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Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek has responded to mounting criticism that the company's mass media and entertainment conglomerate has gone too far in being politically correct.
When asked if Disney has become "too woke" Chapek asserted that the company will reflect the “rich, diverse world we live in.”
Disney has received a lot of heat from conservatives and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after the company called on Florida's legislature in a tweet to repeal the state's anti-LGBTQ+ "Parental Rights in Education" bill–a.k.a. "Don't Say Gay" bill.
The leader in the animation industry also incurred backlash for restoring a previously deleted same-sex kiss scene in the movie Lightyear and for casting a Black actress as Ariel in the upcoming live-action film, The Little Mermaid.
\u201c#BobChapek answers the blunt question. $DIS #DisneyMovies #DisneyParks https://t.co/cAkywa4lxN\u201d— Disney Fanatic (@Disney Fanatic) 1666823300
At Wednesday's Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference, Chapek responded to accusations of Disney being "too woke"
"I think the more complex something is, the more you really have to drill down into the basics. And we want our content to reflect the rich, diverse world that we live in.
\u201cDisney CEO Bob Chapek Comments on Criticisms That The Walt Disney Company Is \u201cToo Woke\u201d \nhttps://t.co/8whgtwGfqt\u201d— BlogMickey.com (@BlogMickey.com) 1666810810
He continued:
"And, again, I guess that’s another way of saying, ‘Catering to your audience.’ But the world is a rich, diverse place and we want our content to reflect that."
"And we’re so blessed to have the greatest content creators and they see it similarly.”
Chapek stressed that inclusivity was something Disney will continue to strive for to fulfill its goal of bringing people together.
\u201c@thecanadianbrat @MCU_Direct Characters being gay, trans, or not white isn\u2019t political, it is being representative of the population and the audience. It is also telling stories that people want to tell with available materials and talent at hand.\u201d— MCU - The Direct (@MCU - The Direct) 1666821657
\u201c@WDWNT If woke means inclusion and cancel culture just means people being made accountable for spreading hate then how can any reasonable person argue with that?\u201d— WDW News Today (@WDW News Today) 1666812994
He used visiting Disney parks as an example to illustrate how this is already being achieved.
“I always say, when someone walks down Main Street and look at the castle, you’re not thinking ‘I’m on one side of the political spectrum or the other.’"
"You have a shared belief in all the wonderful aspects of what Disney is. I want to use Disney to bring people together, and I think we’ll do that by diverse stories and diverse characters.”
The audience had plenty to say in regard to accusations of Disney being "woke."
\u201c@MCU_Direct anything that isn\u2019t a straight white cast is \u201cwoke\u201d \u2620\ufe0f\u201d— MCU - The Direct (@MCU - The Direct) 1666821657
\u201c@MCU_Direct He's not wrong,\n\nEspecially in regards to Marvel, a franchise built by Jewish liberals who wanted to represent and give voices to minority groups. It's always been woke, the bigots just hate representation\u201d— MCU - The Direct (@MCU - The Direct) 1666821657
\u201c@MCU_Direct I think there's a difference between having representation and getting too PC/Woke. For instance, Black Panther, Shang Chi, and Ms. Marvel are good representation. People of different sex/colors/religions in starring roles, but without belittling white/straight people to do it.\u201d— MCU - The Direct (@MCU - The Direct) 1666821657
\u201c@Xerxez_official @MCU_Direct i personally don't mind watching a gay kiss, i just think the issue is everybody hyping it up and knowing people hate christians and saying they'll go extinct like the dinosaurs that made buzz lightyear such a big topic\u201d— MCU - The Direct (@MCU - The Direct) 1666821657
\u201c@MCU_Direct The Lion King, Aladdin, The Jungle Book, Mulan, Pocahontas the list goes on and on. Just because trolls try to use "WOKE" as a negative and attach it to something doesn't change the fact that Disney has always been Disney.\u201d— MCU - The Direct (@MCU - The Direct) 1666821657
\u201cListening to this Bob Chapek interview and I\u2019m floored at how pro-black is now basically considered synonymous with \u201ctoo woke\u201d. How crazy is this world we live in.\u201d— Yams (@Yams) 1666964006
\u201c@WDWNT Too many people being upset that Disney makes it a point not to be bigoted. Makes me worried for the world we live in that people are like that.\n\nIf it upsets them that Disney is inclusive, they can stay home and sulk. Inclusiveness has been part of the company since Walt's days.\u201d— WDW News Today (@WDW News Today) 1666812994
\u201c@WDWNT I remember a story, I think it was in the book "Window on Main Street" by Van Arsdale France but not certain, where one of Walt's lawyers referred to the Sherman brothers as "those Jew boys." Walt threw him off the lot. I see no difference. Walt was woke. Don't like it, get out.\u201d— WDW News Today (@WDW News Today) 1666812994
\u201c@WDWNT if you use the term \u201cwoke\u201d, instead of inclusive, diverse, or equitable, you are part of the problem.\u201d— WDW News Today (@WDW News Today) 1666812994
The company was initially slammed by its employees and others in the entertainment industry–especially for Chapek's silence and reluctance to get politically involved leading up to the passage of the "Don't Say Gay" bill that was eventually approved by the legislature in March.
Upon reflection, the situation made Chapek realize he needed to prioritize the needs of Disney employees with every decision.
"We were reminded, through the passion of our cast reaction, how important their sentiments are on these issues in terms of making them feel that they were part of The Walt Disney Company," he said.