When Your Wishing Goes Too Far

So the company symbolized by the omnipresent, black, big round-eared rodent is back to try and rewrite a timeless work of Western literature once more to suit its scandalous, money-making agenda, I see.

I guess what gets me the most about this story (hat tip to HuffPo) is the fact that Disney's people show no scruple whatsoever about the fact that, by changing the human character of A. A. Milne's wonderful books from a little boy to a little girl for a production they're filming to commemorate Pooh's 80th anniversary, they're acting in a way that I'm sure would be contrary to the author's original wishes. Also, by removing Christopher Robin, they're trying to imagine interaction between an inanimate character and a human child in a way that Milne never envisioned.

(I thought it was interesting to read about the Pooh legacy that Christopher Robin Milne had to overcome in his life, by the way.)

Basically, Disney is taking the wonderful, creative aspects of the story and trampling all over them in a sea of corporate-marketing "speak" that is an unbelievable perversion (and of course, those responsible are totally oblivious to that fact).

By our estimation, the grossest example of this by Disney to date has been their decision to take "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," a tortured story filled of adult elements such as violence, abuse of power and unrequited pride and lust, and turn it into some kind of feel-good kiddie story that ends in a nice, clean manner, happily tying together worthy themes and lessons as if Pixie dust had been sprinkled all over it (not once, but twice, mind you).

What could be next from Disney? Who can say? But my guess would be...

Pinocchio 2010 - A half-human, half-animatronic little boy attempts to live a normal life but is instead wooed to Redmond, Washington by two ruthless corporate recruiters, Foulfellow and Gideon. His puppeteer father Geppetto, upon hearing the news, purses him and, following a phony lead, ends up on the space shuttle. Pinocchio then has to journey to another galaxy to save him, with both becoming trapped inside the HAL 9000 master computer.

Dumbyabo - The son of an elephant that merrily stamps from circus to circus, ignoring all of the blight and misery along its path, is treated as a carnival freak until it comes under the tutelage of Rove The Mouse, who helps teach him to fly and maintain a happy denial of the consequences of his actions.

Snow White And The Seven Republicans - The smiling, totally domesticated and obsequious Caucasian princess performs the wishes of her diminutive housemates, who spend their days engaged in the labor of mining for coal to put in the Christmas-day stockings of anyone who dares to utter "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" to anyone who isn't exactly like them.

And as we know when it comes to politics, Disney is so receptive to hearing points of view that conflict with their own, aren't they? And they're so "pro-union" also, as we know (hmmm....)

In the fairy-tale world I imagine where there is no place for Disney, I envision people of all races, ethnicities, and personal preferences of other types particular to themselves being able to express themselves freely in the absence of any "brand" or corporate presence whatsoever. That is my dream for the future.

Besides, Disney still have to atone for "Home On The Range."