info
- background story: while doing some schoolwork, i had the idea to write a letter to disney telling them why more representation in their films could actually be beneficial
- note: this letter has been edited so as not to include our personal information, such as address, deadname, age, etc.
- prolonging trigger warnings (throughout the whole letter):
- disney (obviously)
- cartoons
- media horror aspects
- implied and outright homophobia
- non-prolonging trigger warnings (show up momentarily):
- family
- food
- implied school
- implied sex
- mention of death (in the title of a holiday)
- animals
text
Manager of The Walt Disney Studios,
Hi, my name is Rem, I’m a minor and I’m from Illinois. I watch lots of cartoons like Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, and The Owl House, I’m a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist though I don’t have any songs out yet, and I’m currently on a reading spree because I got into Percy Jackson and I know that if I don’t read all that I can now, I won’t read for another 3 months. I also write stories on Wattpad and I have a younger brother and two soon-to-be step-siblings.
I’m writing to you not because I am a superfan (though I love Disney as much as the next person) but because I want to bring to your attention something that’s been bugging me for a while now. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore your movies. They’re perfect for young children and family movie nights and it’s always exciting to be the first to see a new production. But I’ve started to notice a trend in the takeaways of videos I watch which critique your movies and point out little flaws and that is that your company has a lot of growing to do in terms of representation and not rushing a good story. So with all that being said, I thought it would be best to write a letter addressing my concerns since I’m sure you don’t watch the same videos I do.
Please note that I am not a professional production creator, simply a student who wants to see more representation in the media. I do have experience writing formal letters and emails but I don’t do it often, so please cut me some slack.
I first gained interest in writing to you when I was getting ready for school. I walked into the kitchen, about to have some breakfast, and found my brother watching Gravity Falls on Disney+ at the island counter. I didn’t think much of it as he loves the series and likes to rewatch the last 4 episodes daily, but then we got to the part where Bill turns some of the characters into banners for his giant pyramid palace, and I said out loud, “Disney must have had a field day with this.” Gravity Falls has been regarded as one of the best cartoons of the 21st century along with Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and some others, namely for its impeccable plot writing and the building and execution of characters. But it did include some heavy visuals, one of these examples being when Bill Cipher switches Mr. Northwest’s face around. This was most likely pushing Disney’s limits of what could and couldn’t be shown on screen.
“That’s because, just like many of its Cartoon Network cousins, Gravity Falls expertly skirted the edge of what constitutes a ‘kid’s show,’ dealing in genuine horror and surprisingly adult themes. In fact, as his show grew darker by the day and creator Alex Hirsch was asked who exactly it was geared toward, he asserted that the target audience was himself, and he was just making something he would like.”
- A Show for Kids: How ‘Gravity Falls’ Got Away with Murder (an article by Film School Rejects)
Steven Universe also had problems with production (even though this doesn’t concern Disney specifically) - the original series was cut short because Cartoon Network was preparing for it to be canceled in many countries for its showing of LGBTQ+ characters and messages, as well as the overarching story making it hard to rerun episodes out of order. Because of this, the ending was rushed and stuffed into six episodes when it could have been much better with, say, thirteen episodes. Not only that but “Bismuth,” “Gem Harvest,” and “Three Gems and a Baby,” were the 3 ‘special’ episodes required by Cartoon Network to make more money and be able to rerun episodes that those who didn’t watch the full series could still follow. Steven Universe: The Movie also had a rough patch when it was approved by Cartoon Network.
“Oddly enough, Cartoon Network approved of the idea of a movie - but then wanted the show to continue afterward. ‘I was told that there was no point to a movie unless it existed to promote more show,’ Sugar says.”
- Why Steven Universe's Ending Was RUSHED By Cartoon Network - End of an Era (YouTube video by The Roundtable)
You may notice a pattern here, though it’s not too obvious unless you were looking for it like I was, and it ties into Disney as a whole. There aren’t many similarities, as Gravity Falls was purposefully made only two seasons and Steven Universe had (and still have) a lot more diverse messages, but the main connection was that both shows and many Disney movies had restrictions in what they could say and show on-screen. This is great for things like adult content - especially because most Disney movies are targeted towards kids and it would be really weird and inappropriate if Anna and Kristoff just started doing ✨adult things✨ in front of a 5-year-old audience - and avoiding lawsuits, but most times it stunts the growth of the media being released. I will be talking about a few other things concerning story plots and character arcs, which I have much expertise in from spending hours editing my stories, but the main issue can be summed up in two words (that is if an acronym counts as one word): LGBTQ+ representation.
