Category: Disney’s Grown Up

Disney’s Grown Up: Disney vs LA Times

It’s no secret that I love Disney. I watch their movies and TV shows all the time, go to the Disneyland Resort at least once a year, and, 9 times out of 10, I’m proud to admit that I’m obsessed with the franchise. Today is the rare 1 out of 10 when I’m less-than-proud of the Mouse and Uncle Walt. The cause? Disney’s approach to its dispute with LA Times.

According to an article from CNNMoney, the issue started when LA Times published a two-part investigative report by Daniel Miller about Disney’s business ties with Anaheim, home to the Disneyland Resort. In the report, Miller accuses Disney of a “carrot-and-stick” approach to secure “subsidies, incentives, rebates and protections from future taxes in Anaheim”. MSN states that Miller quotes and cites local politicians on the matter, including Anaheim’s mayor, Tom Tait.

Disney claims the report is biased and driven by a political agenda, referring to an opinion piece from the Orange County Register which calls the LA Times report “a hit piece” with a “seemingly predetermined narrative.”

CNN received a statement from Disney which states, “Despite our sharing numerous indisputable facts with the reporter, several editors, and the publisher over many months, the Times moved forward with a biased and inaccurate series, wholly driven by a political agenda.”

In response to this disregard for journalistic standards, Disney banned LA Times film critics from advanced screenings of their films. Needless to say, that did not go over well, with several reporters declaring a protest of Disney advanced screenings in solidarity with LA Times.

Fortunately, Disney announced earlier today that it has lifted the ban after discussions with LA Times leaders. However, we still have an important matter to discuss: did Disney do the wrong thing when it banned LA Times film critics from advanced screenings?


I still want to work there.

Image retrieved from Disneyland Resort website.

I first need to say that I am not discussing the actual LA Times report in detail. That is an entirely different can of worms in and of itself, one which I can’t thoroughly cover here. (Although I do question the journalistic methods used and the conclusions drawn.) Instead, I want to focus on Disney’s response as a social and business decision.

Personally, I think this was not Disney’s best decision of late. I spotted so many holes in this approach that it’s no wonder this ship sank. Let’s take a look at a few:

  1. Violation of freedom of the press. This issue is clearly the one which the public has honed in on. Biased reporting or not, Disney tried to punish LA Times for publishing a report that the company didn’t like. That is a form of censorship. I’m guessing most people saw the backlash coming a mile away. In today’s political climate, the issues of freedom of speech and freedom of the press are incredibly touchy subjects. It’s a fire which big corporations like Disney shouldn’t start unless they want a drop in profits.
  2. Negative attention for Disney. Let’s face it, Disney comes out looking like the bad guy here. The “little guy,” i.e. Daniel Miller and LA Times, tried to expose what they claim is a truth which the public should know. Disney, in turn, cut them from the inner circle of advanced movie screenings. A Robin Hood and King John image comes to mind here where, instead of money, Robin Hood–a.k.a. Daniel Miller and LA Times–appears to steal the “truth” from Disney and give it to the “truth-starved” masses. (I must emphasize that I have no clue who’s telling the truth in this situation and I’m reserving judgment until I learn more, although what I’ve heard doesn’t make LA Times look any better than Disney. However, Disney’s reaction certainly paints this narrative.) Most attention given to Disney in this scenario is negative, not exactly something such a large company wants or needs. Some people are pointing out Disney’s tax and employment contributions to Anaheim as well as all the work Disney has done for the city, but the general attention has been overwhelmingly negative.
  3. Positive attention for LA Times. Not only does LA Times look like some sort of folk hero, they also get attention as a victim. They printed a story and they get punished for doing their job. A little hard not to empathize with them. Also, in order to understand the scandal, more people are going to be reading the original report. Not really the reaction Disney was hoping for.
  4. Loss of publicity for films. These advanced screenings are to get word-of-mouth kicked up for movie releases. The fewer newspapers which publish reviews about a movie, the more likely that movie is going to struggle due to lack of exposure. Even before the protests Disney wasn’t doing itself a favor. Sure, Thor: Ragnorak and Disney’s other films get plenty of exposure through TV ads and movie trailers, but a good review can make or break someone’s decision to see that movie. LA Times has a huge reach; when coupled with the growing number of journalists who chose to support the newspaper, it could’ve done some damage. And the film critics didn’t even have anything to do with that report!
  5. That guilty look. Most importantly, this reaction makes Disney look as though they have something to hide. If you have “indisputable facts,” why not present them through another paper or media outlet? I’m sure that, before this whole debacle, any news outlet would’ve given an arm and a leg to have the chance to publish Disney’s side of the story. It would’ve been like catnip to readers. Nothing like printing an opposing story to get a leg up on the competition. However, Disney chose to censor LA Times instead. I love the company and I want to hear their side in regards to their practices with Anaheim but that reaction doesn’t scream “innocent.”

