The scene is brief: I blinked and missed it the first time watching with my 9-year-old daughter. But these calls to hold Disney accountable for what it is teaching childrenwhat scholars Henry Giroux and Grace Pollock call its public pedagogyare usually about Disney not being progressive enough. It's a Sign of Trouble. Lightyear is out in theaters now. In short, you may not make edits beyond minor stylistic changes, and you must credit the author and note that the article was originally published on SAPIENS. A same-sex kiss scene was reportedly restored to Pixar's upcoming feature film "Lightyear" - a reversal that came days after top Disney brass faced intense criticism from the studio's . We ask that you follow these simple guidelines to comply with the requirements of the license. The film's producer, Galyn Susman, stated that the female character Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba . Thanks for contacting us. More than ever before, the brand is now associated with wokeness, which has become politically toxic for conservative audiences. Other Republican politicians, such as U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee, have expressed outrage at Disneys shift toward using more gender-inclusive language in their theme parks. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. In the lead-up to its release, online speculation soared after it was confirmed that Lightyear would include the company's first same-sex kiss. What is surprising is that Disney is now very much at the center of public discontent. Others explicitly denounced how the kiss was between two women. 'Lightyear' director Angus Maclane and producer Galyn Susman discuss the impact of the film's same-sex kiss and the open letter from Pixar employees to Disney. More: Disney CEO finally speaks out on 'Don't Say Gay.' You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. The Pixar employees were responding to a companywide memo in which Chapek touted Disneys unwavering commitment to theLGBTQ+ community., In the memo, the Disney CEO argued the company would have its biggest impact in driving change by creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce., Chapeks words failed to placate the Pixar employees, who said his comments rang hollow.. An emotional montage shows glimpses of Alisha and her partner starting a family together, at one point greeting each other with a kiss on the lips. or redistributed. 'Lightyear': Disney/Pixar feature same-sex kiss in 'Toy Story' spinoff, A baby whose anti-vax parents rejected heart surgery over fear of 'blood that is tainted' had the life-saving surgery anyway after a court intervened, Nurses at Atlanta hospital under fire over TikTok video mocking maternity patients. March 19, 2022. Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, and surrounding countries often take issue with LGBTQ+ movie content or characters. Pixar wasnt the only Disney-owned studio to speak out against the Florida law. 2022 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Disney flick, an animated biopic about Buzz Lightyear, the astronaut from the "Toy Story" saga, fell well short of its projected box office earnings on opening weekend, according to Deadline. I am sorry, Chapek said in a follow-up message to staffers last week. Legal Statement. Pixar's Lightyear a science fiction adventure about the iconic Toy Story character will no longer screen in as many as 14 countries including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, where censors have rejected the film due to a lesbian kiss, as confirmed by Variety on Monday. Alisha Hawthorne is a major character in the 2022 Disney/Pixar animated film, Lightyear. The left has launched a full-blown assault on American values. Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images, Outraged Twitter users, by contrast, focused on several intersecting issues. A first look at Disney and Pixar's "Lightyear" on Wednesday confirmed a same-sex kiss had been restored following recent controversy. In the lead-up to its release, online speculation soared after it was confirmed that Lightyear would include the company's first same-sex kiss. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The tweet included an image of the film's poster with the profile image of its main character, Buzz Lightyear, with a . Disney and Pixar's "Lightyear" will not screen in 11 different Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates . Despite Lightyear now being banned in 14 countries in the Middle East and Asia, Disney decided to keep the scene in the film to mark a step forward in inclusion. According to some reports, the same-sex kiss in Lightyear had originally been cut. It is a spin-off of the Toy Story franchise, serving as an origin story for the fictional test pilot/astronaut whom the Buzz Lightyear toy featured in the main films was based on, presented as a film within a film that the characters in Toy Story would have . The film's producer, Galyn Susman, stated that the female character Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, is in a "meaningful" relationship with another woman and a kiss occurs between them. ", CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER, The move comes after a letter from Pixar employees accused Disney executives of demanding cuts from "nearly every moment of overtly gay affection," according to a letter sent to the company by the employees. Time passes and Alisha soon gets engaged to a woman on the mission's science crew. Marvel Studios stands for hope, inclusivity and strength; and we proudly stand with the community., 2022 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Dont Say Gay bill), which passed in March. