Russell Beattie

I really loathe Disney. I hate how they use the brainwashing of our children to sell their products. I think at first Walt was just making cartoons, but then it became obvious that if you "hook 'em young" then you've got their business for life. It blows me away the number of mindless drones out there who buy Disney merchandise, line up for the next white-washed Disney movie or go to DisneyWorld every year as some sort of fun. It's not fun. You're being brainwashed and then robbed.

I'm definitely NOT going to be one of those parents with the full collection of Disney video tapes to plop their kids down in front of so they can become mindless consumers of the Disney empire. Not in a million years. No Disney products in my house if I can help it. But it's not going to be easy, actually because so many people buy into Disney's marketing that they're this family-friendly company, etc. They're not. They have nothing but their interests in mind and all they want to do is sell you crap. I'm not buying any of that crap! But what do I do with the Mickey Mouse overalls that were a present from my brother (who's wife works at Disneyland in California)? Do I burn them? Probably not, but ignoring them is really hard.

Having ranted, I must admit, I really like Winnie-the-Pooh. Probably because I was brainwashed young. And Alex really likes him too (probably because I've bought a ton of merchandise with the Winnie-the-Pooh on it... he doesn't really have a choice.) But man, I still hate Disney. Alex has a cute pair of socks that have Tigger on them. But on the bottom of the socks, woven into the fabric are not one, but two HUGE "(c) Disney" marks. Disney is trying to copyright my son! Assholes.

Anyways, that's why I'm so happy that the Winnie-the-Pooh owners are suing the pants off of Disney. And now related to that suit, the shareholders are suing Disney! Yes! I hope those jackals eat each other from within! I'd love to see the Stephen Slesinger family rip the Winnie license out from under Disney, robbing them of untold billions in merchandising, and selling it to someone else. Which may be the case of "the devil you know...' but still any slam against Disney makes me happy. I hope they do it.

I think, actually, if I thought that Winnie was a wholely Disney owned creation, I wouldn't have it in my house at all. But as it is, Alex looks pretty damn cute holding his Tigger, don't you think? Yep. I'm brainwashed.

-Russ