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#REDIRECT [[Criticism of the Walt Disney Company#Walt Disney Animation Studios]]
Over the years many have been critical of [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]] for its ethnic and racial stereotyping, sexism, plagiarism, limiting and stereotyping LGBT representation, and for other reasons.

==Ethnic and racial stereotyping==
Over the years many scholars, film critics, and parent groups have been critical of Disney for the stereotypical portrayal of non-white characters. Examples cited included the short ''[[Mickey's Mellerdrammer]]'' where [[Mickey Mouse]] dresses in [[blackface]]; the stereotypical "Black" Bird in the short ''[[Who Killed Cock Robin? (1935 film)|Who Killed Cock Robin?]]''; Sunflower the half-zebra/half-African servant [[Centaurides|centaurette]] in ''[[Fantasia (1940 film)|Fantasia]]''; the film ''[[Song of the South]]'', which depicts an idealized version of the lives of former slaves; the depiction of Native American 'Indians' as savages in ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]''; the cunning and manipulative Siamese cats Si and Am in ''[[Lady and the Tramp]]''; and the [[Glossary of jive talk|jive]] talking crows in ''[[Dumbo]]'' (however in the latter instance some critics have defended the crows as being one of the few characters in the film sympathetic to Dumbo's plight since being a marginalized group they understand what it's like to be ostracized themselves).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/first-act-disney-legend-whoopi-goldberg-tells-disney-stop-hiding-history-152327.html|title=In Her First Act As A Disney Legend, Whoopi Goldberg Tells Disney To Stop Hiding Its History|last=Amidi|first=Amid|work=[[Cartoon Brew]]|date=July 15, 2017|access-date=August 7, 2017|archive-date=June 10, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200610233745/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/first-act-disney-legend-whoopi-goldberg-tells-disney-stop-hiding-history-152327.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Wilmington|first=Michael|chapter=Dumbo|title=The American Animated Cartoon: A Critical Anthology|editor1-last=Peary|editor1-first=Danny|editor2-last=Peary|editor2-first=Gerald|year=1980|pages=80–81|location=New York|publisher=[[E.P. Dutton]]|isbn=978-0-525-47639-9}}|{{Cite book|last=Maltin|first=Leonard|title=The Disney Films|publisher=[[Bonanza Books]]|year=1973|isbn=978-0-517-17741-9|location=New York|page=52}}}}</ref><ref name="Gabler, Neal 2006" />{{Rp|page=433}}

Some people have used these stereotypes to accuse Walt Disney of being racist.<ref name="Gabler, Neal 2006">{{Cite book |last=Gabler |first=Neal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=41e-Ru0wRkEC |title=Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |year=2007 |isbn=9780679438229}}</ref>{{Rp|page=XVIII}} During a story meeting on ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'', he referred to the scene when the dwarfs pile on top of each other as a "nigger pile" and during casting of ''Song of the South'' he used the term ''[[pickaninny]]''.<ref name="Gabler, Neal 2006" />{{Rp|page=433}} However, Disney biography Gabler argues that "Walt Disney was no racist. He never, either publicly or privately, made disparaging remarks about blacks or asserted white superiority. Like most white Americans of his generation, however, he was racially insensitive."<ref name="Gabler, Neal 2006" />{{Rp|page=433}} The feature film ''[[Song of the South]]'' was criticized by contemporary film critics, the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]], and others for its perpetuation of [[Stereotypes of African Americans|black stereotypes]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cohen |first=Karl F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gIyH_DLYhoIC |title=Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America |publisher=McFarland |year=2004 |isbn=9780786420322 |pages=60}}</ref> but Disney became close friends with its star, [[James Baskett]], describing him as "the best actor, I believe, to be discovered in years."<ref name="Gabler, Neal 2006" />{{Rp|pages=438–39}} Disney later campaigned successfully for Baskett to receive an [[Honorary Academy Award]] for his performance, the first black male actor so honored. Baskett died shortly afterward, and his widow wrote Disney a letter of gratitude for his support.<ref name="Gabler, Neal 2006" />{{Rp|pages=438–39}} [[Floyd Norman]], the studio's first black animator who worked closely with Disney during the 1950s and 1960s, said, "Not once did I observe a hint of the racist behavior Walt Disney was often accused of after his death. His treatment of people{{nsmdns}}and by this I mean all people{{nsmdns}}can only be called exemplary."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Korkis |first=Jim |title=Who's Afraid of the Song of the South? And Other Forbidden Disney Stories |publisher=Theme Park Press |year=2012 |isbn=9780984341559 |pages=xi}}</ref>

