Moral Panic - Lightyear

Moral panics are irrational fears that have been spread and exaggerated by the media.

5 stages of Moral Panic

Concern - an event sparks social anxiety.

Hostility - a subculture is seen as ‘folk devils’ who are looked upon with hostility.

Consensus - fear of this subculture becomes the dominant narrative in media and social discussion.

Disproportionality - The threat is exaggerated

Volatility - A societal change is made
* A moral panic emerges and disappears suddenly (often when another moral panic takes its place)

Case Study - Lightyear (2022)

Concern - The film Lightyear was released in America and there was a same-sex kissing scene in the movie.

Hostility - People were saying that Disney and Pixar were the "Folk Devils" for displaying homosexual scenes on childrens' movies. They also said the LGBTQ+ were bad and a sin.

Consensus - The news was soon filled with hate on Lightyear, Disney, Pixar and the LGBTQ+ community.

Disproportionality - People are saying that children will be influenced by that scene and it was a big sin to watch the movie.

Volatility - Some countries asked Disney to cut the scene but they declined and so Lightyear was banned in 14 different countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Saudi Arabia and the U.E.

Sky News Australia - "Buzz Lightyear film banned over kiss"