Disney is Accused of Being ‘Woke.’ What Exactly Does That Mean?

The word is seemingly everywhere. You can’t scroll through your news feed or turn on cable news without seeing someone being accused of having gone “woke.” The word itself has taken on a life without any context or explanation of its qualities.

No single person uses the word more than Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Governor DeSantis has declared that Florida is where “woke goes to die.” DeSantis has declared war on Disney over his perception of the company’s wokeness.

What sparked the War between DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company was Disney’s decision to speak out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which has recently been expanded to eighth grade. Disney was accused of having “gone woke” because of its stance against the bill. But what does that really mean?

No matter how often DeSantis or any pendants use the word, no one clearly defines it or why it is a negative slander against Disney. So, let’s figure out what it means and how it relates to Disney.

What is ‘Woke?’

When in doubt, go to the dictionary. Merriam-Webster defines woke as “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues.” The earliest use of the word in popular culture came from the 1938 Lead Belly song “Scottsboro Boys.” It was a protest song about nine African American boys accused of raping two white women. At the end of the recording, Lead Belly says:

I made this little song about down there. So I advise everybody, be a little careful when they go along through there — best stay woke, keep their eyes open.

You’ve probably heard of the Scottsboro Trial in high school. It inspired Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird.

For decades, the word was primarily used in the African American community. It came back during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and then again during the social justice protests in 2020. But then it took on a life of its own.

Tony Thorn, author of The Dictionary of Contemporary Slang, wrote:

I think ‘woke’ is a very interesting term right now because it doesn’t actually mean anything. The reference to ‘woke’ before 2016, 2017, and 2018 were kind of straightforward. It means socially aware, empathetic. Then the right, the conservative right, seizes hold of this word. 

What Does DeSantis Think it Means?

Few people use the word ‘woke’ more than Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. But Governor DeSantis has never actually defined what he thinks it means. However, people who have defined it for him speak on his behalf.

In a court filing earlier this year, a federal judge asked DeSantis’ general counsel Ryan Newman to define what he believed ‘woke’ meant. He responded with the following:

It would be the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to have policies to address them.

Gov. DeSantis’ Communication Director, Taryn Fenske, defined it as a “slang term for activism…progressive activism.”

So while neither of those definitions comes from the governor, they are from people who speak on his behalf, and neither of the definitions provided seems to stray that far away from the dictionary definition.

Disney Went Woke, So Now it Goes Broke

If there’s one thing in this argument that everyone can agree on, the Walt Disney Company is never going broke. Disney had a string of bombs at the box office, but its Parks, especially Walt Disney World, are thriving. Disney Company CEO Bob Iger will tell investors just that later this month at his earnings call.

So has Disney gone ‘woke?’ The answer to that depends on who you ask. Some fans would like the Walt Disney Company to stick with movies and Theme Parks and leave politics alone. While others would like Disney to go even further: speak out against Governor DeSantis, pick up the Walt Disney World Resort, and move it to a friendlier state.

It seems that Disney cannot win. So, when in doubt, go to Walt Disney and see what he would do. Since that’s impossible, let’s leave you with a Walt quote:

Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards– the things we live by and teach our children– are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings. 

Wise words from Walt. Perhaps we should try that for once.