Since its release in 1992, Disney's ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' has been accused of perpetuating racial and ethnic stereotypes of Arabs. In July 1993, Disney announced that it would alter a line in the film's opening song, "Arabian Nights", written by [[Howard Ashman]] and [[Alan Menken]].<ref name=":3" /> In the original film, the song featured the lyrics, "Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face/It's barbaric, but hey, it's home."<ref name=":3" /> After Arab-American groups complained that the line was derogatory to Middle Easterners, Disney amended the lyrics in later editions of the film to an alternate lyric written by Ashman: "Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense/It's barbaric, but hey, it's home."<ref name=":3" /> Menken approved the change before its adoption, as did the estate of Ashman, who had died before the film's completion. The [[American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee]] further requested that the word "barbaric" be removed; however, Disney refused this, claiming that the word appeared in all versions of Ashman's text and it referred to the film's desert setting in the altered lyrics.<ref name=":3" /> Don Bustany, president of the ADC's Los Angeles chapter, argued that the existing alterations were "nowhere near adequate, considering the racism depicted in ''Aladdin''&nbsp;... there still remains the very sleazy, burlesque character in the prologue and the scene where a merchant is going to cut off the hand of [[Princess Jasmine]] because she took an apple from his stand to give to a hungry child."<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Fox |first=David J. |date=July 10, 1993 |title=Disney Will Alter Song in 'Aladdin' |page=1 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-10-ca-11747-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191015165742/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-10-ca-11747-story.html |archive-date=October 15, 2019}}</ref> A March 1995 article published on the ADC's website further criticized ''Aladdin'' for depicting the film's protagonists, [[Aladdin (Disney character)|Aladdin]] and Jasmine, with light skin and [[Anglicization|Anglicized]] features in contrast to dark-skinned merchants and palace guards who were cruel, greedy, and vicious while featuring Arab accents and distorted facial features.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Wingfield |first1=Marvin |last2=Karaman |first2=Bushra |date=March 1995 |title=Arab Stereotypes and American Educators |url=http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=283 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405005650/http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=283 |archive-date=April 5, 2007 |access-date=May 28, 2019 |website=American-Arab Anti-Discrimination League |quote=The film's light-skinned lead characters, Aladdin and Jasmine, have Anglicized features and Anglo-American accents. This is in contract to the other characters who are dark-skinned, swarthy and villainous-cruel palace guards or greedy merchants with Arabic accents and grotesque facial features.}}</ref><ref name="smith">{{Cite web |last=Smith Galer |first=Sophia |date=July 14, 2017 |title=The Aladdin controversy Disney can't escape |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170714-the-aladdin-controversy-disney-cant-escape |publisher=BBC}}</ref> Shortly after the film's release, Jack Shaheen, a professor of mass communications at [[Southern Illinois University]], said that "''Aladdin'' is not an entertaining ''[[One Thousand and One Nights|Arabian Nights]]'' fantasy as film critics would have us believe, but rather a painful reminder to 3 million Americans of Arab heritage, as well as 300 million Arabs and others, that the abhorrent Arab stereotype is as ubiquitous as Aladdin's lamp."<ref name="smith" />

==Sexism==
In 1938, The Walt Disney Company sent a rejection letter to Mary Ford, stating that "girls are not considered" for creative positions. The letter was rediscovered in 2009 when Ford's grandson uploaded the image on [[Flickr]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 13, 2009 |title=A letter from Disney 70 years ago&nbsp;... It is impossible for women to make animation and refuse to hire |language=ja-JP |no-pp=y |work=labaq.com |url=http://labaq.com/archives/51153559.html |access-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bahadur |first=Nina |date=April 30, 2013 |title=Disney Rejection Letter From 1938 Tells Candidate, 'Girls Are Not Considered' |no-pp=y |work=HuffPost |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/30/disney-rejection-letter-vintage-mary-ford_n_3188247.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220402020241/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/disney-rejection-letter-vintage-mary-ford_n_3188247 |archive-date=April 2, 2022}}</ref> The letter received greater attention on January 7, 2014, when, after congratulating [[Emma Thompson]] for her [[National Board of Review Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] win at the [[National Board of Review Awards]], [[Meryl Streep]] referenced the letter.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Acuna |first=Kirsten |date=January 8, 2014 |title=This 1938 Disney Rejection Letter Denies Woman Job Because Of Her Gender |language=en |no-pp=y |work=[[Business Insider]] |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/disney-sexism-rejection-letter-2014-1 |access-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref> Referencing Thompson's film, ''[[Saving Mr. Banks]]'', Streep responded "It must have killed [Disney] to encounter a woman, an equally disdainful and superior creature, a person dismissive of his own considerable gifts and prodigious output and imagination."<ref name=Letter/><ref name="FullSpeech">{{Cite news |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=January 8, 2014 |title=Read Meryl Streep's Walt Disney–Dissing NBR Speech in Its Entirety |language=en |work=Vulture |url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/01/read-meryl-streeps-nbr-speech-in-its-entirety.html |access-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref> In response to Streep's statements, many Disney scholars and artists defended Disney, including [[Disney Legend]] [[Floyd Norman]], who said "Much has changed, and changed for the better."<ref name="Letter">{{Cite news |last=Zahed |first=Ramin |date=January 9, 2014 |title=Meryl Streep's Anti-Disney Speech Sparks Controversy |work=[[Animation Magazine]] |url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/events/meryl-streeps-anti-disney-speech-sparks-controversy/ |access-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref> Other journalists found the speech ironic, noting that Streep just finished filming the then-upcoming Disney film, ''[[Into the Woods (film)|Into the Woods]]''.<ref name="FullSpeech" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Weisman |first=Aly |date=January 8, 2014 |title=Meryl Streep Slams Walt Disney As 'Anti-Semitic Gender [sic] Bigot' In Awards Speech |language=en |work=Business Insider |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/meryl-streep-slams-walt-disney-as-anti-semitic-gender-bigot-2014-1 |access-date=June 15, 2017 |quote=Perhaps Streep forgot she just filmed "Into the Woods"for the studio?}}</ref>

