Disney has once again pulled back on dialogue or storylines related to trans and gender identity issues in another Disney+ show. This time, they removed dialogue from Pixar’s upcoming “Win or Lose” show. Disney said they want to leave discussions on this subject to the parents.
The upcoming show is about a middle school co-ed softball team. Each episode will feature the backstory of a different character to show their lives. Some of the storylines will include issues like insecurity, parents, and crushes.
One team member is trans, and a few lines of dialogue were cut discussing gender identity. However, Pixar did not devote an entire episode to the subject.
A spokesperson for Disney gave this statement about the changes to “Win or Lose”,
“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.”
This is not the first time Disney has walked back choices about LGBTQ+ talking points, especially with Pixar.
“Inside Out 2” allegedly had changes ordered by Disney regarding Riley and/or her friends. Ordering Pixar to make it “less gay.”
People on social media had decided Riley must be trans because her feelings were portrayed as male and female and not all one gender like her parents. This led to pushes for Pixar and Disney to make the character canonically trans. They did not.
“Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” recently had an episode pulled from the show before it aired. That episode featured the characters being locked up in their locker room because one of the members of the girl’s team was trans, and it led to lines discussing that it is unfair to keep trans girls/women out of female sports.
Disney’s changes are coming after previous failures they apparently attribute to gender ideology and sexuality in family films.
“Lightyear” and “Strange World” both bombed at the box office.
Some point to “Lightyear’s” same-sex kiss and two moms as the cause of the film’s failure. However, it is more likely that the film failed because Tim Allen wasn’t in it, and that character was not the Buzz Lightyear people wanted to see. To many, it was not a “Toy Story” film.
“Strange World” featured a gay character, but again, it was not a large plot point, and the film was not something people wanted to watch. It seemed boring from the trailers, and people didn’t go.
This being said many parents don’t want to take their kids to films or let them watch shows with certain subjects they feel are not appropriate for their children. That is valid, just as it’s valid for some parents not to feel that it is a big issue and go anyway.
“Inside Out 2” made it the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Plus, it is sitting in the top 10 box office totals of all time too. Disney is looking at that.
Disney, and Hollywood, are learning that more audiences don’t want agenda or politics in their entertainment than do. So, they are changing to meet the needs of the larger audience while giving parents (who control the money) the power to decide what to tell their children.
It’s smart for business, but I have a feeling it’s going to receive a lot of outcry from employees and the LGBTQ+ community.
“Win or Lose” is set to premiere on Disney+ on February 11, 2025.
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Source: Variety.
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