It looks like Disney is reevaluating some of its earlier work to better fit the current climate—one that hopefully finds creepy behavior less amusing and more...well, fucking creepy. One such moment took place in Toy Story 2's faux blooper reel. The scene begins at 3:29 where Stinky Pete, the antagonistic prospector voiced by Kelsey Grammer, is seen in a box with twin Barbie dolls. Pete is speaking rather lecherously, asking them if they are “absolutely twins,” and suggestively flexing his ability to get them parts in the next Toy Story sequel while grabbing one of their hands. As soon as he realizes he’s being filmed, his demeanor changes entirely and he quickly escorts them out of his box. As quick as it is, Disney is now realizing that the implications of the clip are not worth the potential laughs and removing it entirely from future DVD and digital copies.
It’s a familiar casting couch scenario and a common trope that has often been used to denote a character’s creepiness. But with the parade of stories of harassment and abuse at the hands of many men in the industry—including Pixar’s co-founder and former head John Lasseter, the scene is just a gross reminder of behavior that has been excused and overlooked for decades. It’s also an example of how the public is socialized to downplay this kind of interaction from a young age. Hopefully this is a sign of more thoughtful writing to come, which would spare them secret editing sessions in the future.
[Via Vice]