Christians Laud Walt, Criticize Disney Co.

LATimes.com ^ | October 23, 2007 | Reuters

[DogByte6RER]

Christians laud Walt, criticize Disney Co.

Religious filmmakers study the innovator's virtues but say his firm forgot family values.

From Reuters

October 23, 2007

Hundreds of Christian filmmakers gathered in Texas on Monday to study the work of Walt Disney and discuss their belief that his corporate heirs at Walt Disney Co. have strayed from his family-friendly legacy.

The Christian Filmmakers Academy, which trains aspiring filmmakers and promotes films with "biblical values," contends that Disney Co. has become "an engine of cultural decline after Walt's death" that exercises an alarmingly vast global influence.

The two-day analysis of Disney, the man and the corporation, is part of the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and the third annual Christian Filmmakers Academy.

Despite their admiration for its founder, the focus on Disney the company reflects some evangelical Christians' growing discomfort with the content and reach of the company's entertainment products.

Disney's relationship with the Christian community has been strained over the last decade because of such issues as company policies that are considered friendly to gays, although Christian groups halted a nine-year boycott of the company in 2005.

The Texas event offers a rare glimpse into Christian entertainment and gives a platform to filmmakers who are trying to create alternatives to mass-market fare, using as a model the founder of a company they have criticized.

"What we really see is a decline in the ethics and standards of where [Walt] Disney was coming from," academy founder Doug Phillips said. "We are making the case that there is a departure toward politically correct filmmaking that has a negative effect on family."

Disney executives did not respond to requests for comment.

[DogByte6RER]

I can remember growing up in Southern California that Disneyland park officials would eject people who were same sex dancing at the park.

How things have changed.

[donna]

I can remember when girls could dance together and NO ONE thought about sex at all.

[Greg F]

I despise the modern Disney. They resuscitated Ellen Degeneres’ career with her voiceover of the fish movie they did, then produced her talk show. The benefits to same sex couples and gay week or whatever it is at their park is completely contrary to their core target market which is children and the family. Despicable company.

[vpintheak]

I’ll agree with the dispicable company part, but “Finding Nemo” is a really good movie. Nemo’s father would stop at nothing to help his child, nothing wrong with that.

[Greg F]

Yah, it’s a difficult thing for me because Disney is a ruthless competitor. They have driven out of business almost all serious competition to feature length movies for children and bought up a lot of the video producers like Baby Einstien. They oppose my values as a corporate entity. I think it’s possible that the media and financial “powers that be” worked against Veggie Tales as well.

[SweetCaroline]

BUMP