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Quick Hit:

A new op-ed argues Disney’s progressive push has driven away the very audience its biggest franchises should naturally attract: young men. Writer Zachary Faria says the company is now scrambling to undo the damage caused by years of prioritizing “diversity, equity, and inclusion” over storytelling.

Key Details:

• Zachary Faria of the Washington Examiner writes that Disney has made its blockbuster franchises “toxic to young men” through DEI-driven changes.
• Faria cites examples across Marvel, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones where traditional heroes were replaced, demeaned, or sidelined in favor of “ideological propaganda.”
• He argues Disney has “no one to blame but itself” for alienating its male audience and is now considering original films to try to win them back.

Diving Deeper:

In a blistering critique published in the Washington Examiner, columnist Zachary Faria argues Disney’s embrace of progressive politics has caused the company to alienate one of its most natural audiences: young men between the ages of 13 and 28. “Disney’s progressive ideology has alienated young men. The company now recognizes that its own franchises are toxic to that audience,” Faria wrote.

Disney executives are reportedly brainstorming ways to bring young men back to theaters, despite owning some of the most male-oriented franchises in modern history. “You would think that this wouldn’t be very difficult: Disney owns Marvel, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones, among other franchises that should all naturally appeal to a younger, male audience,” Faria observed.

Instead, he says the company has used those franchises as vehicles for divisive politics. “Marvel went from being defined by Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor to being defined by mediocre Disney+ series mired in DEI propaganda,” Faria noted. He pointed specifically to the Iron Heart series, where “a young black girl (who is also a criminal) [becomes] the new Iron Man, as she dismisses her predecessor as being nothing more than a privileged rich man.”

The same pattern, he argues, can be seen in Lucasfilm and Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford’s iconic hero was supplanted by a female co-star “who the latest bomb of a film positions as morally superior to him.” Meanwhile, The Acolyte turned the Jedi into villains while portraying “the heroic lesbian space witch cult at the heart of the movie.”

For Faria, this strategy is backfiring. “With those brand names in its pocket, Disney should have been playing on easy mode when it came to winning over young male viewers. Instead, Disney has made those franchises so toxic that it is reportedly looking for original film concepts to win over young men,” he wrote. He added that it is now “easier to come up with a completely original story that will appeal to young men than it is to appeal to them with a Star Wars film.”

Faria concluded with a sharp comparison between the entertainment giant and the political left: “Disney, much like the Democratic Party, has embraced an ideology that belittles and ostracizes young men, and is now facing the reality that young men no longer want anything to do with its brand. Disney is trying to figure out how to win over the people it purposefully alienated over the last several years, and it has no one to blame but itself.”

“Disney+ Day” by Anthony Quintano licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Ellie Fromm

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced it would navigate legal concerns around a showing of a film documenting the rescue of hostages on Oct. 7, 2023.

TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey stated via social media Wednesday evening that they would work with the filmmaker of “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” to proceed with the screening. The move comes after TIFF pulled the film from the line-up due to legal concerns that the film did not receive legal permission from Hamas to use footage of the terrorists.

“I want to be clear: claims that the film was rejected due to censorship are unequivocally false,” Bailey said in the statement. “I remain committed to working with the filmmaker to meet TIFF’s screening requirements to allow the film to be screened at this year’s festival. I have asked our legal team to work with the filmmaker on considering all options available.”

Wendy Sachs, who directed a documentary about the explosion of antisemitism after Hamas’ October 7 attacks, claimed via Instagram that TIFF employee’s hijacked the film’s showing and forced executives to pull it from the schedule.

“The truth is that TIFF staffers refused to work if this film about a grandfather rescuing his family on October 7th was shown at the Toronto Film Festival,” Sachs said on Instagram. “We’ve had similar issues with my film @october8thefilm being protested or rejected because staffers threatened to quit if they showed or worked on the film. It’s outrageous.”

Hamas’ October 7 attacks were some of the deadliest attacks committed against Israel in history, launching approximately 5,000 rockets and sending armed militants into Israeli territory. Over 240 hostages were taken, 1,200 civilians were murdered and many women were sexually assaulted by Hamas that day.

“First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere apologies for any pain this situation may have caused,” Bailey said in the statement. “It was never my intention to offend or alienate anyone. At TIFF, we believe in the transformative power of film to foster understanding and dialogue, especially during challenging times.”

Bailey claimed he originally invited the film to show at TIFF because he believed it was important for a large scale of different stories and perspectives to be shown at the festival, according to his statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said his forces aim to “liberate” the Gaza Strip from Hamas and then give control of the strip to Arab forces, with Israeli forces having only temporary control of the strip.