Revenge: Child Health Group Evicted By Harvard After Alleged Disney Interference

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After successfully publicizing the dangers and lack of educational benefits to babies from Disney's Baby Einstein brand of TV videos, the nonprofit Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has been evicted from its offices in the Harvard-affiliated Judge Baker Children's Health Center. This, after Disney representatives repeatedly called health center officials and allegedly threatened to sue unless the Campaign ended all communications with the press and advocacy work against Disney products.

Conflict of interest should apply.

That Judge Baker and Harvard even thought that this would be acceptable is surprising, but also not so, since as the NY Times article notes, Baker is run with a corporate board of directors, not a community one. So it is subject to a more corporate management than many in the public might expect.

But in the end, I still say this:
Shame on Disney. Shame on Harvard. And shame on us, the American people, for allowing ourselves to create and nurture and continue to stand by and nurture corporations and their ruthless, immoral, careless, evil mindset - which has permeated our own - that operate outside ethics and the law.

Jonas Brothers Get Real On TV

By Heather Chin

http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/14751.html (March 21, 2008)

The tween pop group will star in their own reality show on the Disney Channel, to air this spring.

This spring, tween girls will have something new to get them through the last few months of school – a new reality show about teen pop-rock trio the Jonas Brothers. The Disney Channel has greenlighted the series, which is now in production under the working title, Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream and which will follow the on- and off-stage lives of the tween/teen music stars.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the best-selling trio – brothers Kevin (age 20), Nick (age 18) and Joe (age 16) – will be filmed during their “Look Me in the Eyes” tour and will feature footage of them rehearsing, performing, having fun and interacting with their parents and younger brother.

If that weren’t enough, the Disney Channel has also given the go for a scripted series and an original TV movie, starring the brothers. The scripted series has not yet been given a production date, but is described as a live-action spy comedy entitled J.O.N.A.S. The movie, Camp Rock, will feature various rock, pop and hip-hop performances in a June summer release.

The Jonas Brothers released their first album, It’s About Time, in August of 2006. Now, with their sophomore self-titled album having gone platinum and hit Billboard’s Top 5, the Brothers’ third CD is set to be released by Hollywood Records on July 8 of this year.

Disney Plans A Japanese “Lilo and Stitch” Program

By Heather Chin

(previously published at www.thecelebritycafe.com on March 6, 2008)

“Lilo and Stitch” TV program just one of several new endeavors by Disney to provide entertainment that accommodates the culture it inhabits.

The Walt Disney Company has announced plans to create a Japanese version of its hit film, “Lilo and Stitch.” Reuters reports that the U.S.-based entertainment and media giant will work with Madhouse Ltd., a Japanese animation company, to create a TV program for the Disney Channel. The program is set to air on Japanese satellite and cable TV, said a Walt Disney Co. Japan spokeswoman to Reuters.

Disney also plans to collaborate with Asia’s huge Toei Animation Co. Ltd. to create a robot adventure computer graphics cartoon to air later this year.

Taken in a broader context, these joint projects are examples of Disney’s innovative global effort, announced to Reuters by Disney Channel Worldwide’s entertainment president, Gary Marsh, to create local teams in Asia to provide local content that would, in turn, be released to a global audience.

Elsewhere in the world, Disney has already transplanted and localized TV programs from one country to another country’s market. This was done with an Italian series that now airs also in Britain, the U.S., and Australia, and inroads are being made with Indian TV.

The story of Lilo and Stitch is about the self-affirming relationship and misadventures of a young Hawaiian girl and the pet dog named Stitch who is really an escaped alien refugee who attracts his own entourage of comedic acquaintances. It opened in the U.S. in 2002, won 8 film awards and was nominated for 20 more.