Social media was “buzzing” about the upcoming Disney Pixar film that will tell the stories of astronaut Buzz Lightyear, who first hit the screen in “toy form” in 1995’s Toy Story. The upcoming film, scheduled for release next year, is actually about the movie created around the space hero who inspired the toy.
The first trailer for the film was posted to YouTube on Wednesday and has already been seen nearly 6 million times.
While Tim Allen has been the voice of Buzz since the original film, appearing in all the sequels and even short films, Marvel star Chris Evans will reportedly voice the astronaut character.
Evans took to social media (@ChrisEvans) to proclaim how excited he was to be taking on the role, writing, “I’m covered in goosebumps. And will be every time I watch this trailer. Or hear a Bowie song. Or have any thought whatsoever between now and July cause nothing has ever made me feel more joy and gratitude than knowing I’m a part of this and it’s basically always on my mind.”
There were more than 262,000 likes, while Evans was retweeted some 37,000 times.
Recasting Questioned
Even as many fans expressed delight that the story of Buzz Lightyear was being told, there were those who didn’t seem so happy that Evans would be stepping into the role. Recasting of voice actors isn’t especially uncommon, but according to rumors Allen, 68, was never even considered for the role.
On social media some believed that politics were at issue. As FoxNews.com reported, there are “political differences between the two actors, with Evans being known for liberal ideals while Allen is among Hollywood’s outspoken conservatives.”
Other news outlets also noted the recasting and questioned what was behind it. Celebrity gossip site TMZ pondered, “Was Tim Allen recast just because of his conservative politics???”
NBA analyst Bill Ingram (@TheRocketGuy) was among those saw it simply as a bad decision to recast such an iconic role, “Chris Evans is great, but come on…. Tim Allen is Buzz Lightyear. I get the political stuff, but this is entertainment, not politics. Can we please separate the two??”
Several users on social media tried to explain that within the Toy Story universe Chris Evans was the astronaut and Tim Allen is the toy version:
Too Political
By Thursday morning, the discussions became quite heated on Twitter – highlighting how social media has the potential to make every single discussion political these days.
“I wish what we were talking about is why we need another film in this series in the first place,” Susan Campbell, a distinguished lecturer in the Communication, Film and Media Studies Department at the University of New Haven. “Instead we’re talking about Allen’s politics. I just want everyone to take a breath and step down.”
While it is true that Allen played Buzz for nearly 30 years, the series has long suggested that the toy was based on a film franchise within the Toy Story universe – as noted by the above tweets.
Yet, even if that wasn’t the case, franchises are often rebooted, with new blood stepping in, and even in long running series roles are recast all the time. Multiple actors have played James Bond, Dr. Who and Batman.
“Tim Allen is 68 and it is well within the artistic process and is actually quite common to change actors,” said Campbell.
As for the political reasons, Campbell, who is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, said that this is an example of the echo chamber that social media has become.
“I really didn’t know much about Tim Allen’s politics, but I wouldn’t quit watching his shows or movies even as I strongly disagree with many of his views,” she explained. “But today we make everything so political, especially on social media.”
It is also a case where readers saw the headlines – such as the TMZ one and others – and jumped on their respective bandwagons that politics was at play.
“Please click o the link and read the story before making a comment,” Campbell added. “Instead everyone goes to their corners and puts up their dukes, ensuring that a fight will start.”
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
