The D-Files Part 3: Disney the Killer of Dreams

Another source noted that Tumblr was “UNEQUIVOCALLY” the base for new talent. Women from the social media site were quickly scooped up and placed on Raya and the Last Dragon, along with other animated shows and features. Talent is now an afterthought. It was more important that these women could pad the quotas and become useful foot soldiers for the cause of DEI. Once in, the activists were asked for referrals, and now they were in a position to hire other artists from their “friend squads.” They were now hiring based seemingly on their politics; these “friend squads” quickly created a powerful contingent not just at Disney.

The existence of these “squads” began to radically shift the power structure at Disney Animation, which led to radical changes in the long-held Disney traditions of animation (more on this in the D-Files, Part 4).

Let’s talk about quality. The vast majority of the newly hired Tumblr talent is self-taught. There’s nothing wrong with that as an artistic starting point. Successfully copying your favorite artists is the first indicator that one has minimal talent. The problem is that Tumblr is not art college and will not give you the proper training required to grow. Tumblr-based artists are constantly being affirmed by fellow Tumblr artists…which breeds an unhealthy level of narcissism and bad habits. Constructive criticism is the key to growth, but online criticism of one’s art is often taken personally and inevitably sparks drawn-out struggle sessions of hurt feelings followed by personal attacks. Best to keep your criticisms to yourself if you want to be part of the “friend squad.”

It is well-known in the art community Tumblr has a bad reputation. In fact, “Tumblr cartoons” is a term for awful animation featuring bad design and uninspired storytelling. One source told me, “Tumblr was Ground Zero for this mess we’re in. Along with a sub-par portfolio, these artists had not yet completed their ‘ten thousand hours,’ and they brought bad art habits with them into the big animation studios.” Some artists also find Tumblr cartoons too preachy or heavy-handed, sacrificing subtlety and nuance to align with “The Message.”

Social media isn’t exactly the breeding ground for building a healthy community and interpersonal interactions. Tumblr communities foster an echo chamber effect where certain ideas or ideologies are reinforced without much critical discussion or diversity of thought. Relevant here is a new form of woke storytelling where villains are no longer needed, or female protagonists don’t need no man to save them. Can someone remind me what the definition of “incel” is? Tumblr became the perfect breeding ground for activists perfect for Disney’s new “reimagined” storytelling.

These recruits had a very specific personality. In them, Disney found their value as influencers, not artists. As one source puts it, “[Disney] was more than ready to hire influencers than a more reserved person with actual talent. Influencers have the potential to bring in their fan base to ‘replace’ whatever old fan base was there before. Unfortunately, Disney gave these influencers too much credit to do exactly that.” In other words, Disney overestimated their artistic talent and underestimated their ability to attract an audience.

“The goal was to clear out as many ‘Old White Guys’ as possible at Disney Animation…”

When the new animators entered the hallowed halls of Disney animation, the veteran staff instantly knew trouble was brewing. The first warning sign was the quality of their work or lack thereof. Who’s Walt Disney? Walt Disney himself inspired the work of these veterans; they studied Walt’s classic features and shorts, and that’s how they got their jobs at Disney. Not true with these recruits. They understood very little about actual animation and bringing art to life. My source said that their influences were not from Walt but from whatever was currently popular with Gen Z and Millenials at the time, which in this case was anime…a very different art form and style. When asked about the classics like Snow White, Dumbo, and The Jungle Book, their response was blank stares.

When these recruits started doing their highly coveted jobs, they struggled to succeed at a job they weren’t qualified to have in the first place. Attempts to offer help or mentoring from the “Old White Guys” were met with an undeniable cold shoulder. One veteran animator described the new hires as having “open disdain for the ‘Old White Guys.'” Comments veterans made during creative meetings were met with snarky replies by the youngsters. In a moment of entitlement, one young female POC said after a notes session, “They won’t listen to MY ideas.”

The turnover at Disney Animation was high among these recruits…and among the veterans as well. Many who realized they were not qualified to animate left feeling dejected…a dream killed. Others had very little passion for animation and didn’t like the work they were given. Instead, they demanded to be promoted to other positions, which was granted. Sources say that they were moved away from art to story. The foundation Walt built for animation was quickly beginning to crack.

During one creative meeting, there was a discussion of why people were leaving the studio in droves. Regretfully, one artist said, “We’re getting tired of being disrespected,” and the response was met with ‘Yeah, but YOU don’t know what it’s like to be a woman!'” The actual details of this interaction are much more disturbing.