Disney has yet again grabbed headlines, and this time, it is due to their recent commercial. The company has collaborated with TikTok celebrity Seann Altman, a "biological man" who identifies as gender-fluid, to promote Minnie Mouse-themed clothing in the latest demonstration of the franchise's support for the LGBTQ+ community.
However, this move enraged many netizens, and they flocked to the comment section of a post uploaded on August 7 by the X (formerly Twitter) account @LeftismForU and condemned the company for its "woke" move.
People have also compared the company to Anheuser Busch's Bud Light, which recently came under fire for associating with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. They were widely condemned and lost a considerable number of consumers. The company also laid off employees. As word spread, people trolled the company, claiming it was due to their wokeness.
Netizens criticize Disney as the company hires a trans influencer to promote women’s dresses
![Netizens criticized the company for hiring a trans influencer (Image via X / @LeftismForU / Getty Images)](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/4f4b1-16916601364710-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/4f4b1-16916601364710-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/4f4b1-16916601364710-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/4f4b1-16916601364710-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/4f4b1-16916601364710-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/4f4b1-16916601364710-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/4f4b1-16916601364710-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/4f4b1-16916601364710-1920.jpg 1920w)
Disney has come under fire for collaborating with transgender celebrity Seann Altman to teach females to dress up as Minnie Mouse. Altmann identifies as gender fluid but uses he/him pronouns.
He recently appeared in the promotional TikTok video of the franchise, dressed in a Minnie Mouse-style outfit that included a red dress with a Mickey Mouse pattern, black tights, a white collar, a white petticoat, and yellow heels.
He completed the costume with a belt, white lacy gloves, and a watch before applying red lipstick. He then arranged his hair in dual buns on either side of his head to create the iconic "Minnie Mouse ears" appearance. He attached a large red bow to his hair to further complement the attire.
Altman also commented on the post:
"Minnie is ME. I fit right in with Mickey and his friends! @disneystyle.”
However, several netizens were not pleased with the commercial. Many drew parallels with his fellow trans star Dylan Mulvaney's catastrophic relationship with Bud Light, which provoked a boycott and harmed the brand's market value.
People took to X and started leaving comments criticizing this move in the comment section of the video uploaded by @LeftismForU, which had already received 163K views.
This isn't the first time Disney is facing consequences due to its “wokeness”
![Walt Disney parks were extremely empty this year (Image via Getty Images/X/@pieps86)](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/e2b5a-16916600240082-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/e2b5a-16916600240082-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/e2b5a-16916600240082-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/e2b5a-16916600240082-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/e2b5a-16916600240082-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/e2b5a-16916600240082-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/e2b5a-16916600240082-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/08/e2b5a-16916600240082-1920.jpg 1920w)
This year, Walt Disney Parks were deserted for the first time in many years. Most netizens believe that the franchise's abrupt "wokeness" is to blame for the drop in attendance. It recently made numerous adjustments to its theme parks and the films on its streaming platform. This was done to reduce previously displayed stereotypes.
For example, the Song of the South film is no longer available on Disney+ due to its rosy portrayal of post-Civil War plantation life. Due to its ties to the film, the franchise also closed its Splash Mountain attraction in Florida and California parks.
The company's recent live-action movie, The Little Mermaid, portrayed an African-American actress, Halle Bailey, as Ariel. The internet has been buzzing with controversy since the teaser for the movie was released. On Twitter, the hashtag #notmyariel garnered a lot of traction.
People seemed to have a problem with the casting because the original Ariel in the animated The Little Mermaid movie was portrayed as a white lead rather than an African-American woman.