The Walt Disney Company has also been criticized for the lack of [[Feminism|feminist]] values seen in the older, original [[Disney Princess]]es. [[Snow White (Disney character)|Snow White]] in particular is under constant criticism for her lack of feminist ideals.<ref name=":13">{{Cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |date=July 19, 1987 |title=Film View; Snow White Is No Feminist |language=en |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/19/movies/film-view-snow-white-is-no-feminist.html |access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref> The film [[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (1937)]] features a main protagonist who, at the time, fit the domestic and docile expectations of women in the pre-[[World War II]] era.<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":04">{{Cite journal |last=Stover |first=Cassandra |date=Spring 2013 |title=Damsels and Heroines: The Conundrum of the Post-Feminist Disney Princess |url=http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1028&context=lux |journal=LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=1–4 |doi=10.5642/lux.201301.29 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Snow White is displayed on screen covered in a long dress, embellished with a white collar, puffy sleeves, red cape, and a red bow constraining her hair; a traditional, modest feminine look that reveals minimal skin.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Malfroid |first=Kirsten |date=Summer 2008 |title=Gender, Class, and Ethnicity in the Disney Princess Series |url=https://lib.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/001/414/434/RUG01-001414434_2010_0001_AC.pdf |journal=Universiteit Gent |pages=23–71}}</ref> Through her actions portrayed in the movie, she draws on the traditional femininity that was encouraged in 1930s American culture.<ref name=":04" /> In the midst of the [[Great Depression]], women were encouraged to return to the home and care for the household, a theme that is widely displayed in ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''.<ref name=":04" />

However, with the second resurgence of Disney movies (known as the [[Disney Renaissance]]) beginning in 1989 and ending in 1999, Disney transformed the [[damsel in distress]] into a strong woman with a desire for adventure.<ref name=":04" /><ref name=":2" /> This new approach ushered in a decade of go-getting, proactive heroines who possessed character traits that coincided with the new era of acceptable roles in a society where women hold the same jobs as men.<ref name=":04" /> This is evident in princesses such as [[Ariel (The Little Mermaid)|Ariel]] from [[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|''The Little Mermaid'' (1989)]], [[Belle (Disney character)|Belle]] from [[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991)]], and [[Jasmine (Aladdin)|Jasmine]] from [[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|''Aladdin'' (1992)]]<ref name=":2" />

==Plagiarism==
===The Lion King===
{{Main|The Lion King#Claims of resemblance to Kimba the White Lion}}
Several of Disney's animated feature films have been accused of [[plagiarism|plagiarizing]] existing works. The most notable and controversial example is ''[[The Lion King]]'', which critics allege was plagiarized from [[Osamu Tezuka]]'s Japanese manga ジャングル大帝 ''Janguru Taitei'' i.e. ''Jungle Emperor'' ''{{ill|ジャングル大帝|ja|vertical-align=sup}}'' and its [[anime]] adaptation of the same name (in Japan). This TV series was in turn dubbed and retitled ''[[Kimba the White Lion]]'' for English-speaking audiences by Titan Productions for [[NBC]] from 1965 to 1966, and it premiered on Los Angeles' KHJ-TV in September 1966.<ref name="kimbawlion.kimba.biz">{{Cite web |title=How Kimba Came To Be |url=http://kimbawlion.kimba.biz/history3.htm |website=kimbawlion.kimba.biz}}</ref> After ''Kimba's'' original run in the United States ended in the autumn of 1967, the series was shown in syndication on TV stations across the U.S. through September 30, 1978.<ref name="kimbawlion.kimba.biz" />

As a number of media journalists and fans watched ''The Lion King'' after its initial release in 1994, they noticed characters and events in the [[Story credit|story]] resembling those of ''Kimba''. Although the two works follow different screenplays, there are strong artistic similarities, and ''The Lion King'' contains numerous sequences that closely match up with ''Kimba''{{'s}}.<ref name="Patten">{{Cite book |last=Patten |first=Fred |title=Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=2004 |isbn=9781611725100}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=159–161}} Other similarities are thematically deeper and more pronounced, such as that both feature the theme of the circle of life. Alleged similarities in the characters, beginning with the protagonist lion cubs ''Kimba'' and ''[[Simba]]'',<!--Although the pronunciations of the two names are similar, the word ''Simba'' means "lion" in Swahili.--> include the evil lions, the one-eyed Claw and [[Scar (The Lion King)|Scar]], the sage baboons Dan'l Baboon and Rafiki, the animated birds Pauley Cracker and Zazu, and the pair of hyena sidekicks (it was a trio in the Disney film).<ref name="welkos" />

