When I make my lists of companies that I avoid Disney and their subsidiaries are near the top. To me the “Big D” is the Wal-Mart of entertainment. Why, do I hate those who have brought so much joy to so many young ones across the world? Allow me to explain.
Despite my disdain for the “Big D”, I do have a soft spot for a particular set of Disney characters; the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh and his pals have been close to my heart since the original stories were read to me by the elders of my family when I was a wee child. I remember going to my Grandparents house, putting on the Winnie the Pooh ALBUM (albums were large grooved black discs…oh, never mind) unfolding the album cover and listening and playing blissfully for hours. Today, when my 14 month old daughter asks for “POOH” I get all warm and squishy inside. But those BASTARDS at Disney couldn’t leave a good thing alone!
According to an article from The Times in Brittan, Christopher Robin, the boy for whom the original stories were created, Pooh’s pal and advisor, the voice of reason among the animals, will be replaced next year by a six year old girl. REPLACED! Not accompanied, replaced. Why make such a drastic change to the beloved 80 year old cast? What will this new Character do? A Disney stooge says,
“The young character will elicit physical, cognitive and emotional responses from the viewing audience and will also address them directly,”
The overall goal according to the article is for Disney to grab more of the preschool market share. But it sounds like it’s for the kids doesn’t it?
Maybe I’m just being naïve. Maybe I need to get a clue about the way the world really works. Or Maybe, I don’t care about either of those things and want Christopher Robin to stay a boy and I want my warm squishy feelings to stay pure when my daughter asks for Pooh dammit!
A possible future conversation with my little girl:
Me: Well dear, kids your age weren’t buying enough of the crap associated with the “Pooh brand” so Disney wrote him out of the story so that they might sell more toys to kids like you and make lots and lots more money.
Her: But I like Christopher Robin.
Me: Stop questioning the corporations before they come and take you away to Wal-Mart reeducation camp.
3 comments:
Once upon a time when Winnie The Pooh and Christopher Robin were walking through the Hundred Aker Wood, they came across a pile of cash.
"What's that, Christopher Robin?" said Winnie The Pooh. But there was no reply.
I completely agree. The Multi-National of Very Little Brain doesn't ssem to understand that Christopher Robin is what holds the whole story together. They have no right to meddle with it. At Storynory.com we have started a campaign to stop them - if everyone works together through the internet, maybe Disneu will see sense.
I smell a movement brewing! Watch out for the Wal-Mart Inquisition.
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