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Children in the U.S. are facing real risks. "The (queer) representation and Alisha in a relationship and all of that was there. Pixar. If you disagreed, well, you were a bigot. In my Anthropology of Disney class, for example, we analyze the gendered stereotypes of the companys princess filmsfrom the early ones like Snow White (1937) and Cinderella (1950) to the presumably more progressive films that set off Disneys rebirth in the 1990s, such as The Little Mermaid (1989). Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The Hollywood Reporter (THR) wrote that in "Lightyear," a female character named Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba) greets her female partner with a kiss. *Pixar's forthcoming Toy Story prequel Lightyear has decided to put a same-sex kiss back in following an internal backlash to Disney's handling of Florida's controversial . It is about controlling who they think their children are. However, a closer look at the substance of these tweets reveals something else too. The flap at Pixar was part of a broader internal backlash against Disney CEO Bob Chapek and other top executives at the entertainment giant for failing to speak out against the Republican-backed Florida law, which bars Florida teachers from discussingLGBTQtopics like sexual orientation or gender identity with students in third grade or below. Disney executives have wanted to cut "nearly every moment of overtly gay affection regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar," according to a letter from the employees sent to Disney and obtained by Variety. In places where parents are viewed as less responsible for a childs total socialization, children may be given more independence and managed less often. Authorities across the Muslim world have barred Disney's latest animated film "Lightyear" from being played at cinemas after the inclusion of a brief kiss between a lesbian couple, the company . A scene from Lightyear shows Buzz Lightyear (far left) watching on as Alisha Hawthorne (right), his commanding officer and best friend, greets her wife, Kiko, and their child. The eagerly anticipated Disney "Toy Story" spinoff debuting in theaters this June centers on kid-favorite Buzz Lightyear and his new space partner, Alicia, a lovable lesbian who "marries" her queer partner and greets her with a kiss on the lips as they start their family. The attorney general of Texas even wrote a nonbinding legal opinion in February stating that certain gender-affirming procedures for youth constituted child abuse, possibly implicating parents involved in such care. The film's producer, Galyn Susman, stated that. Lightyear . Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines 4/27, Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley and Beverly D'Angelo enjoy 'National Lampoon's Vacation' reunion, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla release Christmas card, Emily Blunt says Tom Cruise's vulgar advice helped her through tears on 'Edge of Tomorrow' set, June Blair, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet actress and Playboy playmate, dead at 90, Jay Leno wants to joke about his facial burns: 'There's nothing worse than whiny celebrities'. "Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it.". "Lightyear" was banned "due to its violation of the country's media content standards . According to Variety, Pixar has reportedly restored a same-sex kiss scene in its forthcoming feature, Lightyear, a Buzz Lightyear origin story. The kiss between the two characters was initially cut from the film only to be re-added last week after Pixar employees accused Disney of censorship. Hence, my surprise when I analyzed a collection of tweets associated with Lightyear. Some claimed kisses in general were inappropriate for childrens movies; one claimed their kidswho still think babies come from the skywould be confused by the scene. After exploring a hostile planet, Lightyear, his partner Alicia Hawthorne and their. Skip recommended stories carousel and go to main content. Her research at present focuses on the politics of representation in contemporary feminism. Should this really be Disney's final decision, Lightyear will make cinema history as the first animated feature film targeted to young audiences to show an explicit same-sex couple sharing a. [2] The reasons why Lightyear has been banned in at least 14 countries, and possibly China too, is over a brief kissing scene. Indeed, the term parenting exploded in the 1970s. Parents push back, and the movie becomes a "box-office bomb.". Children are dying needlessly because they do not have health insurance. According to CNBC, the movie was expected to take in $70 million