''The Lion King'' co-director [[Rob Minkoff]] deflected criticism of similarities in the characters by stating it was "not unusual to have characters like a baboon, a bird or hyenas" in films set in Africa.<ref name="welkos">{{Cite news |last=Welkos |first=Robert W. |date=July 13, 1994 |title=A 'Kimba' Surprise for Disney: Movies: 'The Lion King' is a hit, but reported similarities to the Japanese-created American cartoon of the '60s are raising some questions. |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://articles.latimes.com/1994-07-13/entertainment/ca-15117_1_lion-king |access-date=March 30, 2015}}</ref> Both films feature the protagonist looking up at cloudbursts in the shape of his father lion, as pointed out by [[Frederick L. Schodt]].<ref name="welkos" /> The similarity is alluded to in a scene from ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode {{"-}}[['Round Springfield]]", where a parody of Mufasa (voiced by [[Harry Shearer]]) in the clouds tells [[Lisa Simpson]], "You must avenge my death, Kimba&nbsp;... dah, I mean Simba!".<ref name="Patten" />{{rp|page=159}}<ref name="huffington-bradley">{{Cite news |last=Bradley |first=Bill |date=January 27, 2015 |title=Was 'The Lion King' Copied From A Japanese Cartoon? Here's The Real Story |work=HuffPost |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/27/lion-king-kimba_n_6272316.html |access-date=February 21, 2015}} (updated December 6, 2017)</ref>

[[Matthew Broderick]] has said that when he was hired as the voice of adult Simba in ''The Lion King'', he presumed the project was related to ''Kimba the White Lion''.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Schweizer |first1=Peter |title=Disney The Mouse Betrayed: Greed, Corruption, and Children at Risk |last2=Schweizer |first2=Rochelle |publisher=Regnery |year=1998 |isbn=9780895263872 |pages=167–168}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ledoux |first1=Trish |title=The Complete Anime Guide: Japanese Animation Video Directory and Resource Guide |last2=Ranney |first2=Doug |page=16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Buress |first=Charles |date=July 11, 1994 |title=Uproar Over 'The Lion King' |pages=A1, A13 |work=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=July 15, 1994 |title=Did Japanese Animator Inspire 'Lion King'? |page=C15 |work=The Washington Times}}</ref> "I thought he meant Kimba, who was a white lion in a cartoon when I was a little kid", said Broderick. "So I kept telling everybody I was going to play Kimba. I didn't really know anything about it, but I didn't really care."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Arar, Yardena |date=June 15, 1994 |title=Disney studios roar into action for 'Lion King' |work=[[Austin American-Statesman]] |url=https://news.google.com/archivesearch?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tab=wn&q=%22I+thought+he+meant+Kimba,+who+was+a+white+lion+in+a+cartoon+when+I+was+a+little+kid.+So+I+kept+telling+everybody+I+was+going+to+play+Kimba.+I+didn%27t+really+know+anything+about+it,+but+I+didn%27t+really+care.%22 |access-date=November 28, 2012}}</ref> In addition, a memo written by [[Roy E. Disney]] in July 1993 refers to Simba as "Kimba", causing critics to claim that Disney was aware of the similarities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |title=It Turns Out That 'The Lion King' Is A Complete Rip-Off |url=http://www.hollywood.com/movies/wait-is-the-lion-king-a-rip-off-60644021/ |access-date=July 19, 2018 |website=Hollywood.com |quote=It's also super suspicious since a 1993 memo from Roy Disney mentions Kimba appearing in ''The Lion King'' and Kimba artist Osamu Tezuka passed away the same year production began on the Disney flick.}}</ref>

Upon the release of ''The Lion King'' in Japan, multiple Japanese cartoonists including [[Machiko Satonaka]] signed a letter urging the Walt Disney Company acknowledge due credit to ''Jungle Emperor Leo'' in the making of ''The Lion King''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mizoguchi |first=Kozo |date=August 10, 1994 |title='Lion King' sparks debate in Japan |work=[[The Daily Gazette]] |location=Tokyo, Japan |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1957&dat=19940810&id=VAUxAAAAIBAJ&pg=3891,2063253 |access-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name=huffington-bradley/> As Tim Hornyak wrote in ''[[The Japan Times]]'', "The Tezuka–Disney connection extends back decades before the movie. Tezuka met Walt Disney at the [[1964 New York World's Fair]], and Disney said he hoped to "make something just like" Tezuka's ''[[Astro Boy]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hornyak |first=Tim |date=August 19, 2007 |title=Osamu Tezuka: Fighting for peace with the Mighty Atom |work=[[The Japan Times]] |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2007/08/19/books/book-reviews/osamu-tezuka-fighting-for-peace-with-the-mighty-atom/#.VKxS6hu_yM8 |access-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref>''The Lion King'' director [[Roger Allers]] claimed he remained unfamiliar with ''Kimba'' throughout production until his movie was nearly completed;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fiamma |first=Andrea |date=December 12, 2014 |title=Intervista a Roger Allers, il regista de Il Re Leone |url=http://www.fumettologica.it/2014/12/intervista-roger-allers-re-leone/2/ |access-date=March 30, 2015 |website=Fumettologica |language=it}}</ref> co-director Rob Minkoff also said he was unfamiliar with ''Kimba''.<ref name="welkos" /><ref name="huffington-bradley" />

