Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/03/14/show-em-your-larboard-side.html
…
5 Likes
But, but, you’re rewriting history!
13 Likes
When I first watched Swiss Family Robinson as a kid I was unclear on why the captain’s daughter Roberta was disguised as a boy before being taken captive by the pirates. Childhood innocence can be a helluva thing.
In retrospect I suspect that being disguised as a boy probably wouldn’t have provided much protection against gang rape by pirates either.
20 Likes
The WDW version closed for the Bride Auction scene removal about three weeks ago.
6 Likes
Of course, not just that scene, but most of the ride conveyed that pirates are terrible people doing terrible things… right up until Disney founded a successful movie franchise synpathetic to the pirates.
15 Likes
Johnny Depp (turning directly to camera): “Just remember kids—video piracy is never, ever OK.”
26 Likes
WTF they need a date for? The park closes at midnight. Get a crew of about 20 employees to go in there and clear out that one scene before the park opens again at 8am. Or put up a curtain and worry less.
“We will end our display of slavery and misogyny at 9:03pm on April 23.” Come on. That’s ridiculous.
3 Likes
Disney always announces their refurbishment schedules ahead of time so guests will know what rides are down & schedule their trips accordingly. The ride will be down for several weeks, at least – creating an entirely new scene and refurbing the ride isn’t an overnight task.
13 Likes
Seems more egregious than the coy young lady being chased by a married man being chased by his butcher-knife wielding missus. I’m having trouble finding when this was changed but I’m quite sure it was replaced by a scene where (per wikipedia) “…two foolish buccaneers who have stolen snacks are chased by an angry woman holding a rolling pin.” Pretty sure she had a butcher’s knife but maybe it was a rolling pin as contrast to the many knife/sword wielding characters.
3 Likes
Sure, but that’s not addressing the question of immediate removal of the offensive object.
I have mentioned this sentiment to several people-how pirates weren’t cute or adorable, or sexy. They were horrible people, the terrorists of their day. I suggested that in 2200, maybe there would be movies and dolls, etc. of terrorists, and how would we feel about that.
I’m not sure I got my point across.
9 Likes
If people are getting their history of piracy from Disneyland, I’m not sure what to tell them! 
11 Likes
“Mr. Disney, should our ride about the fun life of murderous thieving slave-trading rapists include a scene where they sell women, or should we leave that out, to avoid offending people.”
11 Likes
I’m… not sure what that means. As they do with any ride they’re overhauling or changing, they scheduled an extended refurbishment date and announced it so people will know when Pirates is down. Adding a new scene to the ride is a very big deal so Disney has been pretty open about posting concept art of what the new scene will look like. They’re framing this as “updating a favorite attraction”, not “removing a sex trafficking scene”.
2 Likes
I say that’s a problem.
Let me be (even more) clear:
3 Likes
How long until there are complaints about how Disney is whitewashing history again?
1 Like
“Maybe also don’t get your civil war history from revisionist statues?” would be my first choice.
2 Likes
I was just about to post that same cartoon.
We wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, you know.
1 Like
Exactly. You can’t tell them anything, any more than you can explain economics to people who think a person who:
- Got $200 million from his father
- Bankrupted casinos, a USFL franchise and a “university”
- Is deeply indebted to the Russian mob
is an economic genius.
7 Likes
