The sad descent of Disney

Making Sense by Michael Reagan

I cry to see what’s happened to Disney.

When I was growing up – and until not that long ago – you knew you could trust Disney to make entertaining movies you could take your entire family to see.

The Walt Disney Company became rich and powerful by being Hollywood's most family-friendly corporation.

Its earliest string of animated movies, classics like “Pinocchio” and “Bambi” in the 1940s, are rated G by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

But most of the animated movies and features made these days by Disney and its subsidiary Pixar, including Pixar’s current release “Lightyear,” are not so 1950s wholesome.

They’re rated PG – Parental Guidance suggested.

In a PG-rated product the MPAA says some material “may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give ‘parental guidance.’ May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.”

The MPAA doesn’t say whether the on-screen kiss between two gay cartoon women in “Lightyear” is something an unwoke parent or grandparent might not want to have to explain to a six year old.

But the kiss – which has caused Disney a lot of grief and given “Lightyear” a lot of free publicity – has become the latest example of how corporate wokism is spoiling our culture.

Conservatives pundits and many parents are complaining that “Lightyear,” which is the “origin story" of “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear, has been politicized by a cell of LGBTQ propagandists working at Disney.

The kissing scene was originally cut from “Lightyear” but was then reinstated after Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had a feud over Florida’s “don’t say gay” bill, which banned public schools from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3.

It’s satisfying to see that Disney’s creepy propagandizing is causing it financial pain at the box office, here and overseas.

“Lightyear’s” opening weekend in the United States was a critical and financial bust for a movie that cost $200 million to make.

About because of the gay kiss, about 15 Muslim countries have banned it so far, and China – a major market for Disney – reportedly has asked Disney to cut the scene before allowing it into the country.

There’s lots of humor in Disney’s descent into blatant wokism in its movies and at its theme parks.

For example, “Fox Across America” host Jimmy Failla tweeted that Disney should rename its Disneyland ride “Snow White and the Seven Genders.”

But mostly what has befallen Disney is terribly sad.

From “Pinocchio” all the way to Disneyworld, the Disney Channel and Disney+, the company Walt started was all about entertainment – G-rated family entertainment.

Now it’s also about pushing woke ideas on little kids and making many parents uncomfortable – or angry.

My granddaughters – age 4 and 6 – love going to these animated Disney/Pixar movies, but there’s no way my son Cameron is going to take them and have to explain in the middle of the movie what’s going on between the two women.

Once upon a time, when you went to a movie made by the Disney Company or watched its shows on TV you knew you were going to be able to escape the grim, sordid or politicized stuff polluting our society.

You knew you’d be able to laugh and enjoy the show for a couple hours.

And you knew that your kids were not going to be indoctrinated or confused by values and ideas about sex, politics and lifestyles that deliberately undermined yours.

It’s outrageous what is going on at Disney. I’m 77. I’ll be gone in the not too distant future, but what about my grandchildren?

Their parents shouldn’t be afraid to take them to a Disney movie or let them stream “Toy Story 12.”

We’ve already had six sci-fi movies from Hollywood based on the “Transformers” franchise. Will next year’s blockbuster be “The Transgenders”?

For my grandkids’ sake, I hope not.

Michael Reagan, the son of President Ronald Reagan, is an author, speaker and president of the Reagan Legacy Foundation. Send comments to reagan@caglecartoons.com and follow @reaganworld on Twitter.