Disney strange world controversy
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The Walt Disney Company has made a name for itself as a powerhouse of entertainment.
Walt Disney Company Headquarters ©LA Times
Whether that’s with theme parks, books, movies, or a whole litany of other departments, there’s no denying what an impact the company has had on entertainment. But, even the best fall down sometimes, and Disney took quite the tumble with the release of the film Strange World. Why didn’t this animated film take the world by storm like Frozen or Encanto? What really went wrong with Strange World?
Strange World is about a family of explorers — the Clades — who “attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob, a three-legged dog, and a slew of ravenous creatures.” The family has to overcome their differences as they explore a — you guessed it — strange world (see what Disney did there?).
©Disney
Jake Gyllenhaal voices the main character, Searcher Clade, and other voice actors include Dennis Quaid as Searcher’s father, Jaeger; Jaboukie Young-White as Ethan Clade; Gabrielle Union as Meridian Clade; and Lucy Liu as Castillo
Florida teacher defends showing Disney movie: ‘I’m just being accepting’
A Florida teacher under investigation because she showed her class the Disney animated movie Strange World which features a gay character has defended herself on social media, insisting the film related to the curriculum and warning that state investigators were traumatizing her 10- and 11-year-old students.
Jenna Barbee, a teacher at Winding Waters school in Hernando county, Florida, released a six-minute TikTok video in which she gave her side of the story. She said she had been reported to the local school board by one of her students’ mother, who sits on the board and was on a “rampage to get rid of every form of representation out of our schools”, Barbee alleged.
Barbee, who is in her first year as a teacher, said she was reported to Florida’s state education department for “indoctrination” before anyone had even spoken to her. She is now under official investigation for possible violations of the Parental Rights in Education Act, dubbed the “don’t say gay” law, which was introduced by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, last year and which bans teaching about gender and sexual identity to
Verdict:Strange World is a mixed-bag, featuring stunningly beautiful visuals, a good-but-not-great story, and a front-and-center message about exploring sexuality.
About The Movie
Disney is back and ready to transport audiences to strange new worlds. Strange World is an original story featuring a talented voice cast.The most apparent comparison is to Pixar’s Lightyear, which released earlier this year and sparked much debate. Strange World is also a science-fiction story that seems destined to ignite some of the identical controversy. From top to bottom, Strange World is a vastly superior film to Lightyear, but it also leans more heavily into the other film’s most controversial element (namely, its LGBTQ storyline). As such, I suspect it will be an equally divisive film.
We’ll examine the sexuality component below, but let’s begin with the movie itself, since there is much to commend and appreciate. This clip is a visual feast. In fact, Strange World may be the most stunning and beautifully animated movie I’ve ever seen. Almost every frame is bursting with vibrant colors and staggeringly intricate details. There are delightful moments in which the an
A Florida teacher says the state is investigating her for showing students the Disney movie 'Strange World,' which features an LGBTQ character
A teacher in Florida says the State Board of Education is investigating her after she showed Disney's "Strange World" to her fifth-grade students as part of a "brain break."
Released in 2022, "Strange World" follows a family of explorers who travel through various jungles and other "uncharted" land. "Strange World" attracted backlash from conservatives after its release because one of the characters is Disney's first openly LGBTQ lead.
Jenna Barbee, a first-year teacher, confirmed in a TikTok post on Sunday that the state was investigating her. She says in the video that there were several students not normally in her class present when she showed the movie, one of which was the child of a school board member who is "on a rampage to get rid of every form of representation out of our schools."
"The school board member called the Department of Education on me for indoctrination before ever coming to our school to talk with me or admin about the situation," Barbee said.
Florida has been at the forefront of Republican-l
‘Strange World’ controversy: Petition calls for school board member to resign amid Disney movie dispute
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - The Hernando County School District changed the location of Tuesday night’s regularly scheduled school board meeting in anticipation of a large crowd. The board is expected to discuss the findings of an investigation into a Disney movie that was shown to fifth graders earlier this month.
The teacher at the center of the controversy has already resigned.
Thousands are now calling for the school board member who started the flap, which made international headlines, to step down as well.
A change.org petition has garnered more than 23,000 signatures.
The petition accuses school board member Shannon Rodriguez of creating a hostile environment for teachers and administrators.
Thousands have signed a petition to have Hernando School Board member Shannon Rodriguez removed.
The call to remove Rodriguez began after she reported 5th-grade teacher Jenna Barbie to the State Board of Education for showing what Rodriguez says was inappropriate material in class.
Barbie played the Disney movie "Strange World" for a classroom of 5th