Does all of this make me any less likely to watch Disney movies or visit the parks? No. Do I think Disney has provided a lot of jobs and services to Anaheim? Yes. Do I think that Disney has cheated Anaheim in its business practices? The jury is still out. Do I think that Disney reacted inappropriately? Yes. I am mostly on the same page as Jake Tapper:

I still have a high opinion of Disney and, therefore, hold them to a higher standard than most companies. I’m not saying that LA Times was right to publish this report. Frankly, the report sounds very biased and should have at least gone to the effort of including Disney’s side of the story. Regardless, Disney should know better than to react this way.

If nothing else, Disney should know how horribly such reactions backfire. It’s not a good business practice and, especially right now, not a good social practice. I think Disney had many other options that could have turned out much better for them. Instead, they chose the one that pretty much guaranteed that everyone will read the article they disagree with. I just hope that Disney finds a way to release their side soon so that we can all form a balanced, informed opinion on the matter.

 


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Welcome Home

Zut alors! You miss one week, you miss a lot. I’m home now, and that means I can frantically catch up on all the reading, school assignments, writing, blog posts, and Fiverr orders that I’ve allowed to build up while I’ve been having a blast at Disneyland. (Well, there are some exceptions to the “having a blast” part, but that’s for another post.)

Now that I’m back home, I’ll be able to catch you up on my Disney adventures, the works I’ve been reading, and the launch of NaNoWriMo, which started this past Wednesday. You can look forward to some insider glimpses at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (more so if you subscribe to my newsletter, The Scrapbook), my tips on taking a Disneyland vacation, and some news about a story recently launched by one of the writers reviewed on this blog, Wren Cavanagh.


Pardon my horrible pictures; I have a shaky hand and it was crowded.

I have one tip about vacationing I want to share in this post: leave your work at home.

As tempting as it seems, bringing work on vacation does not help you keep up with demand. Sometimes it only slows you down. Most times it serves as a downer to your vacation. I not only fretted over getting the work done, which dampened my fun, but I was often too tired to get anything done once I was in the hotel room. (That’s why I have to scramble to finish both schoolwork and freelance jobs now.)

Trust me, it’s no fun to have a great time at a theme park only to get back to the room, exhausted, and discover that a client didn’t like what you submitted to them and you have to start all over again. It’s draining. So, unless you’re planning a full-on working vacation in which you stay in the hotel room and focus on writing, reading, or freelance gigs, you’re better off planning to not have that time to work and enjoying yourself while you can.

I’ll leave you with that nugget of wisdom and get back to you with more tips, tricks, and reviews later in the week. In the mean time, wish me luck on catching up! Also, good luck to all of you pursuing NaNoWriMo; you are braver than I.

 


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Greetings from Disneyland!

Hello readers, and happy Halloween! This year I’m spending my favorite holiday at my favorite place on Earth: Disneyland. Tonight my mom and I will be going to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party. 

I’ll show you my costume before going to the party tonight, but I can give you two hints: it’s Disney-themed and will make you say “Bonjour!” It’s a pretty easy guess, I know, but it’s probably no secret that this character is my favorite anyway.

