If you haven’t heard, there’s been a big job opening and anyone is welcome to apply for the position. Of course, few can actually fill such big shoes, but someone’s got to try or the search will have to continue! And the role looking to be filled is the one that Walt Disney once occupied. Oh sure, he passed away 56 years ago, but to prove what a world-changing icon he was, the Walt Disney Company has been coasting on his fantastical fumes ever since, and mostly with great success. But the winds of change are beginning to blow and the demise of the Walt Disney Company may very well be on the horizon. At least in the form it once took.
Does that mean the company was ever perfect? By no means, but they did far exceed other studios when it came to producing content you could feel confident your children could watch without concern of exposure to questionable content. So, what happened to that great company that was once known for their squeaky clean, family values? The very company that is now removing all reference to “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” was once headed up by a man who said, “The important thing is the family. If you can keep the family together — and that’s the backbone of our whole business, catering to families — that’s what we hope to do.”
And catering to families is what he did best and to what he owed his great success. While Disney productions and the Disneyland theme park certainly appealed to children, Walt was immensely successful at drawing out the child in us all. He once stated, “Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children’s approach to life. They’re people who don’t give a hang what the Jones’ do. You see them at Disneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures, and they have a degree of contentment with what life has brought — sometimes it isn’t much, either.”
Even Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, when informed during his visit to the United States in 1959 that he would not be permitted to visit Disneyland, fumed, “And I say, ‘I would very much like to go and see Disneyland.’ But then, we cannot guarantee your security, they say. Then what must I do? Commit suicide?” And I must admit that I too once considered Disneyland to be among my favorite destinations on the planet. During a time in my life when I lived in Southern California I would visit every chance I got and since moving away it has certainly been the thing I miss the most. There the spirit of Walt still reverberated the standards and quality he set forth which resulted in infinite smiles for its visitors. It’s isn’t dubbed “The Happiest Place on Earth” for nothing.
Like almost every child, I grew up on all the Disney classics, and over the course of my life, they have become an ingrained part of my psyche and something I cherish dearly. Walt Disney, the man, has been my hero for his astounding ability to bring magic to a desolate world, shaping the American consciousness like no one before or since. He made people believe that fairy tales were real, that dreams could come true, and that there was actual goodness in the world. And he did so by producing squeaky clean, wholesome content, stating, “I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty. Call the child “innocence.” The worst of us is not without innocence, although buried deeply it might be. In my work I try to reach and speak to that innocence, showing it the fun and joy of living; showing it that laughter is healthy; showing it that the human species, although happily ridiculous at times, is still reaching for the stars.”
And he certainly proved that while sex may sell, the innocence we sometimes bury sells far more. Perhaps because he knew the secret that eludes most Hollywood executives, “I am corny, you know? But I think there are just about 140 million people in this country who are just as corny as I am.”
Apparently it has also eluded those currently running his once great company, because sadly, the magic is fading as it continues to be run into the ground by those in charge who are proudly desecrating Walt’s original vision. And as it sinks further into the mire of their wicked agenda, so goes its remarkable legacy — a legacy once highly celebrated, now increasingly considered an embarrassment to the company.
But with its destruction, a vacuum is being created which needs to be filled — and soon. It’s the role of dreamer, innovator, game-changer. The world desperately needs another Walt Disney! Oh sure, one might say Elon Musk fits that bill, but is it enough to only be a technological pioneer? Walt Disney was certainly that as well, but he didn’t pursue technological advancement for its own sake. He simply used technology as a tool to accomplish his true vision — “I am interested in entertaining people, in bringing pleasure, particularly laughter, to others.”
Is bringing happiness to others even a priority any longer, or are we only driven by personal ambition and political agendas? That’s something we creatives have to decide. What is our dream at the end of the day? Do we want our work to merely rake in money and power or do we want to inspire people with something meaningful and beautiful? For Walt, his motivation was clear — “Disneyland is a work of love. We didn’t go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money.” “Money doesn’t excite me, my ideas excite me.” “I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true.”
Are you a dreamer above all else? Then there might just be a special position waiting for you. And with the right kind of opportunity, you too might change the world through the power of joy. The results of being a champion for such ideals has certainly proven breath-taking, but last I checked, the position is still open. I’m simply thrilled to be among the applicants, but I don’t mind a few fierce competitors… may the best man (or mouse) win!
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
— Philippians 4:8
Jakki Jelene is a lover of literature and the sea. Whether cozying up with a classic novel or a book of poetry, immersive storytelling has inspired her to express her thoughts in writing for most of her life. Jakki currently resides in beautiful West Michigan with her husband and furry companions.
Wonderfully stated and I hope we have many applicants for the job. I am excited to see what the counter-culture will bring and what it will mean the future of our children and families.
I have to be the bad guy here and say that this title is pretty misleading. 🙂 Walt Disney the person badly needs a replacement, as the article implies, but my research indicates he was a committed secular humanist and one of those guys who has led us by example down the road of outward perfection at the cost of the true nature of the best entertainers — to teach truth while creating delight in what is good, pure, lovely, excellent, noteworthy, and all the rest. From the beginning Disney wanted us mesmerized by his entertainment but had little to teach us. We need someone of sound, godly character who understands that a merry heart does good like a medicine when you enjoy and revel in the right things. God is a fantastic entertainer, giving us eye-feasts of color, motion, light, and ridiculousness (I’m looking at you, duck-billed platypus). He is also the greatest teacher, contrasting light and darkness, good and evil, the progress toward sanctification and the flawed character of even a man after His own heart. The whole of Scriptures are His message to us. Any person looking to climb into a saddle like Walt Disney’s had better have the Word as a foundation and the One who wrote it as an example. 🙂