Let’s face it, we’re not in the Snow White era anymore, this is 2021. And 2021, plus the year before which we shall not name, has drastically changed the world, turned it upside down if you will (you- you see the Hamilton reference? I’m just… gonna head out). This doesn’t just mean more hostile fights against political parties or protests for equality, it also means that LGBTQ+ content has become more prevalent and should be recognized as a valid part of the media we watch nowadays. But your lack of this representation, of the bravery it takes to air these things, makes or breaks your films, and in most cases, it results in the latter. Specifically, the one lesbian officer from Onward. I don’t even remember her name because she was that minor of a character, and yet she was one of the only openly-expressed gay characters from a Disney movie (not even completely Disney) that I remember.
Anyway, I personally am questioning my sexuality and have many friends who identify outside of the cishet lifestyle and it hurts to see potential gay relationships or gender non-conforming characters that could have made a movie so much better but were thrown out solely because it doesn’t fit Disney’s image. Take, for example, in Frozen 2, Honeymaren and Elsa, or Ryder and Kristoff! They could have been amazing couples! Maybe Anna could’ve realized she doesn’t need a man at all and instead of pairing her with anyone in the story, she strives to be an independent woman as a role model for the young children of Arendelle. It just doesn’t make sense to me why you would hint at a potential gay relationship so much and then completely abandon it.
However, something that also ticks me off is the fact that you all at Disney seem to forget that children have functioning brains. Even my seven-year-old brother cracks jokes at how weird some of your concepts are. And this isn’t just because both of us are in accelerated classes; here is a 2-star review of Frozen 2 on Google to prove my point.
“I've worked with children before, and many LOVE singing and great songs; but they also make it crystal clear that they DON'T like songs that suck. So it would behoove the Disney team of Frozen, to take their time to TRULY put forth their best efforts next time, in co-creating - with their multifaceted and multidimensional abilities, skills, and talents - a soul-igniting and deeply heartfelt story and decent (if not amazing) soundtrack, that has the potential and unstoppable POWER to touch millions, if not billions, of souls.”
- a review by Barbara D
Children are a lot smarter than you think. Some toddlers go on Little Big Shots, America’s Got Talent, etc. They win awards and are praised on TV for how talented some of them are. It’s not fair to assume that every one of them is drooling watching Cocomelon or can’t understand a basic plotline. They don’t know what it is yet, but they can still understand higher-level movies and concepts. If there are dogs that press text-to-speech buttons to talk to their owners, then there are 5-year-olds that can tell the development of Hans’ villain aspect in the first Frozen movie was, at best, subpar. Now you’re probably thinking, “Well, Rem, what does this have to do with Disney? Are you sure you didn’t just write this letter because you were bored so you could waste my time?” Well, yes, I was bored, but that’s not the point. Pixar has taken much greater steps to incorporate many minorities and cultures as seen with Soul and Coco, and it says a lot about Disney when I tell you that some of my favorite movies like Onward, Coco, and Soul were partially developed by Pixar. Of course, Disney did create Moana on its own, and its soundtrack has become a regular on my Spotify playlists, but here’s the thing:
“Watching [Coco], you feel like you’re in this Mexican village. You’re learning about this culture and its traditions because it’s integral to the setting and the story. Moana being set on a Polynesian island with Polynesian characters is kind of an afterthought. You get to see a little bit of the village’s daily life at the beginning of the movie and you hear about the myths that their culture believes in, but ultimately this culture doesn’t really play a major role in the story -it’s just kind of the dressing.”
- Moana vs. Coco: A Cultural Divide (YouTube video by Schaffrillas Productions)
To add to this a bit, Coco, a Disney-Pixar movie, took the risk of isolating the non-Latino audience and making a film that only certain minorities would understand. Instead, it turned out to be a great success, absorbing your attention and making you feel like an expert in Day of the Dead. It had almost all the songs written in Spanish, used culturally correct wording, and seemed much more like a mesh between a documentary and a fantasy movie. Moana, on the other hand, being a Disney movie, had glimpses of Polynesian culture and nothing more. It was shallow with a cliche story (though that benefited the movie in a way) and I think the only thing saving it was the appearance of Tamatoa and the music.
With all this in mind, I want to wrap up my final thoughts and how Disney films could improve from here, as this letter is getting to be much longer than I anticipated.
- I believe that Disney can do much better in terms of entertainment and stop toeing the line with limitations. So many cartoons and movies had limitations that completely ruined parts or even all of it.
- Most children understand the basic principles of good movies. Not only that, but Disney showing LGBTQ+ media to young children could help erase homophobia, as it shows that even huge corporations approve. If there is gay representation in every Disney movie and countries try to censor it, they will eventually lose money
- I understand that many lawsuits are tried against large companies like yourself because people try to gain more money, but this is crucial to keep your place in the industry. Even if you don't include gay representation, you will eventually lose funding from gay people who do watch your content because they will catch on.
I hope you consider the many ideas I have stuffed into this letter - I could have said so much more but I do have to cut it short at some point - and I pray that future films like Luca and Raya: The Last Dragon, which I haven’t watched yet, still hold the traditional Disney magic I know you still have.
Sincerely, Rem