Is the animation only for children? The Disney boss gets into another controversy

Disney has already accompanied several generations of children and, by extension, several generations of parents. The nearly 100-year-old company is a leader in family content, with two of the largest animation studios in the industry: Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. Many of his stories have crossed the age limit and have managed to conquer young and old, breaking with the cliché that animation is only for children. That’s why he specifically picked a statement from the current CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Chapek, who seemed to imply that animation is, in fact, just for kids..

An excerpt from Chapek’s interview with the Wall Street Journal has started to go viral in which he states: “Our fans and viewers put their babies to bed after seeing “Pinocchio”, “Dumbo” or “The Little Mermaid” and probably won’t show another animated film. They want something for themselves”. A rather unfortunate sentence but a little out of context. Bob Chapek was talking about Hulu, the streaming platform that Disney almost entirely owns, and the controversy that a series like ‘Pam & Tommy’ could be under the umbrella of the same company that makes ‘The Little Mermaid’. “I am amazed by the elasticity of the Disney brand” he exclaims just before mentioning that parents probably wouldn’t watch an animated movie if it weren’t with their kids.

CEO of @Disney he doesn’t believe animated films are for adults. ? #WSJTechLive #Bob Chapek pic.twitter.com/4eyvR5MM77

? Fantasia Coffee? (@CafeFantasia) October 26, 2022

Although what Bob Chapek is referring to is that perhaps after seeing an animated film with children they prefer to wear something else, but this is a generalization, also added to “they want something for themselves” as if animation weren’t for everyone. You don’t have to leave Disney + to find animations specially designed for an adult audience like “Family Guy”, “Futurama” or “The Simpsons”. For shows outside the mouse orbit we have hits like ‘Rick and Morty’, ‘Primal’ or ‘Invincible’, Satoshi Kon or Makoto Shinkai movies, recent gems like ‘Flee’.

But we will not fall into the reductionism of Chapek’s words either. Many of us who grew up with ‘Pinocchio’, ‘Dumbo’ or ‘The Little Mermaid’ see them again with or without children in bed, not only out of nostalgia but because, like the stories they are based on, they are timeless stories with readings. for an audience of all ages. In the same interview he boasts of having some of the best storytellers in the world in his prey, and for this he should take greater account of their ability to make films that thrill young and old like ‘Up’, ‘In reverse (Inside Out)’, ‘ Luca ‘,’ Red ‘,’ Frozen ‘,’ Encanto ‘,’ Zootrópolis’, ‘The Lion King’ or ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Animation has no age or barriers of any kind. It’s another way of telling stories. As Guillermo del Toro continues to point out lately, and those who make these films have been shouting all their lives: animation is cinema. And maybe the boss of a company like Disney should be one of those who shout it loudest.

Has Disney become “too progressive”?

In the same interview, Chapek responds to the latest controversies related to the representation of all kinds of people, such as the kiss between two women in ‘Lightyear’ or the choice of Halle Bailey as Ariel. “The world is a rich and diverse place and we want our content to reflect that.. We are lucky to have the best content creators and they see it the same way. I think it is also good from a commercial point of view, because it attracts the largest possible audience. We definitely live in a world where everything seems to be polarized, but I think we want Disney to stand out for bringing people together. “. He is not afraid of those who criticize them for becoming “too liberal” and says: “I think Disney is a company that has survived a hundred years serving its audience and will continue to thrive for the next hundred years serving its audience.”. One we all fit in: “We talk a lot about shaping our content. And the push and pull. But ultimately we have to follow our North Star who, once again, tells stories and caters to audiences who love Disney and all audiences love Disney.”.