Tag Archives: Disney

Elon Musk Tells X Advertisers To F*ck Themselves!

Elon Musk just told advertisers on X to “f*ck yourself” for trying to blackmail him!

Advertisers Fleeing X After Elon Musk Controversy

Major advertisers like Apple, IBM, Disney, and Sony have pulled their advertising dollars from X (formerly known as Twitter) after several controversial comments by Elon Musk. It didn’t help that they discovered that their ads being shown next to anti-semitic and neo-Nazi posts.

Earlier this month, watchdog group Media Matters published a report claiming that X ran advertisements for major companies next to neo-Nazi posts. Musk would later file a lawsuit against the group.

But Musk escalated things when he publicly endorsed an antisemitic tweet which claimed that the Jewish communities have been “pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them“.

According to Sensor Tower, the biggest advertisers – Apple, IBM, Sony, Disney, Comcast (NBC Universal) and Paramount collectively cut off 7% of total US ad spend on X (Twitter. On top of that, half of the top X advertisers have ceased buying advertisements from a year ago (as of October 2023).

Elon Musk Tells X Advertisers To F*ck Themselves!

On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, Andrew Ross Sorkin interviewed Elon Musk at the 2023 DealBook Summit in New York. In that interview, Elon apologised for endorsing the antisemitic tweet, saying that he should not have replied to it.

But he was belligerent about the advertising crisis at X. He claimed that those advertisers were trying to blackmail him, and literally told them to go “f*ck yourself”. If that wasn’t enough, he singled out Disney CEO Bob Iger in his tirade:

I don’t want them to advertise. If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money?

Go f*ck yourself. Go. F*ck. Yourself. Is that clear? Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience, that’s how I feel. Don’t advertise.

Elon Musk also told his interview, Andrew Ross Sorkin, that he didn’t mind being hated for his controversial opinions.

I have no problem being hated. Hate away.

But Musk admitted that the advertisers could kill X by boycotting it en masse.

What this advertising boycott is going to do is it’s going to kill the company. And the whole world will know that those advertisers killed the company.

What Musk may not have realised when he made those profane comments, was that he may well have helped to dig the grave for X.

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Indian Robot Dancers @ Shanghai Disneyland?!

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Did China create these amazing Indian robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland?!

Watch the viral clip for yourself, and find out what the FACTS really are!

Claim : China Created Indian Robot Dancers At Shanghai Disneyland!

Here is the video that people are sharing on WhatsApp and social media platforms. It is often paired with a short explanation in English.

Watch this dance carefully. Dancing at Disneyland in Shanghai. These two are not human dancers, *But two robots made in China. *The duration of the dance h is only five minutes. But the waiting time to buy tickets to see this dance is 4 hours. Tickets to see this dance cost 499 yuan, which is equivalent to 75 dollars. Robots’ facial expressions are so perfect that it’s hard to distinguish them from real people.

Did China create these amazing Indian robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland?! 😮

Here are the facts : https://t.co/CvhSNWhgNf #TechARP #ShanghaiDisneyland #Disneyland #Disney #China #Wumao #India #Dancer #Dance #Classical #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Robot #Robotics #Fake pic.twitter.com/p5XrLK7GAn

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) May 19, 2023

They Are NOT Indian Robot Dancers At Shanghai Disneyland!

The agility and grace of these dancers are amazing, but they are NOT Indian robot dancers created by China for Shanghai Disneyland!

The less gullible would point out that it is something you would only expect from human Indian dancers, and they would be right.

Fact #1 : This Is An Old Video From 2017

While this video has only started circulating in April-May 2023, the original video was posted on YouTube in August 2017 – more than 5 years ago!

The original video is called “Vahana Alarippu: Bharatanatyam Dance | Best of Indian Classical Dance”, and is 23 seconds longer than the viral video, with a different audio track.

Fact #2 : Those Are Professional Indian Classical Dancers!

The two dancers are professional Indian classical dancers called Sophia Salingaros and Isha Parupudi.

It is unknown where this dance actually took place. The description did not mention a location. But it is more than certain that this dance did not occur at the Shanghai Disneyland!

Fact #3 : 499 Yuan Was Old Entry Price To Shanghai Disneyland

The fake story claimed that the ticket to watch this performance costs 499 Yuan – about US$73 / £55 / RM303. That would be ridiculously exorbitant for a single show.

In truth, that was the cost of an entry ticket to the Shanghai Disneyland when it first opened in February 2016.

Since 6 June 2018, it has been priced at 399 Yuan (off-peak), 575 Yuan (peak) and 665 Yuan (peak holiday).

