NEWS: Disneyland Actually Gets Gayer

I don't think I agree with this. Especially because there are probably more people who are anti-gay than there are gays.

This was a pretty bold movement on their part and I hope it was more about doing the right thing rather than about money (win or lose).

But then again, I keep seeing those fucking glasses as half full.

It's the right thing to do. I'm not convinced their motivation for doing it is particularly important.

The commercial world rarely makes decisions on principle alone.

For example, I think Will & Grace came out (oh gee, no pun intended) once market researchers realized that gay couples tend to have a lot more disposable income than the regular American family with 1.8 children.

"Well Bob, I know you don't like them queers, but this show will really generate an advertising revenue stream by gourmet coffee shops, fancy shoe stores, and designer furniture companies..."

So you're suggesting that prior to Will and Grace, that gays had no clue about gourmet coffee shops, shoe stores, and designer furniture stores?

Uh.....

Everything is better gayer. Everything.

Hey for $45,000 it has to be true love.

But you can really roll around in dirt. For free?

i wonder if all the gay people that work there get an employee discount

<3 Alecks

Eh? Are you wearing your reading glasses?

I'm saying that TV networks realized they could make money by advertising stuff to a gay demographic who, by virtue of not generally having children, and by virtue of their usually having advanced degrees, also have more disposable income than many demographic groups

That's what network TV is all about: creating shows to meet a specific market; selling advertising space to sponsors who want to reach those specific, lucrative markets; and making lots of money off the whole process.

Corporate America is crazy for gay money these days. Ever since it was apparent that gay world had so much disposable income, Corporate America's eyes have lit up with little pink dollar signs. Companies have suddenly attempted to show a more 'gay friendly' face, even if bigotry still exists behind boardroom doors or in hiring practices, etc.

Fancy shoes, coffee shops and designer furniture are just part of a perpetual gay stereotype, obviously.

First of all, I don't wear (or need) glasses. Some of us have 20/20 vision.

Second, you're suggesting that the majority of Will & Grace fans are gay? That's like assuming the demographic for Ellen is gays.

Hell, I hope they're doing it for monetary reasons. If a couple of grand from weddings is a larger number than the lost sales of DVDs to fringe religious groups, then that means they really are a meaningless and insignificant fringe. From the world I see out there, I cannot imagine them not losing money from this decision, but I'm sure the Disney decisionmakers are a lot smarter about making money than me. Personally, I want to see Focus on Family try to arrange boycotts of Wal-Mart for selling movies from Gay Disney. It would be like a head-on collision of stupid - white trash casualities everywhere.

Did I say this?

I'm sure that most Will & Grace fans are probably not gay.There is no way to know this reliably; Nielsen doesn't actually keep track of this, or at least, distribute it publically, so far as I know.

There was some research done by two PR firms, MindShare and Poux about gay viewing trends, however. Among gay viewers, Will & Grace, is actually said to be popular.
(No accounting for taste, sometimes).


That's what matters to advertisers --not whether the audience is mostly gay, but how to best reach out to a specific market.


(One of the affiliates of those PR companies has a website with some of this research.
http://www.opuscommgroup.com/NewsRoom.html#Anchor-Gay-14210
)

Didn't you?

At least it read that way to me. Even without my reading glasses.

But even if you didn't mean it that way, why would the execs market to the minority of their demographic instead of the majority?

Aw, that's so sweet. Disney rules.

Do I have to be the one to make the awful pun on the word "Fairy Tales?"

Damn you people.

Disneyland rocks!!

I think the title of this thread is inflammatory.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not that great with econimics, but I can't bring myself to think that money is the primary motivation here. If it is, it is certainly a gamble on the part of Disney.

You can drop a grand in either disney park in no time, especially if you have kids, which believe it or not, most same sex couples don't. When you consider that Disney World is in an area where same sex marriage is still somewhat of a no-no, this could potentially cost Disney a theme park patron or two.

These weddings, while expensive, most likely make up a very small portion of Disney's income. Also consider that homosexuals are not Disney's key demographic. Finacially, Disney has more to gain by appeasing the family-friendly conservatives with children who flood the parks and buy the videos, than by holding a same sex wedding ceremony or two and tempting the wrath of the christian right (whom I believe I recall someone saying earlier already has a beef with Disney).

Although I'm generally skeptical when large corporations seem to be motivated by "what's right" I can't seem to think of any other possible motivation that isn't a huge longshot.

Go Disney

I think the world has made it crystal clear that it isn't yet ready to accept gay marriage with open arms. If you think about it, there are people alive today that were around when it didn't even exist. So if someone wants to shove that in their faces I'd kind of have to disagree.

I agree. It's just like those insensitive African Americans taunting racists by using their right to vote. We should at least wait for all the bigots to die off before we start practicing anything approaching equality. At least that long, although I advocate for a 100 year moratorium after the death of the last bigot, personally.

WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE BIGOTS' FEELINGS???