Posted on 07/23/2021 8:00:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
As I make clear in my brand-new book, Christianity and Wokeness, nothing will be left untouched by the woke revolution. One of the key targets of this movement, which is currently sweeping the West: boyhood and girlhood.
No less a cultural touchstone than Disney World recently changed up the greeting to its famous fireworks show. Instead of “Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls…” the park begins proceedings with “Good evening, dreamers of all ages!” In addition, Disney is changing its standards of dress and presentation for staff. Simply put, Disney’s look and feel will now be “gender-inclusive” according to the company:
“Our new approach provides greater flexibility with respect to forms of personal expression surrounding gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles, and costume choices; and allowing appropriate visible tattoos. We’re updating them to not only remain relevant in today’s workplace, but also enable our cast members to better express their cultures and individuality at work.”
These changes, among others, occasioned pushback. But one public commentator, Tarah Chieffi, dissented from such concerns, essentially dismissing them: “If not everyone feels comfortable at the parks, that failing falls on Disney's shoulders, not the individual's. These changes will likely keep coming, and Disney will likely keep evolving. That's a good thing, and folks who wring their hands over 'history' and 'tradition' should get used to it.”
Actually, it is totally sensible to find Disney’s “evolving” standards problematic. Wokeness is deeply postmodern. It is fluid, knowing no boundaries, adhering to no norms, and questioning very reality itself. As I show in Christianity and Wokeness, there are no fixed codes in wokeness; as a postmodern system, there is no broader right and wrong. The only mantra that matters is your own personal one. Said in simplest form: you do you. Life revolves not around the community and its principles, but around the expressive individual.
One big problem with this argument is that the very “gender inclusivity” that Disney is embracing does not make many people feel comfortable. Many people feel comfortable when the created realm is reflected, not revised. This happens when natural families are celebrated, boys and girls are identified and nurtured, adults are held to higher standards, and broader moral precepts than “everyone feels comfortable” and “express yourself” are promoted. Even though such views are held by many, many Americans, woke voices have essentially gained dominance in our culture. Now, we are left to deal with it.
We can do better than this in America. Over against a "gender-inclusive" and self-directed culture, we could teach the next generation that life is not really about getting lost in yourself at all. It is most filled with hard-won zest and discovery when it is directed beyond the self. We could direct our kids' attention to things we cannot explain in ourselves, nor locate in ourselves as the authoritative standard: worship, beauty, truth, joy, and endurance in tragic suffering.
In all this, we could teach that there is something better than a Disneyfied form of living for yourself. A life that is about something bigger than ourselves is a life aimed squarely at deeper meaning, greater significance, and what we could call, simply, "wonder."
Such an existence is not about our own smallness; it's about something beyond us. In a this-worldly sense, isn't that why we go to Disney? Who goes to a massive theme park to collect soda cup lids, or look at the underside of park benches? We go to such places to get lost in wonder.
Of course, the life dedicated to wonder is no picnic. It involves working really hard every day to give our precious children happiness in a world that is often hard, sometimes brutally so. All this work, including the work to raise boys to be godly men, and girls to be godly women, is challenging. Even with divine help, we Christians don’t do it perfectly. We all fail (James 3:2). But we strive nonetheless, and we do so because we are building something greater. We are trying, against the felt bounds of our own fragility, to preserve what is best in our world, our society, and our faith.
We are not asking those around us to structure their lives so that we “feel comfortable” and can “express ourselves.” No, we have a very different life purpose. Whether we go to Disney or not, we are doing all we can to lead the rising generation to the Lord, to love them well, and then, at the end of our life, by the grace of God through Christ, to enter the wonder that is beyond us, that has always beckoned us, and that even now—at this very hour—is startlingly close.
Owen Strachan is the author of Christianity and Wokeness (Salem Books, July 2021). He is Provost and Research Professor of Theology at Grace Bible Theological Seminary, hosts The Antithesis podcast, and is a Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview at the Family Research Council.
I would have liked to have visited a Disney park once in my life, like I did as a child of 8. However, I don’t think I could have a good time, no matter how hard I tried.
I was just at Disney World last weekend, seems like most of the male employees are all gay. Just sayin...
RE: However, I don’t think I could have a good time, no matter how hard I tried.
If you don’t like long lines, you’re not going to enjoy Disney.
During the summer season, you queue close to half an hour ( minimum ) to go for a 5 minute ride/attraction. You decide whether it’s worth it.
I’ve been there several times, but I haven’t gone in 2 years. I am not sure what the queueing situation is during this pandemic.
RE: seems like most of the male employees are all gay.
How would you know? You must have a very strong gaydar :)
I sometimes wonder how our culture is going downhill, to where every company and every institution, wants to bend over backwards to prove that they are liberal.
