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Was Walt Disney Anti-semitic
yes 36%  36%  [ 4 ]
no 64%  64%  [ 7 ]
Total votes : 11

Laconvivencia
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21 Jul 2012, 4:51 pm

I heard rumours that disney was anti jewish, I would like to know if it is true or not?



Aharon
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21 Jul 2012, 5:23 pm

According to Wikipedia, though he never promoted antisemitism, he did promote the work of a woman who was affiliated with the nazi party, and although that was before the war, I think it ended up evolving into something the public saw as being in very poor taste at the very least, and led to allegations of anti semitism later. The United States participated in the Olympics held in Berlin, hosted by the then Nazi Germany. Does that make the US anti-Semite? I don't think so.

Wiki also mentions how he had several openly Jewish employees and gave charity to various jewish organizations. I don't think he was anti Jewish.


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SilkySifaka
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21 Jul 2012, 5:25 pm

The rumours are partly based on the fact that in the 1930s he invited the Nazi propaganda film maker, Leni Riefenstahl to visit when she was promoting a film in America. Even after Kristalnacht, the invitation was not withdrawn. There are rumours that he was anti-Semitic but there is no evidence to prove this either way. Some Disney films of the time contained anti-Semitic stereotypes, but that wasn't uncommon for the times. It's hard to come to a conclusion either way.



bnky
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21 Jul 2012, 5:53 pm

No he wasn't. He made anti-Nazi propaganda.
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/why-w ... acist.html



tb86
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21 Jul 2012, 6:07 pm

I'm not saying he is, but if he was would it be OK to still like his movies. Most of my favourite Disney movies are ones that were made after he died. But if I had to pick my favourite out of the ones that were made when he was still alive it would be Sleeping Beauty.



thewrll
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21 Jul 2012, 7:04 pm

Wasn't he more of a racist than an anti Semite?



Tim_Tex
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21 Jul 2012, 7:40 pm

All the cartoonists were racist to some extent at the time. When characters would explode and be covered in soot, they made them look like Sambo, etc.

The attitude then is similar to today, with the way Seth MacFarlane stereotypes Christians and non-liberals on his shows.


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crmoore
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21 Jul 2012, 11:25 pm

If he was truly anti-Semitic, he wouldn't have set up shop in Hollywood. I'm just saying...



NeueZiel
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22 Jul 2012, 2:56 am

I'm more anti-Semitic than Walt Disney because I liked Hogan's heroes 8). Seriously though, that's the silliest thing I've read, its really reaching for straws but it seems to be par the course now. "Oh this old artist who's long dead? Turns out he was racist/homophobic/homosexual/sodomite/philistine/a lobster etc etc." I think I remember reading something else accusing W.D. of being a communist too, or maybe that was another person.



bnky
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22 Jul 2012, 3:15 am

SilkySifaka wrote:
Some Disney films of the time contained anti-Semitic stereotypes, but that wasn't uncommon for the times. It's hard to come to a conclusion either way.

I would argue that stereotypes were semitic as they were a (lazy, stock) stereotype of Jews, rather than a stereotype of anti Jewishness.