A conservative Disney fan is being ridiculed for dedicating an entire newspaper column to complaining about how his favorite theme park has gone "woke."
Jonathan VanBoskerck, a self-described "Christian Republican," writes in the Orlando Sentinel that he's very upset by some of the changes Disney is making to its signature rides, including the removal from the Jungle Cruise of a depiction of an African man who carries around severed heads to sell.
"Disney is in the process of taking the woke scalpel to the Jungle Cruise," he complains. "Trader Sam is out because he might offend certain people. Every grown-up in the room realizes that Trader Sam is not a representation of reality and is meant as a funny and silly caricature."
VanBoskerck then claims that he's so upset by the removal of a caricature of a head-selling Black man that he won't be able to enjoy the ride at all.
"The next time I ride Jungle Cruise I will not be thinking about the gloriously entertaining puns of the skippers, I will be thinking about Disney's political agenda," he writes. "That's a mood killer."
VanBoskerck's column is being widely panned by several of the Orlando Sentinel's Twitter followers -- check out some reactions below.
@orlandosentinel As far as I can tell the recent change to the Pirates ride is getting rid of a scene where "wenche… https://t.co/fHJShU3GVt— Van Owen (@Van Owen) 1619190211.0
@orlandosentinel My cousin went into a blood sugar coma at Disney because the animatronics didn't say the n-word enough to keep him awake— ben "goodzilla" flores (@ben "goodzilla" flores) 1619189745.0
@StreamedHams @orlandosentinel yes how dare they remove, uh... this???????????? (jfc) https://t.co/JdJpXZ3BXf— Bryan, the dumbest giraffe (@Bryan, the dumbest giraffe) 1619187888.0
@orlandosentinel I’m sorry the park about cartoons for children is too soft around the edges for you— the campaign to put a Hooters in parliament (@the campaign to put a Hooters in parliament) 1619187779.0
@orlandosentinel Won’t someone please consider the delicate sensitivities of a middle aged white man when designing children’s theme parks?— Adrienne (@Adrienne) 1619187820.0
@orlandosentinel Wow this is definitely an opinion. This comes off super pretentious and entitled. Walt's original… https://t.co/wKSJeARVCw— ♦️Jason♦️ (@♦️Jason♦️) 1619183599.0
@orlandosentinel "This should matter to the people of Orlando because, if Disney drives away customers like me, Orl… https://t.co/LIWO5Vvgfq— Rob Plays (@Rob Plays) 1619186810.0
@orlandosentinel BRING BACK SONG OF THE SOUTH AND HECKLE AND JECKLE!!!! I AM AN ADULT OBSESSED WITH A PARK FOR CHIL… https://t.co/5XEasy4YtM— Brendan (@Brendan) 1619188106.0
@orlandosentinel Disney World used to be a place where thousands of characters in Goofy costumes would walk around… https://t.co/GfzqsQZO1C— Jordan - Early Vote No on Prop B (Austin) (@Jordan - Early Vote No on Prop B (Austin)) 1619189938.0
@danalmont @orlandosentinel VanBoskerck: "I was fine with Disney as long as it was *other* people who were offended… https://t.co/5vDZ4TEMDb— Martin Lewison, PhD (@Martin Lewison, PhD) 1619186132.0
@AndyBCampbell @orlandosentinel oh no— Bobby Lewis (@Bobby Lewis) 1619189563.0