I will also be posting content, including pictures, video, and tips, before and after the party. (Please forgive any blurry or shaky images. I don’t have a steady hand.) You’ll also want to sign up for The Scrapbook, the official newsletter for The Writer’s Scrap Bin, to get access to exclusive tips and peaks at the parks that I’ll only be sending out to newsletter subscribers after I return from vacation.


I didn’t get to do much today except explore Downtown Disney and eat some Ralph Brennan’s take-out (their beignets are the best, so try your best to get some the next time you’re in Anaheim). 

I did some Pokémon hunting, too. Seriously, Downtown Disney alone is crawling with stops and there are a ton more and some gyms in the parks.

Here’s a tip for my fellow Pokémon Go players: head straight for World of Disney. You’ll be able to reach about 4-5 stops just going from one end of the store to the other.

I’ll get back to you with more tips and images later today.

Anything you want to know about the Disneyland Resort (or Pokémon hunting there)? Leave your questions in the comments below and I’ll answer you ASAP.

Have a great Halloween!

Disney’s Grown Up: Special Halloween Announcement

Hello, readers and writers! Today I have a special announcement regarding my Halloween plans, something which I alluded to in my video post for Banned Books Week. Those of you who receive The Scrapbook, the newsletter for The Writer’s Scrap Bin, already know about my end-of-October plans, but I’m going to elaborate a little more here.

So, Banned Books Week is over and Halloween is almost here. What am I going to do next? I’m going to DISNEYLAND!

No joke, readers. I’m going to Disneyland for the end of October/beginning of November. Better yet, my mom and I have tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on none other than HALLOWEEN NIGHT.


Image retrieved from Mickey Visit

In case you can’t tell by the all-caps, I’m pretty excited. I’ve wanted to go to this event for years, and my mom managed to wrangle tickets for the best night of the year for our first time attending. Sometimes the stars align just right, and that’s when you know you have to go for it.

Now, I teased in my Banned books Week video that I was preparing for some video posts at the end of this month. I’m going to be posting videos from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party as well as the other festivities for the week that I’m down in SoCal, and readers of The Scrapbook will be able to access additional, videos after I’ve returned from my trip.

I’ll also be giving you tips about planning and executing an October/November Disneyland trip, telling you how to get around the park with the least hassle, and cluing you in on some of the big changes the Land is currently undergoing.

There’s still one part of the trip I’m keeping secret until the last minute: my costume for the big night. This is partly to have a little fun with it and partly because I’m still securing the last parts of my costume. For now, I can only leave you with this farewell: Au revoir!

Would you like access to exclusive content and receive updates before anyone else? Sign up for The Scrapbook using the form in this blog’s menu and get access to the monthly newsletter giveaway, never-before-released content, and more.

 


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

October Monthly Newsletter Giveaway

AMUCK! Amuck, amuck, amuck, amuck, amuck! My fellow Hocus Pocus fans know what that means: it’s finally October! Halloween is less than 27 days away, 26 if you’re on the East coast or across the Atlantic. Cue the horror films, corn mazes, costumes, and, of course, candy.

via GIPHY

With a new month we also have a new monthly giveaway. The October monthly newsletter giveaway is a special one, one which you’ll learn, in a future post, pairs perfectly with my October festivities.

By now, you’ve probably surmised that I’m a huge Disney fan. I make a lot of Disney references and I’ve dedicated a series of posts to the company and its films. I try and go to Disneyland at least once a year, and I live all the way up in Northern California. It’s a family matter, really; my parents would give an arm and a leg each to work for Disney.

The October monthly giveaway pays tribute to this obsession. For this month only, I will be giving away free, personalized guides to having a great Disneyland vacation. It may not sound like much but, trust me, it can take multiple trips to get into a good theme park rhythm. I also know that kids don’t help much (my brothers certainly didn’t). Disneyland is the Happiest Place on Earth, but only if you know how to navigate the crowd and explore the overstimulating surroundings.