===Atlantis: The Lost Empire===
{{Main|Atlantis: The Lost Empire#Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water controversy}}
The other Disney film, ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]'' (2001), was alleged for plagiarizing the Japanese animated series as well; many critics and viewers alike claimed it was plagiarized from one of the popular anime television shows ふしぎの海のナディア ''Fushigi no Umi no Nadia'' i.e. ''Nadia of the Mysterious Seas'' (''[[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water]]'') ''{{ill|ふしぎの海のナディア|ja|vertical-align=sup}}'', more specifically in its character designs, setting and storyline.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zion |first=Lee |date=May 15, 2001 |title=Probing the ''Atlantis'' Mystery |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2001-05-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629004303/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2001-05-15 |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |access-date=July 15, 2012 |website=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref> As noted by the viewers in Japan and America, the similarities became strong enough to call its production company [[Gainax]] to sue for plagiarism. They only refrained from doing so, according to Gainax member [[Yasuhiro Takeda]], because the decision belonged to parent companies [[NHK]] and [[Toho]]. [[Hiroyuki Yamaga]], another Gainax worker, was quoted in an interview in 2000 as: "We actually tried to get NHK to pick a fight with Disney, but even the National Television Network of Japan didn't dare to mess with Disney and their lawyers.&nbsp;... We actually did say that but we wouldn't actually take them to court. We would be so terrified about what they would do to them in return that we wouldn't dare."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Takeda |first=Yasuhiro |date=March 25, 2019 |title=The Notenki Memoirs: Studio Gainax and The Men Who Created ''Evangelion'' |url=https://www.gwern.net/docs/eva/2002-takeda-notenkimemoirs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121215358/https://www.gwern.net/docs/eva/2002-takeda-notenkimemoirs |archive-date=November 21, 2019 |access-date=October 29, 2019 |website=Gwern}}</ref>

Although Disney never responded formally to those claims, co-director [[Kirk Wise]] posted on a Disney animation [[Usenet newsgroup|newsgroup]] in May 2001, "Never heard of ''Nadia'' till it was mentioned in this [newsgroup]. Long after we'd finished production, I might add." He claimed both ''Atlantis'' and ''Nadia'' were inspired, in part, by [[Jules Verne]]'s 1870 novel ''[[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas]]''.<ref name="Patten" />{{Rp|page=187}} Speaking about the clarification, however, Lee Zion of ''[[Anime News Network]]'' wrote, "There are too many similarities ''not'' connected with ''20,000 Leagues'' for the whole thing to be coincidence."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zion |first=Lee |date=July 19, 2001 |title=''Nadia'' vs. ''Atlantis'', Revisited! |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2001-07-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629004315/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2001-07-19 |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |access-date=July 15, 2012 |website=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref> As such, the whole affair ultimately entered popular culture as a convincing case of plagiarism.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reuben |first=Adrián Arriba |date=April 3, 2015 |title=La Gran Mentira de Disney (2): ''Atlantis'' es un Plagio |language=es |work=[[Comic Book Resources]] |url=https://www.cbr.com/hollywood-ripped-off-anime/ |url-status=live |access-date=October 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031254/https://www.cbr.com/hollywood-ripped-off-anime/ |archive-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ashcraft |first=Brian |date=March 21, 2014 |title=Some Say Frozen Ripped Off a Japanese Anime. Here's Why |work=[[Kotaku]] |url=https://kotaku.com/some-say-frozen-ripped-off-a-japanese-anime-heres-why-1548623784 |url-status=live |access-date=October 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031195357/https://kotaku.com/some-say-frozen-ripped-off-a-japanese-anime-heres-why-1548623784 |archive-date=October 31, 2019}}</ref> In 2018, Reuben Baron of ''[[Comic Book Resources]]'' added to Zion's comment stating, "Verne didn't specifically imagine magic crystal-based technology, something featured in both the Disney movie and the two similar anime. The Verne inspiration also doesn't explain the designs being suspiciously similar to ''Nadia''{{'s}}."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baron |first=Reuben |date=July 17, 2018 |title=10 Times Hollywood Ripped Off Anime (And 10 Times It Was Vice Versa) |url=https://www.cbr.com/hollywood-ripped-off-anime/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031254/https://www.cbr.com/hollywood-ripped-off-anime/ |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |access-date=October 29, 2019 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref>

