Dec 13, 2024
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Disney Facing Attacks on Multiple Fronts
by Karl F. Cohen
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Uighur men interred in a Chinese concentration camp. image: unknownDISNEY IS IN HOT WATER OVER
shooting part of “Mulan”, their big September release, in an area of China where over a million Muslim Uighurs, a minority population, have been interred in concentration camps.
While the film is about a society in need of a hero to deliver them from a villain, that villain has become China, to people sympathetic towards the plight of the Uighurs.
One critic is a woman, now living in the US, who told The Washington Post she has been trying to reach her mother, a retired doctor, who has gone missing, disappeared into China’s concentration camps.
She believes those camps are part of a campaign of genocide against the Uighurs and that the success of the film will benefit the corporation and China but not the Uighurs, who are suffering immensely.
In her mind, Disney is a villain for working with the oppressors. “The villain is now rewarded with money, fame and power,” she notes, and the film is a “whitewash” of what is really happening in that region of China.
The issue has been covered extensively on National Public Radio and other media outlets including The Washington Post (go here),
The production already faced controversy over lack of diversity in production team and statements against the Hong Kong protests by Yifei Liu, the film’s leading lady.
Hong Kongers protest 'Mulan''s support of China. image: unknownThe #boycottmulan movement, based on China’s human rights violations, is building strength and hurting the film’s box office. During the film’s opening weekend the first viewers of “Mulan” on Disney+ noted the "special thanks" in the film's credits to various government entities in Xinjiang Provence, precisely where China has been accused of gross human rights abuses against the Uighurs.
China is extremely upset over the growing criticism and the negative press they are getting, especially as they try to improve their image with the Belt and Road Initiative and other outreach. Indeed, authorities have ordered a media blackout on even mentioning let alone reviewing the film, even though it is currently playing in their local theatres!
“Beijing authorities ordered local media not to provide any coverage of the $200 million tentpole,” a Hollywood Reporter article begins, “after international outcry over reports that Disney shot portions of the film in Xinjiang Provence, where Beijing is accused of human rights abuses.”
"Mulan was primarily shot in, almost the entirety, in New Zealand,” a spokesperson for Disney told CNN. But, “in an effort to accurately depict some of the unique landscape and geography of the country of China for this historically period piece drama, we filmed scenery in 20 different locations in China."
The spokesperson added its standard practice to "acknowledge in the film's credits the national and local governments that allowed you to film there," so "in our credits, that was recognized." But she admitted that the backlash has ultimately "generated a lot of issues for us."
If #boycottmulan weren’t bad enough, the conspiracy fanatics of QAnon are claiming Disney is coding evil into their movies.
According to conspiracists, 'The Little Mermaid' brainwashes children. image: courtesy DisneyThe Guardian, which has been watching QAnon closely, recently had an article noting, “Today, much of the original Facebook content relating to QAnon consists of videos posted by mothers — visibly furious, sometimes in tears — about the alleged sinister messages used to ‘brainwash’ their children through toys or Disney movies.”
Who makes this fake news up? Why?
There is no truth to it. Nor did the Walt Disney Co. acquire the pornographic video website Pornhub, which is the largest on planet and accounts for about one quarter of ALL internet traffic. (“30 percent of all data transferred across the Internet is porn,” HuffPost, 5/4/13.)
Snopes.com, “the definitive Internet reference source for researching urban legends,” confirms that the latter is a fake rumor.
Admittedly, Disney entrances kids, much like Kaa the snake in their masterpiece "Jungle Book", (1964). And the characters sometimes evince "unattainable standards" and "stereotypical norms,” as in all commercial art.
Nevertheless, seeing the popular "Little Mermaid" (1989) as a radical agit-prop, advocating disobedience and libertine love—c'mon! When it comes to sexy cartoons from Disney, we have to look back to the halcyon liberal times of the 1920s.
And, in the end, how is "Mulan" doing?
The Hollywood Rerporter says, ”'Mulan' earned just $6.5 million in its second weekend, a 72 percent slide from its opening," which is abysmal.
