The Walt Disney Company is one of the most renowned entertainment companies in the world. Disney Fanatics exist all over the world, and the Disney brand is a household name. They are so widespread that many times, Disney is the standard of quality people aspire to. Whether it’s a Disney Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida or Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, or even the Disney movies that gross highly worldwide, Disney has become a name one calls to frequently.
However, not every Disney comparison is appropriate or called for. Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister made some comments that landed her in hot water.
Chrystia Freeland, in an attempt to draw parallels between managing a federal government’s budget and her household one, shared a personal anecdote involving the Mouse House and its products.
Freeland shared in an interview for Global News, “I personally, as a mother and wife, look carefully at my credit card bill once a month, and last Sunday I said to the kids, ‘You’re older now. You don’t watch Disney anymore. Let’s cut that Disney Plus subscription.” The interview aired on November 6.
The clip of Freeland saying this went viral, and many Canadians called out Prime Minister Freeland for her thoughtless comparison. Emails sent to her office were obtained by The Canadian Press under access-to-information law. The comment made Freeland a villain overnight.
“This advice is about as wise as boomers telling younger folks if only they skipped the avocado toast then they could afford a house,” said one person.
Many also called out Ms. Freeland, letting her know “poverty is not a choice” and few took a more sarcastic approach, sharing “they’d already cut Disney Plus and wanted to know how to ‘cancel my portion of the CBC subsidy.'”
The sentiment was certainly unwelcome by many, and though it was Ms. Freeland’s way of reaching out to a larger population and coming off as more accessible, it was an effort that missed the mark entirely.
