Disney Pixar’s latest $200 million cinematic gamble, Elemental, is struggling, despite the star power of a non-binary character. The woke agenda-packed film has been greeted with a resounding ‘no’ by audiences, with a paltry $29.5 million debut. The downfall is an outcry against Hollywood’s obsession with political correctness, proof that even the mighty Disney can stumble when they miscalculate their audience’s patience for identity politics. Audiences prefer quality storytelling to sermons.”
It’s been reported that Elemental’s opening weekend figures are the most abysmal for Disney Pixar since ‘Toy Story’ in 1995. When you consider inflation hasn’t been factored in for ‘Toy Story’s’ numbers, the magnitude of Elemental’s failure becomes even more stark.
Critics argue the film’s financial fiasco stems from a refusal to embrace what many perceive as identity politics and unfiltered wokeness. The attempt to intersperse politically-charged themes with a narrative about elemental beings came across as forced, leading to lackluster audience interest and tepid reviews. To quote USA Today, “The characterisation was a mishmash of absurdities.”
This isn’t Disney’s first encounter with the wrath of an audience fed up with forced progressive themes. Last year, the company incurred a $100 million loss from “Strange World,” another production attempting to preach the woke gospel by featuring an open teen gay romance.
It seems Disney’s repeated forays into LGBT themes, such as in the Disney+ Show ‘Baymax,’ which drew controversy with a transgender tampon scene, are not paying off.
Christopher F. Rufo, in June 2022, pointed to this misguided trend when he unveiled a leaked video from Disney’s ‘Baymax,’ which promoted the transgender flag and the idea that men can menstruate to toddlers. This falls in line with Disney’s seeming determination to reshape the narrative around children and sexuality, a path fraught with controversy and rejection.
Last year, leaked footage revealed Disney executive producer Latoya Raveneau admitting that her team was on a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” aiming to “add queerness” to children’s programming.
This, along with Disney’s support for gender reassignment procedures for minors, has caused significant backlash among parents.
This corporate fascination with children’s sexuality drew the ire of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who cited four Disney employees charged with human trafficking in Florida, one allegedly sending explicit texts to an undercover agent posing as a teenager.
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a plan to ‘quiet things down’ after these high-profile controversies, indicating a possible shift from an openly LGBT agenda. However, it appears the change is yet to take effect.
The recent performance of Elemental, featuring a non-binary character and tackling racism and xenophobia, sends a clear signal to the entertainment industry. Audiences are not resonating with the woke culture Disney has so heavily bet on. Instead, it is evident they long for engaging stories and characters.
Elemental’s box office fiasco is a powerful wake-up call. The entertainment industry must understand that pushing political agendas over quality storytelling is a recipe for disaster. No matter how much Disney tries to enforce woke culture, audiences are proving they won’t be spoon-fed such ideologies. The fall of Elemental should serve as a potent reminder that audiences crave engaging, meaningful content over politicized messaging. Here’s to hoping Hollywood heeds this cautionary tale.
