Disney Exec Reportedly Explains How Tinker Bell Has Become 'Problematic' for Young Girls (2024)

Disney has known Tinker Bell to have been "problematic" for several years, but there's news going around Tuesday explaining why there are no more "meet-and-greet" opportunities for Tinker Bell. An unnamed Disney representative is quoted as saying:

Advertisem*nt

Tinkerbell, unfortunately, has become a problematic image for our guests; specifically, young girls. Specifically, in terms of the portrayal of an unrealistic body image as well as dependency of approval and/or attention from Peter Pan, as seen in previous incarnations of the character. We feel these traits are no longer representative of our inclusive focused values and thus, are currently in process of redesigning an updated Tinkerbell for modern audiences.

Tinkerbell is cancelled now. “Tinkerbell unfortunately has become a problematic image for our guests…”
Woke destroys everything. No wonder mental health is declining. pic.twitter.com/8TVIdPEMfa
— Pamela Garfield-Jaeger, LCSW (@truththerapist) May 13, 2024

We don't have a source on the Disney representative, but it's so very easy to believe this is 100 percent real considering Disney's "inclusive focused values."

This is the same Disney that has an overweight man in a dress escorting young girls into the "Enchanted Chamber."

Disney has a man in a dress working in the dress store for little girls at Disneyland. This is who Disney wants girls to see when they first walk in to pick out a dress. pic.twitter.com/Ta2dwyAaSa
— Jason Jones (@jonesville) May 30, 2023

According to The Hill, "Boutique cast members, who help children dress up as their favorite Disney characters, will now be called 'Fairy God Mother’s Apprentices' instead of 'Fairy God Mothers in Training' to allow workers who do not identify as women to be a part of the magic."

But Tinker Bell's body image is problematic? Because she's thin? And subservient to Peter Pan?

The problem is, quite literally, that she is a physically fit female who wants to please the man she likes.
Enough of this: society should not abuse low performers, but programming citizens for the exact opposite of success is absurd and dysgenic. https://t.co/Oud6Vv4vVn
— Wilfred Reilly (@wil_da_beast630) May 14, 2024

I googled this quote and it appears to be made up.
— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) May 14, 2024

But the fact that you can't tell if it's real or not is "problematic."

MSN reports:

The move from Disney comes after it confirmed her disappearance from meet-and-greets at the resort in February.
“Disney character ‘meet and greets’ do change in the Disney Parks,” wrote a planDisney representative in response to a question about Tinker Bell’s disappearance. “It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the Walt Disney World Resort website for character updates”
Tinker Bell has reportedly faced scrutiny from Disney’s Stories Matter team ahead of the debut of Disney+ in 2019. The team reportedly flagged and labeled the character to Disney executives as "potentially problematic," claiming that she is “body conscious” and “jealous of Peter Pan’s attention,” according to a 2022 report from The New York Times.

Advertisem*nt

She's "body conscious"? And that's not healthy for young girls to be around?

"Updating"
Are they going to make her fat?
— Luke Phillips (@X_Praxis) May 14, 2024

They’re ok with a man in a dress selling little girls dresses at their park - but Tinkerbell is problematic and can’t be in the meet and greet.
— Jackie Chea ⚖️ (@Fair_and_Biased) May 14, 2024

Can you imagine the corporate meetings where this was discussed?
— Jay Trott (@trottskyathome) May 13, 2024

Does this mean that Tinkerbell’s getting a penis?
— Jack Foster (@jazzraptor) May 14, 2024

So she’ll be a fat ugly lesbian.
— Philip Hornsey (@Malavoces) May 14, 2024

They do strive to be inclusive.

I’m sure this decision is the right one for them, financially.
If they’re dead set on going broke, that is.
— Calluna (@Calluna1007) May 14, 2024

This is unreal. MSN reports that Tinker Bell has been removed from meet-and-greets and alludes to a New York Times article where Disney expressed concern about her being "body conscious."

Maybe the quote is fake but we wouldn't be surprised at all if they were redesigning the character to be more inclusive.

***

Disney Exec Reportedly Explains How Tinker Bell Has Become 'Problematic' for Young Girls (2024)

Recommended

References