If you can believe some public opinion polls, hard core liberals are only about 20-25% of the population, yet company after company adopts policies to appease and pander to that 20-25%. Why is that? Is it because they make the most noise? Is it because our media talking heads are heavily drawn from that 20-25%, and have the media platform to push liberalism? How exactly did we get to this point?
You basically just stand in line all day
Screw these Faux-Disney enablers.
Thank God we already went 4 years ago. I was concerned enough. What with Gay Day (my birthday, to boot) for some 20 years.
The real Disney would be so angry.
I would go in the off season.
But I just can’t, even if they had short lines. I’m basically done with the amusement park, movies, and modern entertainment era.
Disneyland became awful decades ago. Sometime in the 90s they got rid of all the quiet areas where one could just sit quietly and not be bothered for a while. Every singe square inch of the park was set to to have someone or something trying to sell you something. The last time we went in 1997 there was still an area outside the gate where you could sit and have lunch without having to buy food in the park. Now they’ve gotten rid of all that. Even in 1997 it was $20 for a burger fries and a soda. And then they got rid of the food bars and you have to sit in restaurants now.
On top of that Disney is acquiring so many media companies and homogenizing movies and music so that it’s all mediocre and woke. Eventually there will be no escape from the vile mediocre fascist perverts at Disney.
I have to say Disney, esp. “Magic Kingdom” (just plain Disney World in the old days), was still a terrifically efficient place.
As far as service, don’t listen to the naysayers about “long lines”. Of course they’re long. But no one handles it better.
First, they have so many ride conveyances and such efficient protocol that it almost always flows fast. Second, they always protect the customer to make it as comfortable and interesting as possible while in line.
Third, if you have a pocket computer, they give information on how long waits are for attractions. This can make you more efficient if you hoped to go to certain sites. The only thing we didn’t do that we wanted was the brand-new Snow White ride because it was SOOOOO long. Worst for us was Haunted Mansion, but spritzers and cover and fun stuff made it ok.
And another shout-out for cleanliness. They still empty trash from below the surface. It’s spotless. And the bathrooms are good. Toilets auto, but lots of paper towels because it would be backed up otherwise.
“Have a wonderful day” (ie go f... yourselves) Disney.😎
Nothing bad in this article, but really Disney should *already* be dead to you for other reasons.
The Democrat Party is no longer just one of two American mainstream political parties; instead of the party of the working family, it’s become anti-American and anti-Christian. Don’t teach your kids to vote Democrat.
And the Disney company is no longer reflecting the wholesome family values of its founder. It’s become an indoctrination center for anti-natural identity politics. Wake up and stop taking your kids to Disney.
Take them to oceans, lakes, rivers, mountains, canyons—places where they can learn about the awesome power of created nature.
Or, now that they've been given every government and corporate stamp of approval and adulation, maybe they're just not hiding it any more; but flaunting it and consciously trying to attract children to their lifestyle.
“How exactly did we get to this point?”
Fortune and glory.
wy69
I really cannot believe any conservative types would give Disney the time of day, with or without children. They are indirectly (maybe directly) responsible for much of the dysfunction in our culture today. And it has been that way for at least 20 years.
“As far as service, don’t listen to the naysayers about “long lines”. Of course they’re long. But no one handles it better.”
That’s like saying you dug a storm shelter and while you’re in it, your house is destroyed. Doing the best they can is not an excuse for the failure of the system. This is why they originally changed the fast pass for disabled to everyone. But they limit you on how many you can have. And that, of course, lead people to the drink concessions and gift shops.
“Second, they always protect the customer to make it as comfortable and interesting as possible while in line.”
Ever stood in a line at World when the temp was 90 and the humidity was the same. Again, doing the best you can is not an excuse. They are not interested in protecting the customer. They’re pinning you up with the unavailability of space to keep you out of the way for the people to buy the churros or Mickey Mouse ice cream. And if a guest is limited, the good of the many outweigh the good of the few, or the one.
Disneyland is not like Walt’s park. It has turned into a cash cow to protect the studios. It is there to generate money. And it has been used for that since Walt died in the 60’s and Roy in the early 70’s. Inconvenience for the guest has caused a lot of people to walk away from Disney. And failed parks like in France are from a series of bad investments in their efforts to expand to the maximum they can generate. This is why vacation costs are driving people to other entertainment. Many people won’t pay good money for a bad vacation. They can stay home and get that.
wy69
I love classic Disney animation. And I’m an admirer of Walt and the vision he had with the parks. And there have been many good imagineers over the years and some of the Disney attractions are classics.
But today’s Disney is not of that quality. Every now and then something good manages to come out of the Mouse, but it’s mostly mediocrity mixed with the same dangerous leftist ideas that you find everywhere else.
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