to $85 million domestically. "Basically the montage was the same," producer Galyn Susman told USA Today. She is Buzz's commanding officer and best friend. In Pixar's 2021 release, "Luca," two young sea monsters who appear human when on land, Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), build a profound friendship with each other that many. Students typically try to thread a needle through fond memories of Disneys impact on their childhood and troubling realizations related to outdated gender and race stereotypesparticularly in the older animated films. This is not a view of parentingor of childrenthat exists cross-culturally. According to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Accountability Project, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn has a record of spreading harmful misinformation and opposing LGBTQ rights. The . Alisha, along with Buzz and the crew of the Turnip become marooned on an alien planet after their ship crash-lands. After working on multiple Toy Story films and shorts, director Angus MacLane began to wonder about the inspiration for the character of Buzz Lightyear.Since Buzz, the toy, is based on Andy's favorite movie, why not make that movie? Nothing, even public criticism by an activist with the Disney surname, could shake its image as a wholesome family company synonymous with childhood nostalgia. Jamie E. Shenton is a cultural anthropologist who specializes in questions of gender and sociocultural change among Indigenous Kichwa peoples in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Disney is going all-out in joining leftists' June celebration of Pride Month, making same-sex themes central to a new "Toy Story" feature film spin-off and adding more than 100 hours of . But where's the gay Disney fairy tale? Sarah Koch, a sophomore at Centre College in Danville, KY, also contributed to the writing of this article. 4.6 out of 5 stars. This is that movie.". Disney's Pixar has restored a same-sex kiss to its Buzz Lightyear origin story after employees protested the removal of gay storylines from Pixar films, a report Friday said. However, it was later restored following the recent "Don't Say Gay" ordeal that brought the . "It's a touching moment" and "we're really excited about that. Buzz undertakes hyperspeed test flights to figure out how to. The conservative backlash against Lightyear over the kiss is not surprising. Disney has described "Lightyear," which was created by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Angus MacLane, as the " definitive origin story " of the character Buzz Lightyear, a space. Despite Disney positioning the film for success by debuting Lightyear as their first theater-only movie in over a year, the film flopped at the box office bringing in nearly $20 million less than the . All rights reserved. According to Variety, Pixar's upcoming prequel/spinoff/something Lightyear will have a previously removed same-sex kiss scene restored in the wake of Disney's recent turbulent PR situation. Disney and Pixar Toy Story Mini Andy's Toy Chest 6-Pack Classic Movie Characters Figures Collection, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, Bo Peep, Hamm and RC, Compact Size for Story Play at Home and On the Go. The kiss was reportedly removed and then reinstated after backlash over the lack of response from Disney over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Your support keeps SAPIENS accessible to all. Chris Evans stars as Buzz Lightyear in the new film. However, based on early critic reviews, LIGHTYEAR is falling short of expectations based on its subpar story alone. Rare is the view that Disney is too woke. The same-sex kiss first made headlines last month, when Pixar animators spoke out against Disney in an open letter obtained by Variety, saying that corporate executives had demanded cuts "from nearly every moment of overtly gay affection.". There's nothing subtle about their expressing overtly gay . Check out what clicked this week in entertainment. The latest installation in the "Toy Story" franchise earned only about $51 million in North America on its opening weekend, failing to dethrone "Jurassic World: Dominion," which sits at No. Skip recommended stories carousel and go to main content. Lightyear is a spin-off of the Toy Story series, providing space ranger Buzz Lightyear's origin story. PIXAR'S SHORT FILM OUT FEATURES FIRST GAY MAIN CHARACTER. The spinoff film from Pixar's Toy Story universe fell short of insider projections in its box office debut, collecting a lackluster $51 million at the domestic box office from 4,255 North American theaters, and only $84 million from the worldwide box office. Read more, from the archives: What Industrial Societies Get Wrong About Childhood., In the case of criticisms of Lightyear, parents insisted they needed to be able to control what their children saw to protect them from the risk of mature content. This information comes from Variety, where they noted that the female . ", "Being able to put back the kiss was important to us," Susman told journalists at a Q&A panel for "Lightyear" earlier this month. Disney's Lightyear Controversy: Company Accused Of Censorship Over Same-sex Kiss. We've received your