When Disney and Wingnuts Collide

I belong to several Disney groups on Facebook. Mostly they consist of people asking the same damn reservation and restaurant questions over and over, people sharing pictures of their Disney trips, dogs with Disney names, Disney themed rooms in their homes, etc., and it’s hard to tell them apart. Harmless, silly fun.

One seemed different. I won’t use the group name here, because I don’t want to give them attention, but it has a cheerful name.

This group is different. I’m convinced the group name is ironic, because the group has an unusually high quota of miserable assholes who complain about everything. Not everyone, of course – most people joined for the same reason I did, because what the hell, it’s a Disney group, I’ll see what it’s like. You know, normal people.

I was so amused by the contrast between the group’s name and the behavior of many of its members, I stuck around for the show. Yesterday, it did not disappoint.

Recently, Disney announced changes to the Cast Members’ (hereafter CM) grooming requirements and wardrobe options. This is not the first time they’ve done this; it has happened incrementally before, but this announcement for some reason really set this FB group OFF.

Over the top rage ensued:

“The CMs will have tattooed faces, gauges in their earlobes, and look like carnies!” (This person very obviously didn’t read the new policy, but that didn’t stop him from raging like this through the entire thread, and getting belligerent with anyone who tried to talk him down.)

“How will I ever explain their tattoos to my grandchildren? I don’t want them to see that!” (Speaking as a grandma, it never occurred to me that my granddaughters should be sheltered from tattoos. Many of the responsible adults in their lives have them.)

“Disney has gone downhill since ABC bought them!” (Um, Disney bought ABC, but let’s not confuse them with facts.)

“What do you expect? Democrat owners.” (I have no idea of the political affiliation of the major shareholders, but it’s a publicly traded company.) I was also surprised this comment was allowed, because on nearly all Disney boards, anything remotely political gets shut down fast by the moderators. But it’s cool on this board.

Many threats to never return, lest their innocent, wholesome eyes encounter a CM with double pierced ears.

It was truly hilarious and over the top, full of wild claims about what this change in appearance standards will mean, followed by an echo chamber of agreement: Yes, yes, it totally means that the CM helping your family onto the teacups will have facial tattoos! Isn’t that AWFUL!! (No, it does not mean that at all, but do go on, you’re hilarious!)

The normal people pointed out that they obviously hadn’t read about what is actually changing, but that fell on deaf ears.

Again, it’s far from everybody on the board, most of the members are normies. But where was this insanity coming from?

There’s a little message on the group’s About page that shed some light: We were all invited to join them on another social media platform, one I’d never heard of before. (Not the one you’re thinking of, but like that.) A few minutes of research and AHA! It’s a fringe social media platform that prides itself on “freedom” and is a home for conspiracy mongers, anti-vaxxers, and fringe types of all persuasions. Clearly the crazy has cross-pollinated this FB group.

Like Facebook can’t grow its own crazy?

Fortunately, the majority of people on this board are quite normal, or as normal as Disnerds get, and let them spin on their backs like toddlers having tantrums in the Walmart parking lot.

I still want to work for Disney as my “retirement” gig. I’m getting practice at smiling and changing the subject in my day job now.