Meryl Streep attacks Walt Disney – family fights back
By Tribute on January 14, 2014 | 7 Comments
At the National Board of Review dinner held last Thursday before Sunday’s Golden Globes, Meryl Streep took the stage to honor Emma Thompson for her role as P.L. Travers in the Disney film Saving Mr. Banks. Streep praised Thompson, saying, “she’s practically a saint,” but took the rest of her time to blast the creator of The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney himself. She discussed Walt’s sexism and support of anti-Semite groups despite his image of bringing joy to the world. Because of this hate speech, the Walt Disney Family Museum fought back and posted a reply on their blog titled “In Defense of Walt Disney” about how Meryl was wrong and why those rumors are false.
Meryl quoted a letter written by the Walt Disney Company in 1938 to an aspiring female animator which said, “Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that task is performed entirely by young men.” Although the letter says there are no women in creative work, Meryl failed to quote the part where they do say that women are involved in inking the cells seen in the films and that this woman is welcome to apply. A little more than two years later, this all changed when artist Mary Blair started working at the company. She worked on classic movies such as Cinderella and Peter Pan and created character designs for attractions at Disneyland. Additionally, Walt’s wife Lillian originally worked at the Walt Disney Studios before they became romantically involved and they later had two daughters, to whom he was a loving father.
The actress also discussed Walt being an anti-Semite. During the 1940s, Walt made a cartoon called De Fuehrer’s Face which was a propaganda short that railed against the Nazis and their actions. Robert and Richard Sherman, Mary Sklar, Ed Soloman. All Disney legends, all Jewish. If Disney had something against
Jews, why would he employ so many Jewish people and make a name for them? Richard Sherman repeatedly said that working with Walt Disney was one of the greatest times of his life. He shared a story about Walt’s lawyer attacking the brothers for being Jews and instead of doing nothing, Walt fired the lawyer for discrimination. Animator Floyd Norman who worked alongside Walt posted to his blog just days after Meryl’s outburst and also showed proof that Walt did not discriminate. He said that there were not many minorities who applied for jobs at the company but if they did and were qualified, Walt would surely hire them.
With all this information, it is easy to say: Meryl Streep, you are wrong. Walt Disney was not an anti-Semite or a gender bigot. Taking a look back at the era in which he lived, he could easily have been one but there is no proof in the magic he put out to the world that he was racist or a misogynist. What really matters about his legacy is the magic and happiness he has brought to people young and old. Through Disneyland and Walt Disney World and the movies he created, people of all ages can take a day or an hour to go back and find the happiness in their inner child. ~Brie Davis
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Well written! It is shocking to hear that Meryl Streep – someone we all generally believe to be intelligent, enough so that she would be sure to have her facts straight before such a tirade – would fail herself and her fans with such intensity.
I agree, great article and Meryl should have known better than to attack Walt Disney. Especially since it seems she didn’t even do her homework before launching the attack. Generations have grown up with Walt’s family friendly movies and TV shows. I remember watching Disney on Sundays when I was a kid and he seemed like such a warm, kind man during the intros. The stories were always wholesome. Very fond memories.
It is a well-known fact that Walt Disney was a huge anti-Semite despite what his family says. It doesn’t matter that he hired Jews, he still hated them and everyone knew it back then too.
I thought she had better class than that. Get a life Meryl Streep. Stick to acting
@Colin, then why would Jews (Richard Sherman, for example) deny that Walt was an anti-Semite? It doesn’t make sense. He’s in his 80s, doesn’t work for Disney anymore, Walt’s long dead – he can speak the truth but he said in an interview: “Walt was sensitive to people’s feelings,” composer Robert Sherman told me. (This was written by Nora Salisbury of Yahoo). “He hated to see people mistreated or discriminated against. One time, Richard and I overheard a discussion between Walt and one of his lawyers. This attorney was a real bad guy, didn’t like minorities. He said something about Richard and me, and he called us ‘these Jew boys writing these songs.’ Well, Walt defended us, and he fired the lawyer. Walt was unbelievably great to us.”
Artist Joe Grant, who is also Jewish, agrees. “Walt was not anti-Semitic,” Grant told an interviewer. “Some of the most influential people at the studio were Jewish. It’s much ado about nothing. I never once had a problem with him in that way. That myth should be laid to rest.”
@Colin Fox You really are that stupid, aren’t you? Not everything you hear on Family Guy is truth you blithering dolt. The evidence and the history speaks for itself. If you’re too stupid to realize that, then you’re better off six feet underground. The world doesn’t need to hear ignorance from foolish people like you and that has-been actress.
@Colin Fox @William Kennedy While I disagree with the harshness of your statement, William, I will also strongly disagree with your statement as well, Colin. For one thing, Mr. Disney’s reputation as an alleged anti-Semite was nothing but just false allegations. Another user has pointed out the faults both in yours and in Mrs. Streep’s statements. Therefore, in concurrence with William, I would strongly recommend you take what history itself states and what the Jewish people who worked with Mr. Disney personally have said into account before speaking rashly.