In 23 June 2023, Shanghai Disneyland raised prices again, with a Regular ticket at 435 Yuan. Regular Plus ticket at 545 Yuan, Peak ticket at 659 Yuan, and Peak Plus ticket at 769 Yuan.

Fact #4 : Disneyland Does Not Charge Extra To Watch Certain Shows

Anyone who has been to Disneyland knows that the entry fee is pricey. That’s because it covers all rides and shows inside Disneyland.

You only need to pay for food and drinks, and arcade games. Or if you opt to purchase Disney Fastpasses (Fastpass, FastPass+, MaxPass) to bypass long queues at popular rides or shows.

Otherwise, all rides and shows are free to enjoy once you enter Disneyland.

Fact #5 : That Is The Third Fake Video Of Shanghai Disneyland Robot Dancers!

This is actually the third fake video of robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland. It’s absurd how people keep passing off videos of real dancers as robot dancers!

This one circulated earlier, claiming to be of a female robot dancer that handily beats all Japanese made-robots. In truth, the fake news creator took the video clip from the 2018 World Dance Sport Federation Championship in Lithuania…

And this video was taken from a Chinese Ballroom Dance Federation (CBDF) competition

Who Would Create Fake Story About Indian Robot Dancers?

With China’s aggressive foreign stance in recent years, it is not uncommon to see such fake stories and fake videos being created and shared.

Some believe it’s part of a concerted attempt to burnish China’s image overseas. Others believe the many fake stories are being created to drown out the negative coverage of China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, and their aggressive moves in the South China Sea.

Whatever the reasons may be, it is our duty as global citizens to stop the proliferation of such fake stories.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Malaysia Officially Bans Thor: Love and Thunder!

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Malaysia just officially banned the release of Thor : Love and Thunder, likely over censorship requirements!

Earlier : Thor : Love and Thunder Postponed!

Thor : Love and Thunder was scheduled to be launched in Malaysia on July 7, in line with the global release (July 8 in the United States).

Cinemas had already opened up booking for the tickets, with many Malaysians purchasing them in advance.

However, on 1 July 2022 came the shocking announcement – the release date for Thor : Love and Thunder in Malaysia has been postponed for two weeks, to 21 July 2022!

Then, on 13 July 2022, Disney postponed the release of Thor : Love and Thunder in Malaysia indefinitely.

Now : Thor : Love and Thunder Officially Cancelled

Unfortunately, on 28 July 2022, Disney announced that Thor : Love and Thunder would not be released in Malaysia.

This was announced by Malaysian cinema chain, GSC :

THOR: Love and Takde. Officially. ⚡️💔

Dear Valued Customers,

Please be informed that Disney has updated us that Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder will not be releasing in Malaysia after all.

We appreciate your patience and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Please buy our merchandise ok.

We Malaysians all saw this coming, didn’t we?

Thor : Love and Thunder Faced Censorship Hurdles

It is currently unknown why the release date for Thor : Love and Thunder in Malaysia was banned from its cinematic release.

But Malaysians have long expected the film to be censored, especially the scene of Thor’s naked butt. As director Taika Waititi shared, the movie will showcase Chris Hemsworth’s mighty cheeks in their full glory.

So it was possible that the earlier delay was to allow certain cuts or mosaicking to be made to the film to allay the delicate sensitivities of the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia. Unlike the brief LGBT kiss that got Lightyear banned in Malaysia and 14 other countries, it seems that Disney may be open to at least blurring Thor’s ass.

There is also the “sensitive” issue of LGBTQ+ themes that have already gotten the movie banned in China. There are several short LGBTQ+ scenes in the movie.

But censoring them is likely a line too far for Disney / Marvel to cross.

Bisexual Asgardian King Valkyrie (Tessa Thomson) kisses a maiden’s hand
At two other scenes, characters reference and discuss King Valkyrie’s late girlfriend.
Korg (Taika Waititi) is shown to be gay.
Korg references having two dads.
Korg settles down with a fellow Korean named Dwayne.

It is likely that Malaysian film censors could not accept those short LGBTQ+ scenes either, and so Thor: Love and Thunder ended up banned from being shown in the cinemas, like in China.

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did China Edit Out Thor Insulting Chinese Military?!

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Did China order Marvel to edit out insults of Chinese military capabilities in the movie Thor: Love and Thunder?!

Find out what’s going on, and what the facts really are!

Claim : China Edited Out Thor Insulting Chinese Military!

Some people, and an Indian website, are sharing an article about China ordering Marvel to edit out insults of Chinese military capabilities in the movie Thor: Love and Thunder?!

