Donald Trump’s comeback has reshaped America’s cultural and political landscape in just a matter of weeks. In perhaps the greatest challenge to Andrew Breitbart’s popular adage that, “Politics is downstream from culture,” culture is proving to be highly responsive to political change, evidenced by the flurry of major companies running for the exits on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. On Tuesday, it was reported that Disney is slashing its DEI programs and even redrawing strongly worded trigger warnings added to classic films in October 2020, such as “Peter Pan,” “Dumbo,” and “The Aristocats” on the Disney+ streaming platform.
What’s happening here is not just CEOs recognizing DEI’s defeat in the court of public opinion and on Wall Street, but also a response to a rising tide of demand for heroes in a country that has been told for eight years to forget they exist. This is something President Trump seems to understand in his stated recommitment to open a National Garden of American Heroes.
The age of expecting young people to participate in the future of a country they’re told is deeply racist, or hoping families will stream “Peter Pan” while also telling them that it’s an offensive story – is over.
Consider a recent underreported change at Disney Parks. Last week it was revealed that a “new” character was coming to Disney’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge theme park: Luke Skywalker.
It’s hard to believe, but the titular hero of the “Star Wars” franchise has not been a part of the $1 billion expansion started in 2018. Disney was only three years into their ownership of the world’s most valuable intellectual property at the time, acquired under the first tenure of CEO Bob Iger, and its divisive second “Star Wars” was roiling Star Wars fans to a degree few could have imagined.