===Other cases===
{{Main|Frozen (2013 film)#Kelly Wilson plagiarism lawsuit|Zootopia#Lawsuit}}

In March 2014, animator Kelly Wilson sued Disney for plagiarism, alleging that the [[teaser trailer]] for ''[[Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen]]'' was similar to her short film ''The Snowman''. After four months of legal battling, federal judge Vince Chhabria ruled in Wilson's favor, citing evidence that Disney was aware of ''The Snowman'' and "the sequence of both works, from start to finish, is too parallel to conclude that no reasonable juror could find the works substantially similar." In April 2015, Chhabria explained that several [[Pixar]] employees had attended the 2011 [[San Francisco International Film Festival]], in which ''The Snowman'' was screened four times alongside the Pixar short ''Play by Play''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Donahue |first=S. |date=June 26, 2015 |title=Disney finally settles plagiarism lawsuit over 'Frozen' teaser |url=https://thecelebritycafe.com/2015/06/disney-finally-settles-plagiarism-lawsuit-over-frozen-teaser/ |access-date=July 19, 2018 |website=Celebrity Cafe |publisher=TheCelebrityCafe.com}}</ref> In June 2015, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reported that Disney had agreed to settle the case.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Li |first=Shirley |date=June 25, 2015 |title=Disney settles Frozen copyright lawsuit over short film The Snowman |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/25/disney-frozen-lawsuit-the-snowman-settlement/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref>

In March 2017, a year after the release of Disney's animated film ''[[Zootopia]]'', screenwriter and producer [[Gary Goldman]] sued Disney, claiming that he had pitched a similar idea to the studio in 2000 and again in 2009. According to a story in ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', Goldman alleged that Disney had stolen the film's title and various artwork from him after he offered the project. A Disney spokesperson dismissed the accusations, declaring that "Mr. Goldman's lawsuit is riddled with patently false allegations. It is an unprincipled attempt to lay claim to a successful film he didn't create, and we will vigorously defend against it in court."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shepherd |first=Ken |date=March 21, 2017 |title=Disney sued for 'Zootopia' copyright infringement: Report |work=The Washington Times |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref>

== Accusations of bribing on The Academy Awards for Best Animated Film ==
Disney has been accused by many animation communities and spaces of supposedly bribing [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] into giving films from Walt Disney Animation and Pixar the award for [[Best Animated Film]]. Much of the criticism for this has been based off how since 2008, the award has been dominated mostly by films made by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, with films from other studios almost exclusively being nominated. Directors of the nominated films have claimed that is actually better to be nominated because they know they will lose against Disney. The only exceptions to this have been [[Nickelodeon Movies]]' [[Rango (2011 film)|''Rango'']] in 2012, [[Sony Pictures Animation]]'s ''[[Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse]]'' in 2019 and [[Netflix Animation]]'s ''[[Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio]]'' in 2023. Other criticism has been that some films of both studios didn't deserve the award, with a notable example being when ''[[Toy Story 4]]'' won the award over SPA Animation's [[Klaus (film)|''Klaus'']] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lang |first=Jamie |date=2023-08-10 |title=An Early Look At This Year's Wide Open Animated Feature Oscar Race |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/animated-feature-oscar-race-early-look-231393.html |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=Cartoon Brew |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Amidi |first=Amid |date=2015-02-25 |title=One Corporation Cannot Own the Animated Feature Oscar |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/award-season-focus/one-corporation-cannot-own-the-animated-feature-oscar-109566.html |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=Cartoon Brew |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Amidi |first=Amid |date=2022-03-28 |title=During The Biggest Oscar Trainwreck In History, 'Encanto' And 'The Windshield Wiper' Won Oscars (Commentary) |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/ideas-commentary/during-the-biggest-oscar-trainwreck-in-history-encanto-and-the-windshield-wiper-won-oscars-commentary-214531.html |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=Cartoon Brew |language=en-US}}</ref>

==LGBT references in Disney films==
{{main article|Disney and LGBT representation in animation}}

Disney has been criticized for limiting and stereotyping LGBT representation in its media, with LGBT topics previously being deemed not "family-friendly" to address directly by Disney while villains were often portrayed as [[Queer coding|queer-coded]] through gender non-conformance.

