Disney tweets then deletes this dark 'Pinocchio' message after social media blowback
Between such current hits as Black Panther and mighty blockbusters-to-come like Avengers: Infinity War, Solo: A Star Wars Adventure, and The Incredibles 2, Disney has plenty to be joyful about this year. That’s why social media was caught off-guard over the weekend when the official Mouse House Twitter feed issued an ennui-laden status update. A since-deleted tweet from the @Disney account featured a short clip from the studio’s 1940 animated classic Pinocchio, with the Blue Fairy bringing the titular wooden puppet to life. Above that clip were the words: “When someone compliments you, but you’re dead inside,” a strangely dark sentiment that the mystery tweet-writer agreed with by writing, “Makes no difference who you are” — a lyric from the movie’s signature Oscar-winning song, “Wish Upon a Star.”
Twitter users immediately took notice of Disney’s melancholy mood, and speculation ran rampant about what exactly Mickey Mouse was trying to tell everyone.
disney???? pic.twitter.com/lw0I8YNDV3
— (@thechoibois) April 9, 2018
Did Disney just confirm Pinocchio is dead inside
— wadanohara (@BrightRistar) April 9, 2018
Is @Disney still the happiest place on Earth, cause this is… kinda.. morbid, I’m concerned… https://t.co/ENFWtUqN5x
— Darling Nikki (@miss_lady_diva) April 8, 2018
Me when I saw that Pinocchio tweet by @Disney. #dead pic.twitter.com/wh4gPQIy4X
— Callie Goodwin (@Callie_goodwin) April 9, 2018
Originally posted at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 8, the Pinocchio tweet remained in Disney’s feed until Monday morning, by which time it had garnered thousands of replies and RTs. And Twitter was still talking about it even after it got scrubbed from the site.
Disney just deleted the “dead inside” tweet. pic.twitter.com/bebFlBQW3m
— Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) April 9, 2018
. @Disney deleted the tweet about being dead inside “No matter who you are”. Took them maybe 12 hours lol
— GiGi (@itsDiGiovanni) April 9, 2018
omg @Disney deleted their dead inside tweet. disney intern you’re doing amazing sweetie! don’t let the higher-ups kill your creativity. this was great pic.twitter.com/Xq2YoQZcfN
— Josh Grant (@thejoshuagrant) April 9, 2018
aww @Disney deleted that tweet that said we are dead inside :/ now I am actually feeling dead inside
— Jon (@jknit135) April 9, 2018
At press time, the studio had yet to comment about who pushed the Tweet button in the first place and why it was ultimately deleted. If you ask us, they’d be wise to check Twitter for splinters, because this sure sounds like the work of that dastardly Peg-Leg Pete.
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