Disney Backs Off Messaging - Pixar Removes Trans Comments From Win Or Lose

Disney has realized that some of their movies and shows in the last few years have been alienating folks. Bob Iger has decided the best way to handle the issue is to remove any commentary/characters that could be deemed controversial. This can be seen in Win or Lose, where they went back and removed character dialogue from a trans kid. While I do think Disney should maybe ease up on some of the ways they handle commentary, I also don't want to see Pixar stop taking chances.

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Narrated by: Adam Olinger
Edited by: Adam Olinger

[riftwalker]

Im not a trans person, but i know this is a loss. Im seeing people celebrating over this and its annoying cause the real problem is that the writers don't know how to write. this is one of the best representations of transgender people I've seen from Disney and the show caters toward more of the puberty age, which is when those feelings start coming out about your gender or stuff like that. But no, Disney doesn't want to admit they have bad wtiters or actors, that will be a bigger defeat for them than just backpeddling.

[supervegeta]

As a trans viewer I find this move by Disney very disappointing. People can complain about inclusion in media all they want, but the reality they see in their heads does not match my lived experience. There was a moment when being trans seemed like it was becoming acceptable from roughly 2015-2019, but we’ve entirely slid backwards since then. Thats why inclusion of any sort of minority group should be present in media, because when handled with care, it helps expose viewers to a culture or issues they may not understand otherwise and can help people understand us. Even if you believe these are difficult topics, queer and trans people exist, and there is no lower stakes way to have a conversation about it than through discussion of a sanitized corporate tv show. Showing us in media is just a way to show viewers that we’re just people who deserve empathy and respect, which is very necessary in the current political climate in which massive amounts of misinformation are being spread by bad actors to demonize queer people.

[Limlaunch]

It's really frustrating to see so many comments say things like "keep LGBT storylines away from kids." As if LGBT people don't exist in the world or as if there aren't hundreds of thousands or millions of kids with LGBT parents. Also, so many people in the comments conflate trans-ness with sexuality. Who you are and who you love are not the same thing. Having a trans character does not imply that there is a love story. Trans kids exist. It is a fact.

It is not a stretch to create characters and storylines that reflect the real world. This is why these shows and movies have boy and girl characters and straight love stories. But when you're a man, woman, or straight...you don't think twice about seeing it because it just feels normal to you. Even when that story involves a young teenage girl making out with a literal giant beast. It doesn't feel like an active choice because straightness is "normal." But that was in fact a choice made by the creators.

I'm friends with someone who works at Pixar, and he let me know that the storyline wasn't just thrown in to check a box. It was actually well thought out and served the story. Removing that character is truly just about Disney being afraid of the backlash in a Trump world.

Adam, thanks for posting this video. I'm glad you stand on the side of good storytelling, regardless of who the characters are.

[leyenda]

As black & Jewish dude growing up in the 90's, it was so cringe how unnaturally tv and movies tried to insert token black characters. The writers couldnt write for 💩. The characters were always named Jamal, or Dre, or some 💩 and they were always soapboxing. That's the problem when people force an agenda. It's so inorganic. Every focused insert is always "Hey, look how <insert group's name here> I am and how it doesn't service the story at all!". I think Peanuts got it right with Franklin. Characters don't have to wear their identities on their sleeve, but they don't need to be fully assimilated either. Stop putting blinking marquees on characters' identities. I've seen it done organically with gay characters, but memory isn't serving me well for examples. Sorry for the long post.

[JBGoIrish]

I am a trans viewer and appreciate this take. Other comments are, not surprisingly, already consuming the low hanging fruit.

Reasonable as always, Adam, cheers 🥂.

[kicknowledgesmith]

I don't think they're backing off, from messaging. It's more like they're letting their foot off the gas a bit in this case.

[markzuckergecko]

Just let kids be kids, they have plenty of time to worry about complicated stuff as they grow into teenagers, and then as adults. And then... It never stops.

[calebcreech]

Though I don’t personally agree with some of the recent messaging being put into kids media, I think it’s a shame for genuine attempts at discussing these topics are being silenced. I think cynical attempts at only barely mentioning or including a topic or character just to check a box for any group of people is shameful because it casts a bad light on an entire experience that people love through. What people forget very quickly is that we’re free to watch or not to watch whatever Disney or any other big company puts out; if we don’t agree with something we don’t need to watch it, and if a movie or show isn’t properly depicting what a certain topic or experience is like, we can have that discussion without the movie or show. I’m glad you covered this, Adam; keep up the great videos!

[citrusbutter]

This is one of the reasons why i don't care to get a Disney + subscription. I feel like all of their shows would just end up preaching at the audience lol. I don't care to "get educated" i just want escapism. I go in to be entertained, not be dragged to their school or church of preaching.

[MatthewGurtner]

I personally don’t have any problem with gay or trans people in film. However when they throw it and stuff it down your throat and it DOESN’T fit i get very annoyed and I have a problem. On the other hand if it’s well added in and fits I’m fine with it.

[Austin_Nicholas_]

Adam’s not scared to tackle the important topics with humor and his own anecdotal response. That’s why I’m here!

[RowanRiven]

I believe there's a right way and a wrong way to handle representation. It boils down to the writing, and most script writing I've seen dealing with any minority really falls flat if it's even a hint didactic or preachy. I'm LGBTQ+ and I don't like token characters with weirdly shoehorned in dialog. Was that how this was going to be handled? We'll probably never know.

At the end of the day, though, it's what you said. Studios are out to make money, and they're going to do what rakes in the most of it. With kids' movies and shows, that usually means playing it safe and same-y.

I take issue with the "don't shove it down kids' throat" crowd. If you object to gay relationships and trans identities in kid shows, then you should equally object to straight relationships and cis identites being portrayed, because there is literally no difference other than the genders involved. It's not an "agenda." It's people existing. As they do.

[sniper]

When you’re making a kids show why is your first thought to inject lgbt/crt themes into it

[digitalhighways]

Good, no place for that in kids movies. there is a place for it and kids shows aint it. It also depends on whether you support or dont support that.

[moderaterebel]

We are not all Christian and I’m tired of Christians censoring and threatening media companies to appease their beliefs. There should be diverse shows for everyone and media companies need to show some spine against these anti-woke snowflakes. If you don’t like shows like this, go watch some Veggie Tales. Geez.

[bryandavismoviefan]

I've always appreciated your honesty and openness on representation in cinema. I serve on the board of directors for a trans-affirming non-profit organization and I also agree that the first amendment is a precious but dangerous constitutional right. It can be used in wonderful and awful ways. I'm disappointed in this decision and it does make me wonder what progress for the queer/trans community in cinema looks like that doesn't receive backlash and hate from a portion of the population. I don't think these people understand or know much about the role of gender or race in cinematic history. It's sad how little progress has been made but I've said it a million times, Adam. Wokeism is the greatest threat this country has ever faced in history. Perhaps longer. Great topic and perspective. Keep it up!

[christopherweeden]

GOOD. Keep that bullshit out of kid's movies.

[darkix]

Its just a show.... Like is it injecting a rainbow gay syrum into your kids no, at most its just gonna be awkward questions if your kids don't know other people exist...

[MZ]

Can’t agree on this I’m afraid. Pixar’s classics are about toys, bugs, a lost fish, a cooking rat, 2 robots in love. There wasn’t overt “representation” in any of these films, crowbarring in “representation” is the true stifler of creativity because the artists have to meet a checklist of topics before their story can go out.

[Superdimensional]

This messaging to kids is unacceptable, PERIOD.