From Winnie the pooh to Mulan, What had Disney ever learnt?
One of many Winnie the pooh meme was featuring with Obama and President Xi, were just walking side by side. it was started from innocent meme in social media, but doesn’t end up with laughable memory till 2019, in China, IS IT NOT fun for China ONLY?
In 2018, “Christopher Robin”, author of Winnie the pooh biography/fantasy, had ban in China, in related to “Chinese leader Xi Jinping had been compared to the Pooh, associating the character with political opposition”( copy from wikipedia: for 5 cents population please go and updated that if you will.).
Just because of that, the film had been ban, not because of any of violence and nudity content in the movie. Some Chinese CLAIMED it just released in the theater (with much later day),But, the point is, Disney should had already learnt a valuable lesson, just to work with China.
However, it is enough for non-Chinese Disney fans, “understood” the “ridiculous” film censorship in China.
Similar for what Disney had cast for Mulan from more than a thousand actresses , picked an American-Chinese actress Liu Yifei, mean for marketing for Chinese population and Disney die-hard fans in America,
now, she just left the Mulan promotion department to clean up the mess.
However, before Crystal Liu,Yifei made her crystal clear statement for “supporting Hong Kong Police Force”, by reposting "People’s daily/Renmin Ribao”, statment, in her own Weibo,
some Mulan fans had already questioned the film, as well as controversy for the story-line changes.
It is not something uncommon for actresses and actors to show their “patriotic” side , such as reposting “I support Hong Kong Police, and you could beat me up now”, in personal social media, as they still want to work in China or Chinese brand, under the pressure of The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA/ 国家广播电视总局) in The Communist Party of China.
It is became their obligation to be patriotic, in order to work in China.
Even, the USA citizenship owner like Liu,Yifei, could expressed any political view, even she had choiced to have one, that it may controversy to the others.
But, do Disney changes the story to fitted in NRTA standard, just to get in the China Marketing?
That’s should be the question challenging Disney , not the recasting by using #BoycottMulan.
RE-casting doesn’t mean the next actress won’t sold her personal weibo for “CCP’s Political correctness”, she still the potential to re-created another public relation disaster for Disney again.
Because Disney born on the free country who respect freedom of speech. It won’t restricted actress’s opinion, even out of her “character”.
As well as the citizen grow up with freedom of speech, had understood “silence is an valuate”, they could just “sit back and relax” in some political topic.
However, as long as the actor/actress, who worked in iron curtain continent, the neediness to constantly “EXPRESSED” the positive opinion to the government, just to “FITTED in the POLITICAL CORRECTNESS” category, is an requirement of “Survival”.
but this behavior just cringing every single general audience.
Nevertheless, does Disney “kneel down”, just to get the Chinese market? maybe, maybe not.
Because Disney could film or edited in more than two different version, just like Iron man 3.
However, that’s could potential ruin the storytelling, if Disney wanted to happy for both side, and lost both of them, eventually.
NRTA banned costume drama (ancient Chinese costume)in March till June, 2019. unless THE FILM MAKER sign up for special condition with NRTA.
(References: from global times, by the way, that’s media claimed their journalist had been beat up by Hong Kong protester in the airport, he discharged from hospital discharge by the next day. And the statement of “supporting Hong Kong Police Force, you could beat me up now.” which had no Journalist id whatsoever with him, like Hong Kong police, doesn’t it, that’ s their memo, maybe?)
Disney, as a big company ,should already knew how China is like that, and should already well organised, as they are expecting and targeting Chinese market, will need to have a duel with NRTA, and it should be believed as done duel.
Till, NRTA changes its regulation again( in any time they wanted) , as fitted in CCP 2020 propagrada……
But it seems, Disney had already kneel down because of “political correctness”, by rewriting the Commander Tong as a teacher, by adding another male character for Mulan’s love interest, just to avoid “Metoo movement” feminist trigger point, as “woman fell in love with higher states man”, as it is not “political correctness”.
( And, If any feminist were offend in the last statement, please go fight for free Hong Kong movement, as the Hong Kong police force were insulting female much worst than anything where else.)
At the same time, Disney couldn’t support Hong Kong protester directly, they won’t want to lost the Chinese market, however, Hong Kong got Disneyland, as well as Shanghai Disneyland…..
How could you protect the performer who currently worked in Hong Kong, away from Hong Kong police force?
They couldn’t. And there is really interesting video in youtube, claimed Hong Kong Disney performer was attacked and arrested by Hong Kong Police Force on 5th of August, while he just walked by the area.
Some may said it is a fake video, but in fact, many had been assault by Hong Kong police force over last two months, which the latest one, the victim which trigger the #eye4hk movement, was shoot by bean-bag bullet by police, lost her right eye, and she also suffered from optical nerve damage, which had a long way from recovery. As she was just the first-aider in the protest.
This incident had trigger for all the medical staff to strike, as well as the airport protest.
Some said Hong Kong protester was violence, as offended that “Global times Journalist” liberty to report what happen in Hong Kong.
Oh, really? Since when Global Times is so open to reported what ACUTALLY happen in Hong Kong to China, without the hand of CCP?
It may soon enough for Shanghai Disney employee follow the footstep of Crystal Lui, as presenting her “Crystal clear mind” in weibo, as requirement to “survival” in China intelligence system. It is just the matter of time, CCP will request Disney to install intelligence camera in the Disneyland.
But Should Hong Kong Disneyland follow that STEP?
Cathy Pacific flight should be the best example to answer Disney.
Chinese marketing maybe worthy, but it in fact, in long team, it is selling the company itself to exchange that market, and over relying on Chinese market, the company it not only lost the control of it own development, but it is controlled by CCP by every step, eventually made the company like a bragger, kneel down and bagging for food.
Of course, Disney wanted all the market, it got enough money to produce as much version as it wanted, just like Iron Man 3, but it is enough for Chinese audience though?
Disney as an international company, wanted to keeping quite in some political opinion, and play a innocent card “let the story is just simply to story”, rewrite another version for CCP standard, it is ok, but it is still not guarantee for the box office.
Probably no, because it is too easy rubbing them in a wrong way, by NRTA standard. (or CCP standard, as they had tried to outsmart Sony, maybe? Not really successful in Spider-man series, by the way.)
For example, Hua Mulan, as in folklore, she is from Xiebia (鮮卑), in history she is in fact a Mongolian, and now Disney presented as Chinese hero, um, is it political correct? um, maybe, maybe not.
Just like someone said the ancient Scandinavian is current British , and yes, that’s how odd it is, if you describe ancient Mongolian folklore hero as current Chinese.
For now, Disney could keep the Winnie the Pooh adventure theme in the Shanghai Disneyland, but how could you be sure that it won’t disappear because CCP dislike it one day?
There had so many things had been limited in Shanghai Disney already, such as “Haunted Mansion” won’t existed in CCP standard. (References: Look at how different Shanghai Disneyland is from other Disney Parks?)
Boycott Mulan is not a statement, it is a wake up alarm for Disney from Chinese marketing dream, before it lost it way.
