As the owner of a substantial portion of theworld ’s most popularpieces ofintellectual property , the Walt Disney Company is more than used to run into its character and branding pop up in unofficial , unlicensed post . In some illustration , like when the family of a of late pass away childattempted to have Spider - Man ’s similitude on his gravestone , the company has step in to block up people from using its IP in ways it does n’t see fit . Others ? Not so much .
In cases like those involving caller that produce police - related merchandise have the Punisher logo , Marvel and its parent company Disney have remainedrelatively quiet on the subject , despite the charged political connotations those items carry . Though Disney ’s undeniably powerful , the megacorporation would still be hard - contract to amply crack down on mass creating and sell these thing . But a recent news report from the military websiteTask & Purpose — which delve into the popularity of challenge coin among Disney parks ’ security measure staff — evoke query about what the ship’s company ’s insurance should be about its employees potentially transport them while influence within its theme Rosa Parks . One unofficial coin boast on the website features a mashup of Mickey Mouse and Punisher iconography with “ Disneyland Security ” emblazon on the front .
https://gizmodo.com/as-the-punisher-skull-re-emerges-on-cops-in-u-s-protes-1843911179
Two unofficial challenge coins presented on eBay featuring Mickey Mouse as a police officer and the thin blue line flag.Screenshot:challengecoincreations/eBay
Challenge coin are small , commemorating medallions often distributed within a all-inclusive stove of organizations as symbols of membership and chumminess foster through “ challenges ” in which people are required to show their coins on demand to essay that they ’re carrying them . There are varying rule on what happen if you ’re get hold without your coin bet on the group you ’re playing with . Most commonly , challenge coin have been associated with the war machine and its polish , which is at least part of why Disney presently has a sanctioned selection of them that a telephone number of its park security personnel department reportedly hold .
Speaking with Task & Purpose , a Walt Disney World representative explained that its prescribed challenge coins are part of its efforts to squeeze the traditions harbour devout by its “ surety departments and other areas where military veteran have come to work after their service . ” It ’s significant to realise that challenge coin are n’t exactly promptly available to the general populace , as they ’re meant to be special items that represent the bond between a blue-ribbon group of people — in this case , those exploit security for Disney .
There is nothing inherently incorrect with challenge coin , and it make a arcdegree of sensation that Disney would produce the coins for them to gather up and trade , as collecting is a huge part of its brand already . What ’s middling concerning , though , are the number of unofficial challenge coin using characters like Mickey Mouse and the Punisher to not only associate the people contain them with Disney and Marvel at a glance , but also with a certain stance on policing . Though its defender have argued that thethin blue line iconographyis meant to stand for the idea that police are the line of defence maintaining society ’s order , it has also come to represent an insularculture within law departmentsacross the land that nurture a organization rife with putrefaction , savagery , and human right violation that constabulary enforcement official rarely have to respond for .
A blue lives matter challenge coin featuring an anthropomorphic police cruiser meant to resemble a character from the Pixar film Cars.Screenshot:his66bug/eBay
Similarly , the Punisher logo is emblematical of Frank Castle ’s black - and - white sense of DoJ that he believes as being uniquely sound and above reproach . In the vacuum of Marvel ’s medium , the Punisher logo and Frank Castle embody a mysterious , baneful wickedness that you ’re meant to realise as dangerous to social club . However , in the real populace , where military andpolice policeman slap the logo on themselvesas if toliken them to the violent character , the substance take as an endorsement of his method and a desire to emulate them . This is whythe New York Police Departmentfaced a wave of criticism in 2018 over Punisher challenge coins that itdistributed among members of its Gang Unit .
It should be noted that none of the challenge coins pictured in this spell are part of Disney ’s prescribed lot , and all custom coins that staffers have made for use are subject to an home review process should they include any of the company ’s cerebral property . We ’ve hit out to Disney take for remark about this piece and clarification on what their official coins look like , but did not listen back by time of publishing .
A casualsearch through eBayturns up more than a few challenge coin show Mickey Mouse as a cop , a fancied Department of Homeland security officer focused on thaumaturgy , and a police car from Cars professing that “ gloomy go subject . ” disregardless of what message a individual might intend to send by say “ naughty life topic , ” fatigue a lean drab line , or wearing the Punisher logo , each natural process has a very distinct significance , particularly at this here and now where more and more people are finally reckon with the United States ’ historic issues withpolice brutality .
coin like these are on the face of it anything but difficult to descend by , which suggests that there ’s either a glut of them sit in sellers ’ storage warehouse or that multitude are out there grease one’s palms them , presumably to channel , as that ’s the whole point of challenge coin . It ’s also quite potential that there are even people not use by Disney who but mat that these specific challenge coins were the utter reflection of their personal mouthful . Considering which marketplace customs duty challenge coins celebrate the cops and the House of Mouse is aimed at , however , it ’s not out of the kingdom of possibility that mass are carry them within Disney ’s parks .
While some of Disney ’s root park around the world are open , for the time being , theongoing coronavirus pandemicmeans that patrons are n’t constellate to them as usual . So the company has prison term to put more energy into thinking about the future of its material - globe attractor . It ’s nice to think that , maybe , someone within the company understands that when things ramp back up , policies keeping this specific form of collectible out of the Mungo Park — especially in the hand of those work there — should be put in spot .
https://gizmodo.com/dallas-cop-seen-wearing-punisher-logo-during-altercatio-1838936898
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