submission. A first look at Disney Pixar's "Lightyear" confirmed that a same-sex kiss scene had been restored to the film following controversy over Disney's lack of response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. This moment is what allegedly led to the movie getting banned in parts of the Middle East. variety. The kiss comes as part of a montage after Buzz (Chris Evans) and Alisha are marooned on a world millions of light-years from Earth. Written by Mike Ives Disney's new movie Lightyear, an offshoot of the Toy Story franchise, faces bans or restrictions in parts of Southeast Asia and the Middle East over a scene that features a kiss between two women. The most popular code by far was childhood followed by lesbian/gay/homosexual, parents protect/in charge of kids, and medias influence on children. Then came exposure to mature ideas, kiss, and childrens movie. From these codes, a clear narrative emerged within the sample of tweets, one that echoed the present political and cultural debate surrounding the extent to which parents should have control over the exposure of their children to certain ideas and identities. The film begins with Buzz and fellow space ranger Alisha landing on a strange planet, where they face off against winged aliens and an octopus-like creature. That's what happened recently with Pixar Animation's (owned by The Walt Disney Company) most recent children's movie, Lightyear, which hit theaters nationwide on June 17. It's the origin story of one of their most beloved characters - Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear. All the criticisms tended to come in tandem with disapproval of the medias influence on children and the trampling of a parents right to control their childs exposure to certain ideas and protect them from perceived harm. According to SlashFilm, "Lightyear" producer Galyn Susman confirmed that Alisha's kiss was initially cut from the movie. The Media Regulatory Office announced that the animated film Lightyear, which is scheduled for release on 16th June, is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the countrys media content standards. According to The Daily Wire, "Lightyear" brought in $51 million in its first weekend at the U.S. box office. The abrupt decision followed the circulation of a March 9 letter signed by LGBTQIA+ employees ofPixar and their allies, who accused Disney executives of censoring moments of overtly gay affection in their movies and their response to Floridas Dont Say Gay bill. Set for release this summer, the upcoming Toy Story spinoff features a relationship between two female characters, one of whom is voiced by actress Uzo Aduba. But where's the gay Disney fairy tale? ", Other live-action Disney films have relegated queer characters to the background, like a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kiss between two women in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," or the "exclusively gay moment" of Josh Gad's LeFou dancing with another man in "Beauty and the Beast. In the lead-up to its release, online speculation soared after it was confirmed that Lightyear would include the company's first same-sex kiss. The animated film opens around the world this week. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, At one point in the film the character says, "Its not easy being a new parent my girlfriends daughter got me pulling my hair out, okay? Still, as the first same-sex kiss depicted in an animated feature film by Disney-Pixar, I expected there to be quite the flurry of thumbs on Twitter, both for and against the kiss. To be clear: Children do need protectionbut its from the politicians who push book bans instead of assault weapon bans, who advocate silence and shame rather than pride in who children are, and whose legislation is lightyears away from meeting childrens actual needs. Posted: Mar 18, 2022 10:53 pm. Now, after protests from Disney employees, it appears that Disney has decided to re-add the same-sex kiss scene to Lightyear. As a result of the companys opposition, DeSantis and his PR team launched an attack on Disneys reputation. A few weeks before the news of Lightyear's gay kiss broke, Disney remained quiet about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's Parental Rights in Education Act, known as the "Don't Say Gay" law. While that was enough for second spot, it was nowhere near what analysts had predicted. All rights reserved. [1] Patti Hidalgo Menders, a parent turned GOP strategist, speaks at a heated school board meeting in Virginia. Lightyear was expected to take the top spot at the box office, but it was outgrossed by Jurassic World: Dominion in its second week. The press praised the move as transcendent and historic. Disney may want to present Lightyear 's restored lesbian kiss as a harbinger of change come June 17, but it still took major protest for history to say they were more than friends. The kiss occurred in the first 30 minutes of the movie,. Chapek later told shareholders that Disney had unsuccessfully lobbied against the bill behind the scenes. Why the fishy Hi, Im Dory trend has taken over TikTok, Lightyear brings a new twist to a classic character, Lightyear review: Decent Pixar snatches Buzz from the toy chest, GOP senators want TV rating update amid LGBTQ character push, released a statement condemning the legislation. Legal Statement. Lightyear releases on June 17. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. A source close to the films production informed Variety of the change. Disney and Pixars upcoming Toy Story spinoff Lightyear will be banned in 11 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. The Princess and the Frog (2009), the Frozen franchise (2013, 2019), and Moana (2016), while they have their problems and oversights, have tackled more complex representations of race, gender, and Indigeneity. On June 17, Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios released the computer-animated film Lightyear, a spinoff from the beloved Toy Story series that develops the backstory of space ranger Buzz Lightyear. The kiss occurred in the first 30 minutes of the movie, which was shown to an audience Wednesday at CinemaCon, according to USAToday. Folks who praised the movie focused on nostalgia for the Toy Story franchise or pushed back against critics of the kiss by insisting it was either no big deal (or no bigger deal than a straight couples kiss) or a positive example of queer representation. 18 offers from $15.99. Fourteen Muslim-majority nations banned the Disney movie for its lesbian kiss. Published on June 23, 2022 04:40 PM. Disney CEO finally speaks out on 'Don't Say Gay.' A movie theater in Oklahoma posted "warning" signs about Lightyear containing a gay kiss and told patrons it would fast-forward over the . Lightyear tells the story of Buzz Lightyear, the space ranger, as he spends years trying to return home after being marooned on an unknown planet. A first look at Disney and Pixar's "Lightyear" on Wednesday confirmed a same-sex kiss had been restored following recent controversy. Disney and Pixar's latest animated picture "Lightyear," which tells the origin story of legendary space ranger Buzz Lightyear in a spinoff of the "Toy Story" film series, is drawing . 2 min read. "Lightyear," the latest film from Disney's Pixar, didn't make it to infinity and beyond this weekend. The characters are voiced by Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Taika. Pixar's Lightyear ALISHA's Kiss Disney Pixar TV SPOT spoiler reaction Milli Kruss 3.1K views 4 months ago 30 Easter Eggs You Missed In Disney's Lightyear TheThings Animated 42K views 4. A still of Buzz Lightyear with Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison, Darby Steele and robot companion Sox. Disney Pixar's LIGHTYEAR became the first mission into uncharted space for the studio, with an on-screen kiss between two lesbian characters. In the first 30 minutes of Lightyear, Alisha Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba) - a female space ranger and a close friend of Buzz Lightyear - shares a brief kiss with her same-sex partner. Her most recent work on the Kichwa can be found in the edited volume From Filmmaker Warriors to Flash Drive Shamans: Indigenous Media Production and Engagement in Latin America. Other Disney employees slammed Chapek for failing to denounce the Florida bill. (CNN) A movie theater in Oklahoma has removed a warning sign it initially posted about a same-sex kiss in the new Disney/Pixar film " Lightyear ." The notice outside of the 89er Theater in. A title card at the start of the film tells us that in 1995, little boy Andy got a toy Buzz: "It was from his favorite movie. 1 for. Photo: Pixar. "It's funny, I wouldn't have met her if we hadn't been stranded," Alisha tells Buzz as she flashes her engagement ring. pic.twitter.com/fzHrUHvjfQ, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) April 2, 2022. 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As an anthropologist, I think its worth thinking about how and why parents are seen as protectors of vulnerable children. Lightyear's controversial same-sex kiss is getting negative user reviews before the film is even released The animated film, a spinoff of Pixar's "Toy Story" series, was also banned in 14 Middle . The bill bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade. I was right. Retired Navy SEAL who came out as trans announces detransition: 'destroyed my life', NYPD cops defect to small Connecticut force with higher pay: 'Morale is horrible', Woman finds out dad isnt her biological father after stranger texts her to get DNA test, Ben Affleck cheats on Dunkin with Starbucks during coffee run with Jennifer Lopez, Katie Holmes brings back Y2K fashion with dress-over-pants trend, Say Yes to the Dress star Randy Fenoli engaged to boyfriend Mete Kobal. Lightyear, a Disney film giving Toy Story fans the chance to experience the backstory of Buzz Lightyear, failed to take off after a series of controversies surrounding a lesbian kiss scene. [1] Disney also has a poor track record of representing racial minority characters, even when it tries to do better. Pocahontas (1995) and Mulan (1998), for instance, at times play into racial stereotypes or gloss over historical realities. The Associated Press contributed to this report. People are mad, they are mad at Disney of all things, and this should tell us something. ADVERTISEMENT 'Lightyear' is one of the biggest ever Disney films of this year which has been made on a lavish scale of over $200 million. Market data provided by Factset. A source close to the films production informedVarietyof the change. Sarah and I identified 61 individual codes, or key words and phrases. The kiss will . According to reports, the film's kiss between two male characters has been cut. Firearms are the leading cause of death for U.S. children ages 119. Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. the now infamous lightyear kiss (which is, at best, a quick peck) was only reinstated in the film after an open letter in march by "the lgbtqia+ employees of pixar, and their allies," which. Parents have been protesting Disney Pixar's lightyear movie, objecting to a same-sex kiss between two characters in the film. Disney (which owns Pixar), a company with a long-woke history, decided to shove a lesbian kiss back into a film meant for small children to own Ron DeSantis in Florida. The kiss. 9:41 PM EDT, Mon June 27, 2022 A A COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. Cartoon character Buzz Light Year is caught in the middle of some controversy in a new Disney Pixar Film entitled "Lightyear" and. Most perceive Disney as falling short. I am a parent and an anthropologist who researches social media and teaches a class called Anthropology of Disney. Sure, Disney has regularly faced criticism, especially by academics. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reclaims its box office crown, Disney+ plus ads equals savings: take advantage of this deal now, Greys Anatomy writer reveals she lied about having cancer, dead brother: I fked up, Billionaire pays for thousands of employees to party at Disney World. In recent years, the Mouse House has received blowback for its feeble attempts at LGBTQ+ representation: a lesbian cop in Pixar's "Onward" who briefly mentions her wife, and a lesbian couple strolling outside together in "Finding Dory. 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Although there was no further explanation, fans believe the same-sex kiss between two female characters, one of whom is voiced by actress Uzo Aduba in the family-friendly movie, is what got it banned. Disney and Pixar's upcoming "Toy Story" spinoff "Lightyear" will be banned in 11 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. pic.twitter.com/f3iYwXqs1D. In June, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attended a special screening of Lightyear in Washington, D.C. On June 17, Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios released the computer-animated film Lightyear, a spinoff from the beloved Toy Story series that develops the backstory of space ranger Buzz Lightyear. Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disneys behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar, the letter said. Alisha isn't the first queer character in a Disney/Pixar film, although she's certainly the most meaningful. A same-sex kiss will reportedly be restored after quietly being cut in Disney's Lightyear. Disney representatives declined the outlets request for comment. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Shenton also teaches in gender studies, social justice studies, and Latin American studies. Accompanying photos are not included in any republishing agreement; requests to republish photos must be made directly to the copyright holder. Surround the release of Disney Pixar's Lightyear, the only thing that anyone has been talking about has been a kiss.Depending on where you get your news from or what social media algorithm you . Get our newsletter with new stories delivered to your inbox every Friday. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Enter the latest "Toy Story" movie, simply titled " Lightyear .". Lightyear had a surprisingly underwhelming opening weekend at the domestic box office. This is not just about controlling what children see. The UAE's Ministry of Youth and Culture's. Mental health crises among children, which often result in self-harm, are on the rise. We've received your submission. The restoration of the same-sex kiss comes after employees at Pixar accused Disney of censoring same-sex affection in Pixar films. Lightyear isnt one of them. In the montage, the character is seen sharing a kiss with her wife. What do Twitter debates over Disney-Pixar's recent family film tell us about todays parenting politics in the U.S.? [2] Their only hope of getting off the planet is to rebuild their ship and begin experimenting with hyperspeed propulsion systems powered by . Trending: 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. BY Colin Lodewick. Using the various permissions I have as an approved academic researcher through Twitters developer portal, along with the web application Postman, I searched for tweets about Lightyear from June and July of this year. And while its prevalent in the U.S. today, protecting children from harm has not always been considered the role of U.S. parents either. Lightyear director Angus MacLane said that the kiss was originally cut at the request of Disney executives during the animation process. Following a year marked by turmoil with its LGBTQ+ fan base and