The article is long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

The Chinese government said in a statement on July 2 that they had to edit Marvel’s newest blockbuster Thor: Love and Thunder themselves to suppress Thor’s lengthy, well-spoken monologue about why the United States shouldn’t be afraid of China’s powerless military.

“China is a feeble country that cannot support its people,” During an unrelated fight scene, Thor tells Korg. “They are weak-willed, sluggish people that the United States can easily trounce in combat. The only reason the U.S. allows them to live is out of pity and sorrow. China is a worthless, flaccid military regime that has poor and pathetic rulers asleep at the wheel. Communism does not work. Let’s go fight some more space pirates,” he added.

On why the speech was initially included, director Taika Waititi went into further detail.

“Marvel usually asks us to shoehorn in something for Chinese audiences,” Waititi said. “I thought it would be a fun wink to Chinese Thor fans if the Asgardian warrior stopped dead in his tracks, faced the camera, and broke down how China poses no threat to the United Nations and that their military is an empty threat that could easily be quashed. It’s Easter eggs like that that get the audience really feeling seen by your film.”

Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, voiced his bewilderment on China’s editing of the film.

“I’ll never understand why China makes seemingly nonsensical edits,” Feige said. “It’s just a fantasy movie about vikings, super heroes, and how China’s current missile silos couldn’t reach the West if they tried. I’ll never know why they take it so seriously, but whatever.”

Marvel revealed that China would also be removing a funny post-credits scene wherein Thor flies to Xi Jinping’s private mansion and chokes him on live television.

Truth : China Did Not Edit Out Thor Insulting Chinese Military

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created as “satire” to go viral, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : There Is No Chinese Military Monologue In Thor: Love and Thunder

First, let’s start with the fact that there is no 20-minute monologue about the Chinese military in the movie, Thor: Love and Thunder.

Can you really, REALLY imagine Thor speaking for TWENTY MINUTES about the Chinese military in the movie? Whatever for???

Fact #2 : China Was Never Mentioned In Thor: Love And Thunder

China, and the Chinese military, were never mentioned in the movie, Thor: Love and Thunder.

Fact #3 : Thor: Love And Thunder Post Credit Scene Not About Xi Jinping

Thor obviously did not fly to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s private mansion to choke him on live television. There is no reference to any Chinese person in the entire movie.

In the mid-credits scene, a recuperating Zeus sends his son Hercules to kill Thor. In the post-credits scene, Foster arrives at the gates of Valhalla, where she is welcomed by Heimdall.

Fact #4 : Thor: Love And Thunder Still Not Approved In China

Thor: Love and Thunder was never approved in China, and will remained banned because of LGBTQ+ themes in the movie.

Fact #5 : It Is Up To Disney To Edit The Movie

The Chinese government may require edits for a movie to be approved for screening in China, but it is ultimately up to the distributor to comply with the requests, or reject them.

In this case, the Chinese government may request for the LGBTQ+ scenes to be edited out of Thor: Love and Thunder; but it is up to Disney to either comply with their requests, or reject them.

Rejecting the edits will naturally prevent the movie from receiving screening approval, but it is still Disney’s choice, not the Chinese government.

Fact #6 : It Was Just Satire

I traced the origin of this fake story to Hard-Drive – a satire website.

Even though there are no disclaimers on the entire website, or the article itself; their website appears to consist entirely of satirical content, and the article itself is clearly satirical.

However, it appears that some people actually thought that the story was genuine and reposted it on social media.

Times Now, which is part of the Times Group in India, even reposted the story on their online news portal, as if it’s genuine news!

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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The Brief Kiss That Got Lightyear Banned In 14+ Countries!

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Take a look at the scene that got the Disney-Pixar movie, Lightyear, banned in 14 countries, and likely China too!

Lightyear Movie Banned In 14 Countries + Maybe China Too!

Lightyear – the long-awaited Toy Story prequel from Disney-Pixar – has been banned in 14 Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and quite likely China too!

The ban started in the UAE, whose Media Regulatory Office of the Ministry of Youth and Culture announced on 13 June 2022 that Lightyear was banned from screening in all cinemas for “its violation of the country’s media content standards“.

A Variety report claimed that the UAE initially approved Lightyear for release, but revoked the licence after social media posts accused the movie of insulting Muslims and Islam.

That ban was then followed by other countries. The current list includes, but is not limited to :

United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Indonesia
Malaysia
Singapore
Lebanon
Oman
Qatar
Kuwait
Bahrain

Although not confirmed yet, it is very likely that Lightyear will also not be allowed to screen in China.

Lightyear producer, Galyn Susman, said that Chinese authorities “asked for cuts”, which Disney declined to make. So she assumed that the movie would not be allowed to screen there either.

