The #MeToo movement has changed and will continue to change the movie business in major ways. From ending the careers of those guilty of inappropriate behavior to the presence of intimacy coordinators on set during love scenes (see Bond 25). Here’s an unexpected consequence of the current climate, though: Pixar classic Toy Story 2 has been edited to remove what might now be considered a controversial moment.
Disney lovers will know that TS2 ends with some fun, fake bloopers over the credits, with the characters fluffing their lines and other comic mishaps occurring. One sees Woody approach Stinky Pete’s box only for the Prospector to be found flirting with a duo of Barbie dolls, promising that he can get them a part in Toy Story 3. As they leave, Pete is shown to leer at them.
To jog your memory, you can check out the blooper in question below:
In light of the #MeToo movement, Disney has deleted the ‘Casting Couch’ scene from ‘Toy Story 2’ where Stinky Pete hints he’d get two Barbies a bigger role in ‘Toy Story 3’ in return for sexual favors before he’s caught on camera pic.twitter.com/FLbjOcTUuK
— ScreenTime (@screentime) July 3, 2019
As always when classic movies are altered, many fans are annoyed by the removal of content from one of their most beloved films. Some think that, as much as this sequence might be dated now, it’s a product of its time and shouldn’t be viewed as offensive today. Others, meanwhile, think that the studio made the right call as this scene just doesn’t work in this day and age.
Folks could argue about this forever, but you can understand why Disney made the decision. Especially given the fact that Pixar founder John Lasseter was one of the more prominent figures caught up in the movement. The producer stepped down from Disney back in 2018 following the scandal that erupted after accusations of sexual misconduct were leveled against him.
Thankfully for Disney/Pixar, this Toy Story 2 controversy is coming at a time when everyone’s paying attention to Toy Story 4 instead, which is going down a storm.