear of LGBTIQ folk: a danger for what seems to its White adherents as a loss of their privilege to go where they will without a worry that they may have to share space with someone from a community they have learned to think of as less-than themselves.

Diversity initiatives are a welcome change in the organization and our world. And, like most organizations, reckoning with the past is challenging. Concerned advocates point to the lack of Disney characters of color who diverge from the stereotypes of race and ethnicity. Moreover, “Disney has a long history of using racial caricatures in its films that reinforce negative stereotypes. In The Princess and the Frog, Princess Tiana, the only Black Disney princess, is not fully represented. For three-quarters of the film, Tiana is a frog, symbolizing Disney’s reluctance to depict a Black princess. In fact, the only main African American character in the movie who remains human is the villain.”[11]For example, Ugandan-American professor and poet, Hope Wabuke, wanting to honor her son’s request to watch TV/cartoons, granted the request with a caveat: “he could only watch a TV show if it had a main character that looked like him.”[12] There were none to be found. After her own search, she found the TV show “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Plus). Her son wanted and deserved more than these slim TV and film offerings as well as story lines that do not center characters’ heroism around the death of a parent or of a Black or Brown protagonist  (as found in “Bambi,” “The Jungle Book,” “The Lion King” and “The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride,” “Moana,” “Brother Bear,” and “Coco”).

Inarguably, attention to and celebration of the great diversity of the US (and the world’s) population is right and just. Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive (2005-2020) “pushed the world’s largest entertainment company to emphasize diverse casting and storytelling. …We can take those values, which we deem important societally, and actually change people’s behavior –get people to be more accepting of the multiple differences and cultures and races and all other facets of our lives and our people.”[13] The degree of diversity in Disney productions and Parks is welcome and deliberate, with “Encanto” presenting both a diverse cast of characters and a positive portrayal of their exploits.[14]

Of late, Disney has other problems, albeit problems as a result of their initiatives toward greater inclusivity, which opponents portray as a “desire to insert ‘queerness and LGBT+ storylines wherever they can in Disney movies.”[15] Among the problems, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis took control of Disney World’s previously self-governing district in response to the company’s “opposition to the so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law.” Disney countered with a lawsuit and won against the State’s claim.[16] In addition to DeSantis’s interference, recent developments at Disney Studios and theme parks have riled the Christian Right for related reasons: their embrace of the LGBTQ+ community. The Christian Right fails to recognize diversity in all its forms, they fear especially loss of the “One Nation Under God.” They oppose the ways “Disney stories could be interpreted as explorations of sexuality or gender identity. … Dealing with themes of fantasy and magic, many classic Disney stories concern characters moving between two worlds, feeling like outsiders in their communities, transforming and becoming their true selves. These themes could equally be interpreted as explorations of sexuality or gender identity.”[17]

Franklin Graham, the son of Southern Baptist evangelist Billy Graham, is also concerned. Graham worries that “Today, Disney is indoctrinating children w/the LGBTQ agenda—& they don’t try to hide it. I hope parents wake up to what Disney is trying to do & protect their children & grandchildren from the lies this once-great company is now so willing to promote.”[18] A conservative Christian media organization, the 700 Club, reports a similar concern: Disney once “claimed to be a safe space” and a “pro-parent” company but has, in recent years, abandoned that mantle in favor of a pro-LGBT agenda that caters directly to children through animated shorts like “Out” and Disney+ series like “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” among others.[19]

White Christian Nationalism is on the rise, most potently on display in the January 6, 2021 insurrection.[20] “Figures including Nick Fuentes, a live-streamer who was present outside the U.S. Capitol at the Jan. 6 insurrection, are trying to harness the grievances of white, right-leaning Americans into an openly ethnonationalist political movement, one they hope will become the core of the Republican Party.”[21] While Christian nationalism is a minority position, its voice is loud and its strategies are dangerous. Efforts like Disney’s, which deliberately open up the organization and its products to minority populations, are particularly in the crosshairs.

Much has happened in these 100 years and happily for many. Still, as with other organizations, Disney has had to reckon with its own and the nation’s history of abuse, omission, and sin against neighbors belonging to underrepresented communities. Despite its detractors, Disney Studios strives now “to create a culture that is welcoming to all, celebrates our unique perspectives, and promotes respect for one another, regardless of identity or background.”[22]

Works Cited

Bri Bertolaccini, “Margaret Winkler: First Female File Distributor,” The Walt Disney Family Museum (n.d., accessed 9/2/2023), https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/margaret-winkler-first-female-film-distributor#:~:text=On%20October%2016%2C%201923%2C%20Walt,in%20the%20unfinished%20pilot%20reel.

Malcolm Cook, “Margaret J. Winkler,” in Jane Gaines, Radha Vatsalm and Monuca Dall’Asta, eds., Women Film Pioneers Project (NY: Columbia University Press, 2020), https://wfpp.columbia.edu/pioneer/margaret-j-winkler/#citation.

The Walt Disney Company, “Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” World of Belonging (no date, accessed September 11, 2023), https://impact.disney.com/diversity-inclusion/#:~:text=The%20Walt%20Disney%20Company%20is,industries%20more%20accessible%20to%20all;

The Walt Disney Company, “Diversity and Inclusion: Content,” World of Belonging,” (no date, accessed September 18, 2023), https://impact.disney.com/diversity-inclusion/

Tré Goins-Phillips, “People are Really Fired Up: Christians Protest Disney’s Woke Agenda,” Christian Broadcasting Network (April 7, 2022), https://www2.cbn.com/news/news/people-are-really-fired-christians-protest-disneys-woke-agenda-outside-company-hq.

Philip S. Gorski and Samuel Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2022)

humanities_jen, “Disney’s Impact on American Culture,” Artificial Empires (February 21, 2017), https://artificialempires.wordpress.com/2017/02/21/disneys-impact-on-american-culture/#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20people%20I,of%20children%20and%20adults%20alike.

Henry Redman, “‘Its not surprising:’ How the Republican party lost control, from open rallies to insurrection,” Wisconsin Examiner (February 15, 2021), https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2021/02/15/its-not-surprising-how-the-republican-party-lost-control-from-reopen-rallies-to-insurrection/.

Southern Poverty Law Center, “White Nationalist,” (n.d., accessed September 12, 2023), https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/white-nationalist.

Steve Rose, “How Disney found its pride –and riled the American Right,” The Guardian (May 7, 2022), https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/07/disney-lgbtq-community-gay-days-american-conservatives.

Heather Tomlinson, “Why some Christians are worried that Disney is no longer ‘family friendly’.” Christianity (May 22, 2022), https://www.premierchristianity.com/news-analysis/why-some-christians-are-worried-disney-is-no-longer-family-friendly/13098.article.

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[1] Malcolm Cook, “Margaret J. Winkler,” in Jane Gaines, Radha Vatsalm and Monuca Dall’Asta, eds., Women Film Pioneers Project (NY: Columbia University Press, 2020), https://wfpp.columbia.edu/pioneer/margaret-j-winkler/#citation.

[2] Bri Bertolaccini, “Margaret Winkler: First Female Film Distributor,” (March 23, 2023), https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/margaret-winkler-first-female-film-distributor#:~:text=On%20October%2016%2C%201923%2C%20Walt,in%20the%20unfinished%20pilot%20reel.

[3] Ibid..

[4] Mel Bondfield, “The Wonderful, Wonderful Cat,” The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (n.d., accessed 9/2/2023), https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/100-years-felix-cat.

[5] Fleisher Studios, “The Clown that Became Famous and then Became Ko-Ko,” https://www.fleischerstudios.com/koko.html (2023).

[6]MoMa, “Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Steamboat Willie,” MoMA Highlights: 375 Works from The Museum of Modern Art, New York (New Tork: The Museum of Modern Art, 2019). https://www.moma.org/collection/works/302797#:~:text=Disney%27s%20Steamboat%20Willie%20is%20a,obsolescence%20and%20launched%20an%20empire.

