“Celebrate Pride month,” proclaimed the merchandising at Target stores nationwide. But the retailer wasn’t celebrating when consumer backlash and boycotts led to a 5.4% drop in second quarter sales and forced the retailer to change course. Bud Light, the nation’s…
Here’s why Ron DeSantis has gone to war with Disney
On the surface, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attack on the Walt Disney Co. makes no sense. Why would a Republican governor go after one of the largest businesses and economic drivers in the state? Aren’t Republicans pro-business? Likewise, why would…
Why I’m an LGBTQ ally who won’t boycott Chick-fil-A
There’s a new set of alarming memes going around social media warning of the dangers of eating at Chick-fil-A. According to one, to eat a single golden waffle fry is to betray the entire LGBTQ community. It is a “test”…
Gov. DeSantis should learn a lesson from Southern Baptists about taking on Disney
Offering advice to politicians and preachers may be a disappointing way to make a living. This didn’t stop Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne from warning, “Religious people should always be wary of the ways in which political power is wielded…
We don’t talk about periods, no no
Disney made a movie about menstruation and — surprise, surprise — American evangelicals got upset. The movie, Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi (a Chinese Canadian filmmaker), is the first full-length Pixar film to be directed by a woman. Let…
Can we talk about Encanto?
Warning: Spoilers ahead. It took the boredom of an icy winter day to convince my tween and teen sons to watch the new Disney animated movie Encanto with me. I had heard the catchy songs topping the Billboard charts and…
When it rains, remember the Disney Rules
Today, we loaded up our little circus and took a drive. The kids had a school holiday, and we planned a little fun out of the house. Didn’t matter that the weather forecast screamed “stay home” or that the clouds…
The utopian states of myopia and the curse of obliviousness
Yes, I know the heavy-hitting headline above is a gulp of gargantuan words you might not ever string together. “Myopia” is a vision condition known as being shortsighted or nearsighted. “Utopian” worlds are fictional places or fantastical illusions of preferred…
Lessons from Disney to help churches reopen successfully
Everything we do tells a story, intended or not. The ways we act, the ways we decorate, the ways we communicate, along with many other seemingly innocuous decisions all send a message to people coming to our places of worship. And now, Disney has some lessons for churches as they prepare to reopen in this time of coronavirus pandemic.