BBC Radio 4: Evil Genius with Russel Kane - Walt Disney

PABBY · 19 Feb 19, 05:17 PM

bbc/sounds/play/p0704pgw

Fern Brady, Tiff Stevenson and Kae Kurd have an animated chat, about animator Walt Disney

Please note that this show is not safe for listening at work or with young 'uns.

Has anyone had the misfortune to listen to this load of *****? It proper made my blood boil. The premise of the show is for the studio guests to discuss Walt Disney and decide if he was evil or a genius.

To me and probably the majority on the DIBB, Walt is one of *the* most brilliant people to have ever graced this planet, his body of work giving pure, unbridled joy to millions. This radio show simply rips him to shreds.

I feel like cancelling my TV license!

Tinkerbell · 19 Feb 19, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by PABBY

Has anyone had the misfortune to listen to this load of *****? It proper made my blood boil. The premise of the show is for the studio guests to discuss Walt Disney and decide if he was evil or a genius.

To me and probably the majority on the DIBB, Walt is one of *the* most brilliant people to have ever graced this planet, his body of work giving pure, unbridled joy to millions. This radio show simply rips him to shreds.

I feel like cancelling my TV license!

i am not sure he was one of the most brilliant people to grace the planet. Sure, his legacy of theme parks for the family live on, but he created a business model and machine He didnt GIVE joy to millions he created a format to which people paid for and love. Do not get me wrong , love disney, but there have been far more important people on the planet, who have given freely their works which i would feel more strongly about.

Plus, I have no idea about what he was like in real life, i suspect he wasnt all sacchrinne and joy but I really do not know

Dinglebert · 19 Feb 19, 06:14 PM

He was no saint. The way he treated many of his employees leaves a lot to be desired and it�s not difficult to find damning �evidence� around his anti-Semitic opinions.

The truth is never of course straight forward and certainly shouldn�t be based on opinion pieces on the internet.

I enjoy the films and parks and would even if all the negatives were true. If I disliked the products of flawed characters just because of their flaws not too sure what would be left.

gl20 · 19 Feb 19, 06:39 PM

Agree with the other replies here. Like anyone he had his pluses and minuses. To add to the above, he couldn�t be considered a family man and he was no liberal either. Obviously, like anyone on here, I�m glad he existed,but I�m not sure I�d have wanted to work for him.

I�m guessing the radio debate wasn�t very balanced though?!

YorkshireT · 20 Feb 19, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by gl20

and he was no liberal either.

One of the reasons many hold him in such high esteem.

Dinglebert · 20 Feb 19, 06:33 PM

Had a listen to it. Its not a series I would continue with. Found the lack of knowledge by the panelists to be poor. Thought at least the host would have done some research.

The comment that they could never make a ride at Disney from Song of the South to be laughable.

However the points they were asked to discuss were the old complaints about Walt Disney which will come as no surprise to anyone who has read up on his life.

sam_b · 21 Feb 19, 08:59 AM

Wow - have you ever read anything about the man and his business practices? Do you really think that he was just some kindly patriarchal figure who wanted to makes a magical place?
Like everything in life you need to see both sides and recognise that black and white don�t really exist - just various murky shades of grey... and Walt was most definitely very flawed.

PABBY · 21 Feb 19, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by sam_b

Wow - have you ever read anything about the man and his business practices? Do you really think that he was just some kindly patriarchal figure who wanted to makes a magical place?
Like everything in life you need to see both sides and recognise that black and white don�t really exist - just various murky shades of grey... and Walt was most definitely very flawed.

Being more than a casual fan of all things Disney and having read several books on both the man himself and the history of the empire, I am under no illusions about Uncle Walt and his background. Also, studying history for 35 years has taught me not to judge historical figures by the standards of today.

However, the radio programme was a pure hatchet job, with no attempt to balance the narrative with anything positive from his life and achievements, to the point of it actually coming across as vindictive. And to that I take great exception.

Loftus · 21 Feb 19, 01:59 PM

I think the clue was in the title.

riversider2014 · 21 Feb 19, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Loftus

I think the clue was in the title.

Exactly, the fact one of the episodes is about Father Christmas suggests that the panelists aren't going to spend hours researching the person and it is purely entertainment and not exactly a hard hitting documentary to be taken seriously

19 Feb 19, 06:39 PM	#4
	19 Feb 19, 06:39 PM gl20 Apprentice Imagineer
gl20 Apprentice Imagineer Join Date: Jun 13	Agree with the other replies here. Like anyone he had his pluses and minuses. To add to the above, he couldn�t be considered a family man and he was no liberal either. Obviously, like anyone on here, I�m glad he existed,but I�m not sure I�d have wanted to work for him. I�m guessing the radio debate wasn�t very balanced though?!

21 Feb 19, 08:59 AM	#7
	21 Feb 19, 08:59 AM sam_b Imagineer
sam_b Imagineer Join Date: Nov 03	Wow - have you ever read anything about the man and his business practices? Do you really think that he was just some kindly patriarchal figure who wanted to makes a magical place? Like everything in life you need to see both sides and recognise that black and white don�t really exist - just various murky shades of grey... and Walt was most definitely very flawed.

21 Feb 19, 01:59 PM	#9
	21 Feb 19, 01:59 PM Loftus Imagineer
Loftus Imagineer Join Date: Mar 02	I think the clue was in the title.