[7] Walt Disney Animation Studios 100, “99 Years of Story Telling,” How did the Wishing Star Come to Be?, (Fall 2023),https://disneyanimation.com/films/.

[8] humanities_jen, “Disney’s Impact on American Culture,” Artificial Empires (February 21, 2017), https://artificialempires.wordpress.com/2017/02/21/disneys-impact-on-american-culture/#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20people%20I,of%20children%20and%20adults%20alike.

[9] See Kevin M. Kruse, ch. 5, “Pitchmen for Piety,” One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America (New York/Basic Books/Perseus Press, 2015), 127-161.

[10] Ibid., 130.

[11] Madison Hart, “Disney’s lack of diversity and use of racial stereotypes … a tale as old as time,” King Street Chronicle (April 28, 2022), https://shgreenwichkingstreetchronicle.org/115987/opinions/disneys-lack-of-diversity-and-use-of-racial-stereotypes-a-tale-as-old-as-time/.

[12] Hope Wabuke, “Disney’s Disembodied Black Characters,” Los Angeles Review of Books (March 23, 2021), https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/disneys-disembodied-black-characters/.

[13] Brooks Barnes, “Disney, Built on Fairy Tales and Fantasy, Confronts the Real World,” The New York Times (June 22, 2023), emphasis added, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/17/business/disney-politics-florida.html.

[14] Suniel A. Raju, et al, “A Cohort Study of the Diversity in Animated Films from 1937-2021: In a World Less Enchanted Can We Become More Encanto?,” Cureus 15.8 (August 15, 2023), https://www.cureus.com/articles/174921-a-cohort-study-of-the-diversity-in-animated-films-from-1937-to-2021-in-a-world-less-enchanted-can-we-be-more-encanto#!/.

[15] Trevin Wax, “We Should Talk About Disney” (April 13, 2022), https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/lets-talk-about-disney/.

[16] CBS News, “FL Gov. Ron DeSantis signs law to put Disney district under state control” (February 27, 2023), https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ron-desantis-disney-law-florida-state-control-dont-say-gay/; Kirk O’Neil, “Disney’s Don’t Say Gay Bill Lawsuit Win Puts DeSantis on Notice” (June 28, 2023),  https://www.thestreet.com/travel/disneys-dont-say-gay-bill-lawsuit-win-puts-desantis-on-notice.

[17] Steve Rose, “How Disney found its pride –and riled the American Right,” The Guardian (May 7, 2022), https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/07/disney-lgbtq-community-gay-days-american-conservatives.

[18] Heather Tomlinson, “Why some Christians are worried that Disney is no longer ‘family friendly’.” Christianity (May 22, 2022), https://www.premierchristianity.com/news-analysis/why-some-christians-are-worried-disney-is-no-longer-family-friendly/13098.article.

[19] Tré Goins-Phillips, “People are Really Fired Up: Christians Protest Disney’s Woke Agenda,” Christian Broadcasting Network (April 7, 2022), https://www2.cbn.com/news/news/people-are-really-fired-christians-protest-disneys-woke-agenda-outside-company-hq.

[20] See Philip S. Gorski and Samuel Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2022); and Henry Redman, “‘Its not surprising:’ How the Republican party lost control, from open rallies to insurrection,” Wisconsin Examiner (February 15, 2021), https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2021/02/15/its-not-surprising-how-the-republican-party-lost-control-from-reopen-rallies-to-insurrection/.

[21] Southern Poverty Law Center, “White Nationalist,” (n.d., accessed September 12, 2023), https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/white-nationalist.

[22] The Walt Disney Company, “Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” World of Belonging (no date, accessed September 11, 2023), https://impact.disney.com/diversity-inclusion/#:~:text=The%20Walt%20Disney%20Company%20is,industries%20more%20accessible%20to%20all; see also The Walt Disney Company, “Statement on Disney’s Support for The LGBTQ+ Community” (March 11, 2022), https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/statement-on-disneys-support-for-the-lgbtq-community/.