I’m assuming it will not make it to China. I know we’ve gotten requests for things to cut, Disney isn’t going to modify the material.

We’re not going to cut out anything, especially something as important as the loving and inspirational relationship that shows Buzz what he’s missing by the choices that he’s making, so that’s not getting cut

The Brief Kiss That Got Lightyear Banned In 14+ Countries!

The reasons why Lightyear has been banned in at least 14 countries, and possibly China too, is over a brief kissing scene.

In the first 30 minutes of Lightyear, Alisha Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba) – a female space ranger and a close friend of Buzz Lightyear – shares a brief kiss with her same-sex partner.

That kiss was part of a scene showing milestones in the couple’s relationship. It also shows the couple’s son, although it is not known if he was adopted or conceived through assisted reproduction.

But it was the brief kiss between two fictional characters that broke the camel’s back for censors in those countries. They demanded that the scene be cut from the film.

Normally, Disney would quietly cut such a controversial scene from the movie to comply with “local sensibilities”, since it doesn’t affect the plot.

However, Pixar employees had earlier penned a letter complaining that Disney corporate executives were censoring “nearly every moment of overtly gay affection” in their projects.

We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were.

Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disney’s behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar.

Disney caved to the pressure, and decided not to censor the kiss from Lightyear. And so, all those countries refused to grant a licence to screen the movie in theatres.

Lightyear Stars On Why Lightyear Was Banned…

Chris Evans, who voiced Buzz Lightyear in this prequel, labelled such objections as “frustrating”.

It’s great that we are a part of something that’s making steps forward in the social inclusion capacity.

But it’s frustrating that there are still places that aren’t where they should be.

He also told Variety magazine that he was frustrated that news coverage of the movie would be focused on such an issue :

It’s tough to not be a little frustrated that it even has to be a topic of discussion. That it is this kind of ‘news.’

The goal is that we can get to a point where it is the norm, and that this doesn’t have to be some uncharted waters, that eventually this is just the way it is.

Taika Waititi, who voices the character of Mo Morrison in the film, added :

We’re hoping for a time when we don’t even have to have this conversation. We can watch a movie and we don’t even have to bat an eyelid.

We don’t have to think ‘Oh wow, weird’. It’s not weird, it’s normal and it should be normalised.

Whenever you have these small steps that studios are making – sometimes they may feel small but also, they are steps – and it’s steps towards normalising humanity and love. I really feel sorry for countries who don’t want this film because of a tiny, weird little thing like that

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Go Back To > Entertainment | Business | Tech ARP

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Lightyear Movie Banned In 14 Countries + Maybe China Too!

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The Disney-Pixar movie, Lightyear, has been banned in 14 countries, and quite possibly China too!

Here is what we know so far…

Lightyear Movie Banned In 14 Countries + Maybe China Too!

Lightyear – the long-awaited animated feature film from Disney-Pixar – has reportedly been banned in 14 Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

The ban started in the UAE, whose Media Regulatory Office of the Ministry of Youth and Culture announced on 13 June 2022 that :

The Media Regulatory Office announced that the animated film Lightyear, which is scheduled for release on 16th June, is not licensed for public screening in all cinemas in the UAE, due to its violation of the country’s media content standards.

A Variety report claimed that the UAE initially approved Lightyear for release, but revoked the licence after social media posts accused the movie of insulting Muslims and Islam.

That ban was then followed by other countries. The current list includes, but is not limited to :

United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Indonesia
Malaysia
Singapore
Lebanon
Oman
Qatar
Kuwait
Bahrain

Although not confirmed yet, it is very likely that Lightyear will also not be allowed to screen in China.

Lightyear producer, Galyn Susman, said that Chinese authorities “asked for cuts”, which Disney declined to make. So she assumed that the movie would not be allowed to screen there either.

I’m assuming it will not make it to China. I know we’ve gotten requests for things to cut, Disney isn’t going to modify the material.

Why Lightyear Was Banned In Those Countries…

In Lightyear, the character of Alisha Hawthorne (voiced by Uzo Aduba) shares a brief kiss with her same-sex partner.

That’s it – a little kiss between two fictional characters. Unfortunately, it was a kiss too far for those countries.

Normally, Disney would quietly cut such a “controversial” scene from the movie to comply with “local sensibilities”, since it doesn’t affect the plot.

However, Pixar employees had earlier penned a letter complaining that Disney corporate executives were censoring “nearly every moment of overtly gay affection” in their projects.

We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were.

Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disney’s behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar.

Disney caved to the pressure, and decided not to censor the kiss from Lightyear. And so, all those countries refused to grant a licence to screen the movie in theatres.

Lightyear Stars On The Movie Ban By 14+ Countries