employees, Disney is releasing its first-ever movie that shows a gay kiss. Lightyear is a 2022 American computer-animated science-fiction action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.The film is a spin-off of the Toy Story film series.It centers on the character Buzz Lightyear, as well as the film presenting itself as part of a franchise within the Toy Story films in which . A same-sex kiss in "Lightyear" (in theaters Friday) between Alisha (voiced by Uzo Aduba) and her partner has made international headlines, as the United Arab Emirates this week banned the Disney . Market data provided by Factset. Earlier projections predicted an opening of more than $70 million. We strongly denounce any and ALL legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, the studio said. While social media users are busy fighting about childrens well-being at the level of cartoon characters in space suits, legislators are passing laws that may actually make children less safe. Beyond the inspiring content that we arent even allowed to create, we require action, the Pixar employees added. With the popularization of parent as a verb, researchers say, came the perception of parenting as an exercise in the management of risk. A same-sex kiss scene was reportedly restored to Pixars upcoming feature film Lightyear a reversal that came days after top Disney brass faced intense criticism from some of the studios employees over their response to Floridas Dont Say Gay bill. Earlier this year, Disney released "Lightyear," the first Pixar movie since the pandemic to debut exclusively in theaters after the prior three "Luca," "Soul," and "Turning Red" premiered . That folks are as divided as they are about all these issues shows how successful politicians have been at fabricating imaginary risks and ignoring real ones. The billone of many anti-LGBTQ laws and policies recently passed in the U.S.limits educators from talking about LGBTQ+ issues with students in the third grade and younger. So, when Lightyear made its debut in theaters, I paid close attention to Twitter. The scene comes during a montage of Space Ranger Alisha Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba) where she starts a family with her wife. Up until very recently, Disney seemed untouchable. Disney Restores Same-Gender 'Lightyear' Kiss Following "Don't Say Gay" Backlash The kiss was removed during the film's creative process but added back in after internal backlash at The Walt. I am a parent and an anthropologist who researches social media and teaches a class called Anthropology of Disney. I worked with an undergraduate student researcher, Sarah Koch, to code the tweets and identify prominent themes. Despite student walkouts and criticism from Hollywood, the White House and many in the LGBTQ+ community nationwide, Florida Gov. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images. Pixar. Disney has restored a gay kiss scene in its new movie Lightyear after a furious backlash from staff, as the firm continues to tussle with Florida over Governor Ron DeSantis's so-called Don't Say . The moment occurs between the character Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) and her partner in the animated film. After a horrific mass shooting in a Texas elementary school, demonstrators rallied for gun control legislation. Jun 16, 2022 242 Dislike Share Save The Hollywood Reporter 975K subscribers The same-gender kiss was cut from the Buzz Lightyear origin story before being restored following an open letter from. The company also ceased political donations within the state of Florida. But a crash landing and damaged ship. Disney and Pixar have wavered on including the lesbian kiss in the intergalactic spinoff. The "Lightyear" character isn't the first LGBTQ-oriented character in a Pixar film. June 16, 2022, 10:59 AM PDT. But in the first footage shown to movie theater owners at CinemaCon, it was a new lesbian character named Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) that stole the show. A debate my class often has is whether Disney uses its power as one of the most influential media conglomerates ever to nurture a more just view of the world and the people in it. March 21, 2022 A still from Pixar's "Lightyear" Disney/Pixar Disney will let us have a little gay kiss as a treat, and as a last-ditch attempt at beating allegations of homophobic censorship. "Lightyear" actor Chris Evans, who plays the titular role in Walt Disney's new Pixar movie, has responded to critics who say the film's kissing scene between two female characters pushes a. Susman's insistence that Hawthorne's kiss will be retained in all versions could be seen as a little ironic when considering Disney's representational past. Lightyear fans . ", This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lightyear': Disney/Pixar feature same-sex kiss in 'Toy Story' spinoff, NASA's Orion capsule blazes home from test flight to moon. Disney wont say boys and girls, and schools are teaching children critical race theory. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Due to Disney's lack of LGBTQ support, there is a . But a crash landing and damaged ship derails their mission, forcing Buzz to find a new way to get their crew safely home to Earth. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A movie is generally considered a "box-office bomb" when a major studio releases a supposedly . Even before this latest incident, however, Disney has been in the news in the U.S. quite a bit lately. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law last month, with more than a dozen states introducing similar legislation. Lightyear is an American computer-animated science-fiction action film co-produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. She received her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and is currently an assistant professor of anthropology at Centre College in Kentucky. The recent politicization of parenting doesnt stop there; it also includes debates over school shootings and what to do about them, parental consent for abortions, and COVID-19related anti-masking and vaccine hesitancy. According to many Twitter users, Disney was now seemingly as woke as woke could be. North Korea Wants Dollars. But it was later restored in light of Disney's "Don't Say Gay" controversy, when it was revealed the company had donated roughly $200,000 to Republican politicians who supported the bill, which forbids discussions of sexual orient in elementary school classrooms. Variety reports that the restoration is happening following allegations . Researchers of parenting in Western societies have shown that the notion of parenting is at least as old as industrialization but has acquired new meanings in the present. For the past several years, Republican politicians have been busy linking the supposed threat of wokeness to parents rights to protect their children. Marvel Studios also released a statement condemning the legislation. Upcoming Pixar film " Lightyear " has officially restored a same-sex kiss between two romantically involved female characters amid the backlash against Walt Disney Co.'s stance on the . This justification has been used to oppose the teaching of structural racism and the June celebration of Pride month in schoolsand led to bans removing books in schools and in public libraries that discuss identity-related topics like gender, sexuality, and race. The first lesbian kiss in Disney history appears in the recently released Lightyear, and it has sadly led to the censorship of the film in 14 countries in the Middle East and Asia. "We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were," the letter read. school shootings and what to do about them. On Wednesday, CinemaCon attendees got a sneak peek at the first 30 minutes of Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story" spinoff (in theaters June 17), which centers on cocky yet caring space ranger Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans, taking over for Tim Allen from the first four "Toy Story" movies). It was initially cut from the film only to be re-added in March after Pixar employees accused Disney of censorship. Disney's highly anticipated animated fantasy film 'Lightyear' is being awaited by all avid fans across the globe. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. The social media discourse around the movie Lightyear says a lot about our present political and cultural obsession with parental protection of childrenand how heterosexist and cissexist ideas play into those fears. The UAEs Ministry of Youth and Cultures Media Regulatory Officetweeted the order Monday saying the movie wont run due to its violation of the countrys media content standards.. The Disney CEO also said the company would donate $5 million to organizations to the Human Rights Campaign. Disney's latest film Lightyear made its way to theaters this weekend, and the result can only be described as disappointing. Some see Disneys reach as emblematic of the negative consequences of globalization and consumer capitalism. The film is releasing globally on June 17, 2022, in theatres. The most prominent character is a cyclops police officer named Specter featured in the animated film "Onward." LAS VEGAS "Lightyear" is taking queer representation to infinity and beyond. A source told the Wrap that Lightyear did not receive release certificates for Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Lebanon. The abrupt change followed the circulation of a March 9 letter signed by LGBTQIA+ employees ofPixar and their allies, who accused Disney executives of censoring moments of overtly gay affection in their movies. The film begins with Buzz and fellow space ranger Alisha landing on a strange planet, where they face off against winged aliens and an octopus-like creature. These folks referenced bad values, the LGBTQRSTUVWXY gender ideology, and problematic gay sex scenes. Many suggested Disney was forcing a woke agenda. They used phrases like shoving down our throats, [Disney is] coming for our children, grooming, infiltrate, and twist the minds of little kids. Some even worried about transgender Buzz Lightyear and drag queen Bo Peep.. Thats because in the film, Alisha Hawthorne, Buzzs best friend and commanding officer, kisses her wife, Kiko. The outlet also said that films with intimacy, violence or sexual scenes can also be banned. 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