To get your free guide, you’ll have to sign up for our newsletter, The Scrapbook, which you can do by following the link provided in the blog’s menu. Then you’ll find the instructions for the giveaway in this month’s newsletter.

I normally charge $5 – $20 for these tips on Fiverr, so make sure to take advantage of this giveaway before October ends.

Also remember to check back regularly as Halloween approaches. You’ll especially want to keep an eye out for a special announcement I’ll be making towards the middle of the month.

Until then, have a fun and festive October, my dearies!

 


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Disney’s Grown Up: Frozen Through the Eyes of GAD

Disney films have a multitude of meanings, often changing depending on the viewer. Some interpretations are positive and others are not. Some movies generate more discussions than others. Due to the popularity of the franchise, a lot of debate has gone into the movie Frozen. Does it contain a good message for kids? Is it really about familial love, or is it still about finding a guy? Is it anti-male, or does it just support strong women? Should Elsa have been the villain?

Frozen is only one in a long line of controversial Disney films. I personally think that all the interpretations have their merits and that the only solution is for parents to watch movies with their kids and actually talk to them about what they see. However, one particular interpretation captured my attention and I would like to give it a more in-depth examination.

I have always viewed Frozen, on a metaphorical level, as a story about a woman growing up with and learning to overcome social anxiety and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD. Elsa suffers from anxiety, particularly around other people; while the anxiety is depicted as a result of her being unable to control her powers, it is still social anxiety and, since it often appears even when everything seems to be going well, could also be considered GAD. Anna represents loved ones who try and help the anxiety victim, although she does not fully understand what the problem is, let alone what will ease it.

Dialogue, imagery, and lyrics throughout the film support this interpretation. Elsa’s father teachers her a telling mantra: Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let it show. Why do I think this ties into social anxiety and GAD? Well, sufferers of such conditions must hide their anxiety in public. They’re constantly on the brink of panicking–especially so if they also get panic attacks–and society has taught us that such issues signal weakness. The stigma surrounding these conditions forces the victims to hide their symptoms, becoming just as anxious about exposing themselves as they are about being out in public and/or life in general.


Image retrieved from Overthinking It

We also have the “frozen head, frozen heart” imagery expressed through Anna. Pabbie tells Elsa and Anna’s parents that it’s a good thing that Elsa only struck Anna’s head because the heart is not changed as easily as the head. This key component of the movie represents two different levels of emotional pain: superficial pain which goes away after some cool-down time (the head) and the deeper, more unforgivable pain (the heart). When you harden your head towards somebody, you often overcome it when you’ve both had some time to calm down and realize the ridiculousness of the fight. When you harden your heart, you will not forgive the other person so easily–sometimes not at all–and that’s when a true rift in the relationship occurs.

What does this have to do with anxiety? In Frozen, Elsa becomes more scared of her powers and anxious about not controlling them after she hits Anna in the head with some of her ice. While it’s a more minor, more easily-fixed pain, Elsa still fears hurting someone like Anna again. This reaction embodies a fear that is often at the root of GAD and social anxiety: the fear of doing something wrong or hurting other people. Whether it’s a concern that doing something wrong will embarrass them or that doing something wrong will hurt someone, this fear commonly nurtures GAD and social anxiety in people who are overly-sensitive and/or care a lot about what other people think. Elsa fears that she would hurt people, especially Anna, so she hides away; when she causes a panic the one time she leaves her inner sanctum, she escapes as far from the public eye as she can.

The message of anxiety grows most prominent in Frozen when Elsa and Anna reunite at Elsa’s ice castle. After Anna tells her that she froze the entire kingdom, Elsa sings “I’m such a fool, I can’t be free / no escape from the storm inside of me”. She also sings that “There’s so much fear” and “You’re (Anna) not safe here” while Anna tells her “You don’t have to be afraid” and “Don’t panic”. Elsa and Anna acknowledge that Elsa is prone to anxiety and panicking, and this anxiety causes Elsa to accidentally strike Anna in the heart with some ice.