Controversy was stirred in the live-action remake ''[[Beauty and the Beast (2017 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (2017), when director [[Bill Condon]] announced that Lefou would come out as a [[Gay men|gay]] character and dance with a man named Stanley. As a result, a theater in [[Henagar, Alabama]] refused to screen the film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Matthew |date=March 17, 2017 |title=The Controversy Surrounding The Gay 'Beauty And The Beast' Reeks Of Hypocrisy |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beauty-and-the-beast-gay-controversy_n_58cc264ae4b0be71dcf498e5 |website=HuffPost}}</ref>

In March 2020, the Pixar animated film ''[[Onward (film)|Onward]]'' introduced the first openly [[lesbian]] character in Disney media named Officer Specter, voiced by the real-life lesbian actress [[Lena Waithe]], who discusses that her girlfriend's daughter gets her pulling her hair out.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trush |first=Brandon |date=February 21, 2020 |title=Disney-Pixar's "Onward" Will Feature the First Openly LGBTQ Character |url=https://insidethemagic.net/2020/02/onward-first-openly-lgbtq-bt1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222040111/https://insidethemagic.net/2020/02/onward-first-openly-lgbtq-bt1/ |archive-date=February 22, 2020 |access-date=March 23, 2020 |website=Inside the Magic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Frishberg |first=Hannah |date=February 24, 2020 |title=Pixar's first out gay character to be voiced by Lena Waithe in 'Onward' |work=[[New York Post]] |url=https://nypost.com/2020/02/24/pixars-first-out-gay-character-to-be-voiced-by-lena-waithe-in-onward/ |url-status=live |access-date=March 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225133013/https://nypost.com/2020/02/24/pixars-first-out-gay-character-to-be-voiced-by-lena-waithe-in-onward/ |archive-date=February 25, 2020}}</ref> This resulted to the film receiving backlash in several Middle Eastern countries such as [[Kuwait]], [[Oman]], [[Qatar]] and [[Saudi Arabia]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=March 6, 2020 |title=Disney/Pixar's 'Onward' Banned In Multiple Middle East Countries Due To Lesbian Reference |url=https://deadline.com/2020/03/disney-onward-banned-multiple-middle-east-markets-lesbian-lgbt-reference-1202876168/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307021916/https://deadline.com/2020/03/disney-onward-banned-multiple-middle-east-markets-lesbian-lgbt-reference-1202876168/ |archive-date=March 7, 2020 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=McNary |first=Dave |author-link=Dave McNary |date=March 6, 2020 |title='Onward' Banned in Several Middle East Countries Due to Lesbian Reference |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/onward-banned-lesbian-kuwait-oman-qatar-saudi-arabia-1203526359/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307131642/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/onward-banned-lesbian-kuwait-oman-qatar-saudi-arabia-1203526359/ |archive-date=March 7, 2020}}</ref> The film is also censored in [[Russia]], where the [[Russian gay propaganda law|gay propaganda law]] officially criminalizes the dissemination of [[LGBT]]-related content to children under 18.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lattanzio |first=Ryan |date=March 6, 2020 |title='Onward' Banned in Multiple Middle Eastern Countries, Censored in Russia for Gay Reference |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/03/onward-banned-middle-east-gay-reference-1202216026/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319030705/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/03/onward-banned-middle-east-gay-reference-1202216026/ |archive-date=March 19, 2020 |website=Indie Wire}}</ref>

==''Primos'' controversy==
{{Main|Primos (TV series)#Development}}
On June 13, 2023, the opening sequence of the series ''Primos'' was released by [[Disney Branded Television]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Lang|first=Jamie|url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/series/disney-tv-animation-lineup-annecy-229724.html|title=Disney Presents Packed TV Slate With Loads Of New Trailers And Images|website=[[Cartoon Brew]]|date=June 15, 2023|access-date=June 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615135946/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/series/disney-tv-animation-lineup-annecy-229724.html|archive-date=June 15, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="comicsbeat2023">{{cite web|last=Dar|first=Taimar|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/disney-animated-primos-theme-song/|title=Disney unveils details and theme song for PRIMOS cartoon|website=[[ComicsBeat]]|date=June 13, 2023|access-date=June 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613221520/https://www.comicsbeat.com/disney-animated-primos-theme-song/|archive-date=June 13, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> with a mixed reception to the sequence on [[social media]], including from [[Latinos]] and [[Mexicans]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Rodríguez|first=Andrés|url=https://elpais.com/mexico/2023-06-16/racista-y-llena-de-estereotipos-primos-la-serie-animada-de-disney-que-ha-molestado-al-publico-latinoamericano.html|title="Racista" y "llena de estereotipos": 'Primos', la serie animada de Disney que ha molestado al público latinoamericano|trans-title="Racist" and "full of stereotypes": 'Primos', the Disney animated series that has upset the Latin American public|website=[[El Pais]] Mexico|date=June 16, 2023|access-date=June 17, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230616211732/https://elpais.com/mexico/2023-06-16/racista-y-llena-de-estereotipos-primos-la-serie-animada-de-disney-que-ha-molestado-al-publico-latinoamericano.html|archive-date=June 16, 2023|url-status=live|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://aristeguinoticias.com/1506/cultura/disney-hace-enojar-a-mexicanos-con-su-nueva-serie-primos-acusan-racismo/|title=Disney hace enojar a mexicanos con su nueva serie 'Primos'; acusan racismo|trans-title=Disney makes Mexicans angry with its new series 'Primos'; accuse racism|website=[[Carmen Aristegui#Other work|Aristegui Noticas]]|date=June 15, 2023|access-date=June 17, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230617043954/https://aristeguinoticias.com/1506/cultura/disney-hace-enojar-a-mexicanos-con-su-nueva-serie-primos-acusan-racismo/|archive-date=June 17, 2023|url-status=live|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Martínez|first=Valerie|url=https://es-us.vida-estilo.yahoo.com/el-bochorno-que-disney-pudo-evitar-y-tiene-indignados-a-los-latinoamericanos-161510158.html|title=El bochorno que Disney pudo evitar y tiene indignados a los latinoamericanos|trans-title=The embarrassment that Disney was able to avoid and has Latin Americans outraged|website=Yahoo! vida y estello|publisher=[[Yahoo!]]|date=June 16, 2023|access-date=June 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617043855/https://es-us.vida-estilo.yahoo.com/el-bochorno-que-disney-pudo-evitar-y-tiene-indignados-a-los-latinoamericanos-161510158.html|archive-date=June 17, 2023|url-status=live|language=es}}</ref> Some viewers argued that the sequence had various [[Stereotypes of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States|negative stereotypes]], complained about names of some characters, and claimed the Spanish pronunciation of some characters in the sequence was incorrect.<ref name="Capitalino">{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=Jun 16, 2023 |title="Primos" la nueva serie de Disney que Latinoamérica NO quiere |trans-title="Primos" the new Disney series that Latin America does NOT want |url=https://elcapitalino.mx/entretenimiento/titulares-entretenimiento/titular-3/primos-la-nueva-serie-de-disney-que-latinoamerica-no-quiere/ |language=Spanish |work=El Capitalino |location= |access-date=June 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617180831/https://elcapitalino.mx/entretenimiento/titulares-entretenimiento/titular-3/primos-la-nueva-serie-de-disney-que-latinoamerica-no-quiere/ |archive-date=June 17, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Arrieta |first=José |date=June 14, 2023 |title=¿Por qué está causando polémica "Primos", la nueva serie de Disney? |url=https://heraldodemexico.com.mx/espectaculos/2023/6/14/por-que-esta-causando-polemica-primos-la-nueva-serie-de-disney-514173.html |access-date=June 17, 2023 |trans-title= Why is "Primos", the new Disney series, causing controversy? |website=El Heraldo de México |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615201230/https://heraldodemexico.com.mx/espectaculos/2023/6/14/por-que-esta-causando-polemica-primos-la-nueva-serie-de-disney-514173.html |archive-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bermudez|first=Justin|url=https://www.latintimes.com/disneys-primos-gets-un-warm-welcome-family-544863|title=Disney's 'Primos' Gets Un-Warm Welcome To The Family|website=[[Latin Times]]|date=June 17, 2023|access-date=June 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230617181824/https://www.latintimes.com/disneys-primos-gets-un-warm-welcome-family-544863|archive-date=June 17, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Pixar's relationship with Disney==
{{Main|Pixar#Collaboration with Disney (1999–2006)|Pixar#Walt Disney Studios subsidiary (2006–present)}}
Pixar and Disney had disagreements after the production of ''[[Toy Story 2]]''. Originally intended as a straight-to-video release (and thus not part of Pixar's five-picture deal), the film was eventually upgraded to a theatrical release during production. Pixar demanded that the film then be counted toward the five-picture agreement, but Disney refused.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hartl |first=John |date=July 31, 2000 |title=Sequels to 'Toy Story,' 'Tail,' 'Dragonheart' go straight to video. |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-7277295_ITM |access-date=April 22, 2008}}</ref> Pixar's first five feature films had collectively grossed more than $2.5 billion, equivalent to the highest per-film average gross in the industry. Though profitable for both, Pixar later complained that the arrangement was not equitable. Pixar was responsible for creation and production, while Disney handled [[Film marketing|marketing]] and [[Film distributor|distribution]]. Profits and production costs were split 50-50, but Disney exclusively owned all story and sequel rights and also collected a distribution fee. The lack of story and sequel rights was perhaps the most onerous aspect to Pixar and set the stage for a contentious relationship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Disney trying to patch things up with Pixar |url=http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_504.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209231544/http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_504.html |archive-date=December 9, 2007 |access-date=April 22, 2008 |publisher=Movies Online}}</ref>

==See also==
⚫
* [[Criticism of the Walt Disney Company]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Disney}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Criticism Of The Walt Disney Company}}
[[Category:Disney controversies| ]]
[[Category:Animation controversies]]
[[Category:Criticisms of companies|Disney]]
[[Category:LGBT-related controversies in the United States]]
[[Category:Mass media and entertainment controversies]]
[[Category:Mass media-related controversies in the United States]]
[[Category:Race-related controversies]]
[[Category:The Walt Disney Company]]

Latest revision as of 23:34, 31 January 2024

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