Canadian professor and clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson attributed the failure of “Toy Story” spinoff “Lightyear” — which garnered controversy for including a same-sex kiss — to market forces.
Daily Wire writer Amanda Prestigiacomo noted on Sunday that “Lightyear” brought in a paltry $51 million during its three-day opening — despite a lack of competition from other children’s movies and significantly more robust success from past “Toy Story” flicks. Responding to Prestigiacomo’s article, Peterson said on social media that the failure pointed to “the revenge of the market.”
This is so unfortunate:) — the revenge of the market 🙂 https://t.co/aqbA2MbTAD
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) June 20, 2022
As Peterson noted, Americans are by no means enthused by woke corporate activists shoving leftist viewpoints down their throats. A recent poll conducted by Echelon Insights on behalf of The Daily Wire showed that although 29% of American investors agreed it is a “good thing” for companies to leverage their financial power for political or social means supported by executives, 58% — twice as many — said it is a “bad thing.”
Meanwhile, 56% of investors said the firms are merely “trying to appease their critics” and 34% said the firms genuinely “believe it’s the right thing.” When companies do take political stances, 36% of investors said they are “too liberal,” while 17% said they are “too conservative.”
Pixar — a Disney subsidiary — reinstated the same-sex kiss between two female characters after Florida passed a bill banning classroom discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity for young children. However, another exclusive poll from The Daily Wire showed that 64% of Americans supported the parental rights legislation after they were presented with the actual language of the law.
The same poll revealed that 67% of Americans believe Disney was “wrong” for opposing the legislation, as it “would protect children from inappropriate topics that should be discussed by parents.” There were no meaningful differences between Americans of different racial groups, and a clear majority of Democrats expressed support for the legislation.
Nevertheless, Chris Evans — the actor who voiced Buzz Lightyear — has been pushing the kiss scene upon the American public, even characterizing those who disagree as “idiots.”
“Every time there’s been social advancement as we wake up, the American story, the human story is one of constant social awakening and growth and that’s what makes us good,” Evans told Reuters.
“Disney put a line in the sand saying, we’re putting this back in, but also, we’re not going to remove it for any other territories, in these places that would have a problem with it” a Variety reporter asked Evans, who also played Captain America. “What did you make of the company making that decision?”
“I mean, it’s great,” the actor remarked. “As great as it is — and you know, I’ve been asked the question a few times — it’s nice, and it’s wonderful, it makes me happy.”
“It’s tough to not be a little frustrated that it even has to be a topic of discussion,” Evans added. “That it is this kind of ‘news.’ The goal is that we can get to a point where it is the norm, and that this doesn’t have to be some uncharted waters, that eventually this is just the way it is. That representation across the board is how we make films.”
In contrast to “Lightyear,” the movie “Top Gun: Maverick” — replete with military nostalgia and pro-America themes — crushed at the box office, earning $156 million during its opening weekend.