In true Disney style, Frozen even offers advice to viewers who have loved ones suffering from social anxiety and GAD. The trolls’ song, “Fixer Upper”, not only gives the key to resolving the movie’s conflict but also provides a suggestion for how to approach loved ones with mental illness, particularly anxiety:

We’re not sayin’ you can change him,
‘Cause people don’t really change.
We’re only saying that love’s a force
That’s powerful and strange.
People make bad choices if they’re mad,
Or scared, or stressed.
Throw a little love their way (Throw a little love their way)

And you’ll bring out their best.

The trolls tell Anna that love brings out the best in people; you can’t change them entirely but you can help them be the best version of themselves possible. If you treat people with mental illnesses with love and respect, they will be more receptive to your help and support and are more likely to get better.


Image retrieved from Enstarz

The lines which particularly strike me in regards to anxiety are “People make bad choices if they’re mad, / Or scared, or stressed”. As someone who has had social and generalized anxiety for years, I find these lines sum up how people with anxiety may lash out. We’re not trying to hurt people; we just have a hard time controlling how we react when our anxiety makes us mad, scared, or stressed.

I know this post is rather long-winded but I have a strong investment in the subject. I connected with Elsa immediately the first time I saw Frozen, and I often take personal offense to how people analyze her character. As someone with social anxiety and GAD, I can understand (although not always condone) her behaviors and reactions. I’ve lashed out from anxiety and I still hide away because I feel too stressed when I go out in public.

People try and brush chronic anxiety off as people being lazy, nervous-nellies, or weak, but we’re not that at all. Chronic anxiety–all kinds–is a mental health condition which takes a lot of time, patience, effort, and love to overcome. Instead of denying it or trying to “fix” it, be like Anna and give your love and support to a loved one with anxiety or other mental health issues. You can’t control it and they can’t just “snap out of it.” Be patient, be kind, and give them your love and support; that’s all you realistically can do.

What do you think of this interpretation of Frozen? Do you have any interpretations of your own that differ from those mentioned here? Do you have unique views on other Disney films or the Disney franchise as a whole? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Update 11/25/2022: This article and other pieces of my writing, from The Writer’s Scrap Bin articles to original stories and poetry, can be found on Vocal.


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Disney’s Grown Up: Introductions

Today I’m introducing (yet another) new series of posts to this blog, “Disney’s Grown Up”. This series is a bit different from my other posts. It leans heavily on the “distractions” aspect of this blog and will consist of all my random thoughts about Disney movies, Disneyland, pretty much everything Disney. I’m a born-and-raised Californian who’s loved Disney her entire life and has a mind for creative writing and literary criticism, so these posts will be both passionate and a bit crazy.

My mom and I are proof that you’re never too old for some fun.

I call this series “Disney’s Grown Up” because the topics discussed won’t be your typical childhood Disney conversations. (It’s also named for one of my poems I shared back in May, “Wendy Darling’s Grown Up”.) This series will be for the intelligent, hardcore Disney fanatics.

From tips for exploring the parks to in-depth analyses of the latest movies, you’ll get a taste of the entire fandom from an adult’s perspective. Of course, I’m still going to be making “Let It Go” and “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman” jokes every now and then. It’s pretty much required. Nevertheless, the whole experience will be both fun and intellectually-stimulating.

Some of the topics you can look forward to are Emma Watson’s Beauty and the Beast and the French Revolution, Frozen from the perspective of someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and some of the lesser-known (and perhaps darker) history and rumors surrounding Walt Disney. Best of all, in late October/early November I’ll report to you the wonders that await at Disneyland during Halloween and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

I encourage all my fellow fanatics to send me their ideas for posts and their thoughts on the topics I discuss, both in the comments here and by email to thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com.

And if you’re looking to go to the Disneyland Resort but aren’t sure how to best enjoy the park, look up me up on Fiverr and I can help you navigate the wonderful (albeit stressful) experience.

 

Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011