Hulu, a Disney-owned streaming platform, is set to stream an LGBTQ dating reality TV show to commemorate pride month. The Walt Disney Company has received substantial criticism in recent years for inserting a woke agenda into its entertainment offerings.
During a recent announcement, the streaming service said it will offer a “Hulu Has Pride” lineup of entertainment offerings, including the UK dating show “I Kissed a Boy.” Hulu will reportedly also stream the lesbian counterpart, “I Kissed a Girl.” Disney has begun incorporating Hulu with its in-house streaming platform, Disney+. Both streaming services are offered in a single package under the Disney+ streaming bundle.
In recent years, Disney has sparked massive backlash for inserting itself into the polarized political landscape in America. Aside from pushing a social agenda through its entertainment offerings, Disney has also engaged in political activism, campaigning against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Parental Rights in Education law.
The American Tribune reported on comments from conservative commentator Megyn Kelly, who criticized the entertainment giant for its woke movies’ disappointing box office performances. Reports indicate that Disney has suffered around $900 million in losses on its last eight theatrical releases.
“Apparently, there’s an analysis out there showing that films like Lightyear, in which they decided to make Buzz Lightyear gay. The Little Mermaid, which is now woke…elemental, that’s one of the ones that includes a non-binary character which has one of the worst openings ever. Worst opening weekend in company history. We could go down the list,” Kelly said.
Kelly emphasized that audiences are tired of highly politicized, woke content that doesn’t align with their beliefs. Particularly when it comes to movies that are supposedly family-friendly. “The people are not buying this content. They don’t want this content,” she said.
“Bit by bit. All these media companies are eliminating and big, big tech companies are eliminating their heads of diversity because it’s just a wasted position where somebody just glorifies their wokeness and tries to lecture, so it’s failing,” she added.
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Disney CEO Bob Iger has addressed the pervasive controversy surrounding Disney’s woke content, maintaining that its primary goal is to create entertaining content for its audience. He also suggested that the term woke may be used too loosely.
“I’ve been preaching this for a long time at the company before I left and since I came back that our No. 1 goal is to entertain. I think, like, the term woke is thrown around rather liberally, no pun intended in that regard. I think a lot of people don’t even understand really what it means,” he said. “The bottom line is that infusing messaging as a sort of No. 1 priority in our films and TV shows is not what we’re up to. They need to be entertaining.”
However, he noted that Disney intends to reach a more diverse audience, stating, “And on one hand, in order to do that, the stories you tell have to really reflect the audience that you’re trying to reach. But that audience, because they are so diverse, really first and foremost, they want to be entertained.” Watch Kelly’s comments below: