Secret Lives_Walt Disney (1 of 6).flv

A revelation of the darker side to Walt Disney's character looking at his racist, anti-Semitic, misogynist tendencies which finally led to a pathological hatred of communists and an active particpation in McCarthy's House Committee on Un-American Activities.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Secret
• Lives
• Walt
• Disney
• (1
• of
• 6)

[hkisam]

Walt disney was racially insensitive LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE 40s. Walt Disney was a flawed human being but a true genius and visionary. This documentary is very biased and much of the points it makes (specifically about Walt's racism and anti semitism) can easily be argued against if not proven false. I encourage anyone who watches this to read Michael Barrier's "The Animated Man" or Neal Gabler's "Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination"

[kalars88]

"Are the Jews dead yet?" -Disney when he is released from his cryogenic chamber.

[Tishapoo]

He had alot of people working there... :|

[LunaSeaSane]

@GyvonJ I examine it passively because it is already past us.

Here's the thing; right here, right now is where change can be proven most effective.

Our civilization's past mistakes can now be subjected to potential betterment. And that is the most valuable, most useful tool we have.

From what happened, we keep the shame for those who suffered. And some level of compassion for those who didn't know any better. But unfortunately, my guess is Walt Disney didn't differ much from the norm.

[GyvonJ]

@LunaSeaSane I agree with your perception, but even in the past there were other who felt that what was normal to most was not normal to some. Slavery and racism were normal to most but others were against it. Based on what you said, I can't understand why some people are against modern day narcotrafficking, but accept the politician's money that was made on the back of prohibition and its crime lords of yesterday. Why do we examine the past with admiration and frown now on the same horror?

[bulldog8200]

@hkisam Yea but he used shady tactics like convincing other studio cartoonists were communist sympathizers....he was a dick.

[31operafan]

I dunno...I once heard Richard Sherman (of the Sherman Brothers) deny Walt's anti-semitism.The Sherman Brothers were Jewish themselves. Larry Clemmons, a storyman who was black, denied Walt had any prejudice against him, too. It's hard to pick which side you agree on. Maybe what Richard and Larry were actually doing was protecting Walt's reputation. Or maybe this is all bias; maybe Melendez hated Walt deep down and just wanted to bash him by supposedly making up stuff.

[TherealRNO]

@31operafa: Yes, it's Snoopy insulting Mickey here, but like many employees, he probably grew dissatisfied with the way Uncle Walt did things & like others, Bill took his voice to anyone who would listen. Whether truth or lie, Walt was not any different than anyone else, for no one's perfect. Sure, we love the image projected by the likes of Walt's enterprise, the Jim Henson company, & those who knew Mr. Rogers, but the only people who them best were the people themselves.

[TherealRNO]

@HangGrenade01: You're an idiot. With some people, what you saw was what you got, no matter how wealthy they happened to be. People, even former employees, like to bash the man--whether it's because they hate what the company now represents or they hate the sappy, Happiest Place on Earth image the company tries to project--but with him, he was who he said he was, end of discussion.

[Nathanamerican27]

@hkisam

Exactly, just like Adolf Hitler. a TRUE visionary.

[LunaSeaSane]

I'm about to watch this. But first, an example:

I remember being shocked at the many attrocities depicted is history lessons. As a result, I was reminded of how ignorant it is to judge the past with your mind in the present

My position on racism is clear; unacceptable, without exception to any race.

And once you understand that often, people didn't do better in the past because they didn't know any better, that clarifies things.

Using sensationalism to prove a point is inviting stupidity.