An Oklahoma movie theater that warned parents about a same-sex kiss (gasp!) in the Disney/Pixar film Lightyear and promised to fast-forward through the brief moment has decided to show the film in full after the plan was mocked online.
A notice on the front door of the 89er Theater in Kingfisher, Oklahoma read: “Warning. Attention Parents: The management of this theater found out after booking ‘Lightyear’ that there is a same-sex kissing scene within the first 30 minutes of the Pixar movie.”
“We will do all we can to fast-forward through that scene,” it promised, adding: “but it might not be exact.”
Do I expect more from Oklahoma? No, not really. Instilling children with this kind of homophobia and (misplaced) outrage is how we end up with a suicide rate among LGBTQ+ youth that is so high. #Pride #Lightyear pic.twitter.com/qCX6nMMY9f
— Aaron Schekorra (@AaronSchekorra) June 23, 2022
Some residents like Patricia Kasbek initially thought the sign was a joke, which it unfortunately was not.
How about we take this to the next level?
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When she realized it was a real warning, Kasbek called the theater to complain. “I told them that it was completely insulting for them to censor a same-gender kiss when they’ve never done this to an opposite-gender kiss,” she told NBC.
Related: Chris Evans’ biceps at the ‘Lightyear’ premiere have Twitter thirsting to infinity and beyond
Others took to social media to share the clip in question, highlighting the absurdity of the backlash:
what they are freaking out about btw
literally less than 1 second pic.twitter.com/09kDMJdC2s— The Funnier (@Regularly_Unfun) June 22, 2022
Actor Chris Evans, who voices Buzz Lightyear, told Reuters Television earlier this month that those who object to the kiss are “idiots.” We couldn’t agree more.
He added: “There’s always going to be people who are afraid and unaware and trying to hold on to what was before. But those people die off like dinosaurs.”
They also apparently try to fast-forward theatrical releases.
Uzo Aduba, who voices one of the characters in the entirely uncontroversial lip-lock, told USA Today, “This film treats love and these stories as they should, that they’re not the whole of one person. It’s addressed with the same simplicity that we address any kind of love, and I think that’s the way it should be.”
Disney originally edited the scene out of the final cut, but decided to include it after employees protested. The company also refused to edit it out of international releases, resulting in the film being banned in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Kuwait, among other West Asia territories.
Mister P
Maybe evolution is not a fact. People sure are getting stupider.
shva08
Not only are they getting more stupid, they are also getting elected to office.
Den
Sadly, the efficiency/frequency with which individuals successfully procreate is the major driver of evolution. It has no specific goals, direction or intent.
So there is no reason to assume human evolution will result in acceptance of diversity.
Cultures and societies rise and fall and respond to a whole different set of criteria. Sadly, social progress seems cyclic rather than linear, so social evolution was and is never a certainty without progressives fighting for it.
DBMC
Evolution, as a process, doesn’t evaluate the mutations. It’s just what survives. They don’t necessarily make people better.
Doug
Disney should be pulling the film from the theaters that are doing this.
Harley
That’s not even a romantic kiss to me. I’ve kissed my sisters like that.
Mundo
Oh my god. Incest,,,that’s even worse!
Joshua333
See if they said they were sisters, then all of the red states would be okay with it because incest is win-cest to them.
Major
#LoveIsLove and I appreciate everyone who has mocked the theater.
I also appreciate all the Disney employees who are not backing down.
Our families deserve the same screen time as straight families.
twomen4u
Kudos to Disney for including that kiss in the film. Reminds me of Gone With Wind when Rhett said the following, “frankly my dear I do not give a damn.” The same reaction in the public now over one kiss, grow up this is the new reality folks. Why shouldn’t two people be able to express their love for each other?
Many years ago (mid-90’s) to Amsterdam and I saw and watched gay men & gay women holding hands as they walked down the street together. We were present one afternoon when school let out and I watched the children go about their business with no even one raised eyebrow. I looked at my then-husband and said this would never work at home (US).
If only the US would grow up to this level of maturity, we learning as we go and maybe someday, maybe someday.
nm4047
baby steps appreciated, ‘exposing’ kids to a same sex kiss in an animation is far from the end of the world, maybe just a good way to start a conversation (for some parents).
Creamsicle
I giggle at the thought that a single gay smooch in a movie for kids can get Oklahomans to go full Communist China censorship.
I wonder how many people who support the theater’s decision to censor also support Elon Musk trying to bring “free speech” to Twitter and social media.
Guess what, conservative people? You haven’t been sHaDoW bAnNeD. Your opinion just isn’t very popular on Twitter and Facebook. Social media skews younger (maybe not Facebook these days) and more progressive. Be mad about it if you want to, but it’s just how the demographics play out. Maybe if you want affirmation for your hot take on Pride month, you should take it to a retirement community in Central Florida.
Glendabulous
Yay Disney…this little peck has the evangelicals clutching their pearls over PDA but where were they when Sleeping Beauty was kissed by the woodsman and Beauty kissed the Beast and a Mermaid kissed a Human and and and…every children’s show includes kissing even My Little Ponies and why not??? kissing is a perfectly normal way to show healthy normal relationships!!!