David Spates "Therefore I Am" Published Oct. 26, 2004

Is Mickey Mouse color blind?

Why do the folks at Disney think my wife is black? I don't know, but they do. I can tell from the sales pamphlet they sent me last week. There are nine photographs on it, and black people featured in seven of them. Incidentally, the other two photos don't have any people in them -- one of Disney World's castle and the other of a free DVD that they'll send me in the hope of enticing me and my family to visit the aforementioned castle.

So why are the people in the pamphlet black? There's no way it's a coincidence. In a company as omnipresent and resourceful as Disney, there are no coincidences. Every move is deliberately thought out to maximize shareholder profit. Things don't just happen at Disney. Black people make up approximately 12 percent of the United States' population, so statistically speaking, only one of the seven photos should feature black people. I probably wouldn't have noticed if even, say, three or four of the photos featured black people, but seven? It's obvious that there's a plan at work here. There are 11 individuals pictured, possibly portraying one big, happy family.

Before I continue, let me say that I don't consider myself to be racist, nor has anyone ever accused me of being racist. I've written hundreds of columns over the years, and not one reader has ever contacted me about even one racist sentence. If I had prevalent racist tendencies, they would have exposed themselves in my writing by now. And I won't insult you by insisting that "some of my best friends are black." I don't have any black best friends. In fact, you could probably count my best friends on two or three fingers. The truth is that I'm as indifferent to blacks as I am to whites, Hispanics, Russians, Chinese, Ethiopians, Eskimos, Martians, whatever. If you're a nice, interesting person, I'll probably like you. If you're a jerk, I won't. If anything, you could label me a jerkist.

That being said, the Disney pamphlet really piqued my curiosity. If we agree that black people in seven of seven people-featured photos can't possibly be a mere coincidence, then we're inundated with a flood of follow-up questions.

First and foremost, why would Disney create a sales pamphlet that features black people so prominently? I can only guess they think that if prospective black visitors see photos of other black people having fun at Disney World, they might be more inclined to visit too.

"Honey, look at what Disney sent us. It looks great. The kids would love it. Look, here's a picture of the Dumbo ride, the new Mission: Space ride, pools, water rides. And look at all the black people in the pictures. They really seem to be enjoying themselves. I'll call the travel agent tomorrow."

It seems safe to presume that Disney would send the black-oriented sales pamphlet to black people. So why did my wife get one? She's white, by the way. It was mailed to her. What mailing list did she get on and why is she classified as black? Was it because of a specific purchase she made in the past? What could that have been?

Another question I have is what other races of pamphlets does Disney mail to people? Is there an all-Hispanic pamphlet? An all-white pamphlet? An all-Oriental? Maybe an all-Indian? If Disney directs their sales pitches this specifically, maybe they go a little further. Perhaps there are all-redneck pamphlets. A pamphlet for tall people? A pamphlet for overweight people? Maybe there's one for those annoying couples who wear matching T-shirts in public. A marketing department could go nuts trying to determine how to best tailor a sales tool to a specific person. "So you're a bald Italian man in his mid-40s with three children and a wife who likes her eggs sunny-side up? Boy do we have the pamphlet for you!"

So what if Disney indeed targets certain racial groups with specific sales pamphlets? Is that so bad? No, of course not. What's the harm? Why would anyone get upset over something like this? I do, however, think it's interesting. It's just something I've never thought about. Why do they do this? As I've written many times before, I like the why's in life. Our days overflow with relatively insignificant details -- the who, what, where, when, how -- but the why is usually the most interesting question. Why do people do what they do?

Disney is the expert. Those people have forgotten more about sales and tourism than I'll ever know. They know what they're doing. I'm just wondering why they're doing it.

You know, I think I'll go straight to the Mouse's mouth on this one. I'm going to call someone in the Disney World PR department this week and ask. I'm not out to make Disney look bad. Honestly, I'm not, but I'm the curious sort. I just want to ask.

I like Disney. I've been the Disney World at least three times, and I plan to take my kids when they get just a bit older. Disney World is an American institution that everyone should experience at least once.

I'll let you know what the Mouse has to say. I keep thinking of the old cliché, but certainly curiosity won't kill me, the cat or the Mouse.

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David Spates is a Knoxville resident and Crossville Chronicle contributor whose column is published each Tuesday. He can be reached at davespates@chartertn.net.