"Despite being set in China, based on a Chinese legend and packed with Chinese stars," The Reporter continues, "'Mulan' has brought in just $36.3 million in the Middle Kingdom. The film's worldwide theatrical results—$57 million—are even more dismal, considering that the picture cost an estimated $200 million to make."
Karl F. Cohen—who decided to add his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached . Posted on Sep 20, 2020 - 06:21 PM
by Karl F. Cohen
Please support our stories by liking articles—thanks!
Uighur men interred in a Chinese concentration camp. image: unknownshooting part of “Mulan”, their big September release, in an area of China where over a million Muslim Uighurs, a minority population, have been interred in concentration camps.
While the film is about a society in need of a hero to deliver them from a villain, that villain has become China, to people sympathetic towards the plight of the Uighurs.
One critic is a woman, now living in the US, who told The Washington Post she has been trying to reach her mother, a retired doctor, who has gone missing, disappeared into China’s concentration camps.
She believes those camps are part of a campaign of genocide against the Uighurs and that the success of the film will benefit the corporation and China but not the Uighurs, who are suffering immensely.
In her mind, Disney is a villain for working with the oppressors. “The villain is now rewarded with money, fame and power,” she notes, and the film is a “whitewash” of what is really happening in that region of China.
The issue has been covered extensively on National Public Radio and other media outlets including The Washington Post (go here),
The production already faced controversy over lack of diversity in production team and statements against the Hong Kong protests by Yifei Liu, the film’s leading lady.
Hong Kongers protest 'Mulan''s support of China. image: unknownChina is extremely upset over the growing criticism and the negative press they are getting, especially as they try to improve their image with the Belt and Road Initiative and other outreach. Indeed, authorities have ordered a media blackout on even mentioning let alone reviewing the film, even though it is currently playing in their local theatres!
“Beijing authorities ordered local media not to provide any coverage of the $200 million tentpole,” a Hollywood Reporter article begins, “after international outcry over reports that Disney shot portions of the film in Xinjiang Provence, where Beijing is accused of human rights abuses.”
"Mulan was primarily shot in, almost the entirety, in New Zealand,” a spokesperson for Disney told CNN. But, “in an effort to accurately depict some of the unique landscape and geography of the country of China for this historically period piece drama, we filmed scenery in 20 different locations in China."
The spokesperson added its standard practice to "acknowledge in the film's credits the national and local governments that allowed you to film there," so "in our credits, that was recognized." But she admitted that the backlash has ultimately "generated a lot of issues for us."
If #boycottmulan weren’t bad enough, the conspiracy fanatics of QAnon are claiming Disney is coding evil into their movies.
According to conspiracists, 'The Little Mermaid' brainwashes children. image: courtesy DisneyWho makes this fake news up? Why?
There is no truth to it. Nor did the Walt Disney Co. acquire the pornographic video website Pornhub, which is the largest on planet and accounts for about one quarter of ALL internet traffic. (“30 percent of all data transferred across the Internet is porn,” HuffPost, 5/4/13.)
Snopes.com, “the definitive Internet reference source for researching urban legends,” confirms that the latter is a fake rumor.
Admittedly, Disney entrances kids, much like Kaa the snake in their masterpiece "Jungle Book", (1964). And the characters sometimes evince "unattainable standards" and "stereotypical norms,” as in all commercial art.
Nevertheless, seeing the popular "Little Mermaid" (1989) as a radical agit-prop, advocating disobedience and libertine love—c'mon! When it comes to sexy cartoons from Disney, we have to look back to the halcyon liberal times of the 1920s.
And, in the end, how is "Mulan" doing?
The Hollywood Rerporter says, ”'Mulan' earned just $6.5 million in its second weekend, a 72 percent slide from its opening," which is abysmal.
"Despite being set in China, based on a Chinese legend and packed with Chinese stars," The Reporter continues, "'Mulan' has brought in just $36.3 million in the Middle Kingdom. The film's worldwide theatrical results—$57 million—are even more dismal, considering that the picture cost an estimated $200 million to make."
Karl F. Cohen—who decided to add his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached . Posted on Sep 20, 2020 - 06:21 PM
