‘We’re all in this together’: Disney characters, artists unite to fight COVID-19

Cast of Disney's 'High School Musical'
Disney Philippines official website

MANILA, Philippines — Ever since lockdowns began in many countries due to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Disney characters’ memes have been trending on social media. 

While some memes were used to educate people about hygiene and social distancing, others served as entertainment for people stuck in homes.

Two weeks ago, Disney Executive Chairman and recent former Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger saw the trend and noticed that people had been rendering their own versions of Disney’s songs while in quarantine.

As such, Iger pooled together Disney’s producers and artists to produce the musical special “Disney Family Singalong” on YouTube, which aired on Thursday night (US time), featuring an hour-long of over 16 performances from some of today’s hottest stars.

Among the performances included Ariana Grande singing “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” from “Hercules;” Christina Aguilera belting out “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King;” Demi Lovato and Michael Bublé interpreting “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes;” Josh Groban singing “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” from “Toy Story;” and “High School Musical” cast Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu reuniting to render “We’re All in This Together.” 

 

 

‘King and queen of quarantine’

Prior to the musical special, Disney characters Quasimodo from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and Rapunzel from “Tangled” have been tagged by Internet users as “king and queen” of quarantine since both survived being locked up in a tower for years.

Both have apparently become inspirations for real people in quarantine to stay strong.

“When you realize rapunzel was in quarantine for 16 years!!!” a Twitter user wrote.

Social media users also pointed out that Rapunzel’s hometown has been named Corona, which coincides with coronavirus. As such, conspiracy theorists think "Tangled" "predicted" the coronavirus.

“Rapunzel was locked in her tower all her life cause her mom was hiding her from corona,” a Twitter user wrote.

Multi-awarded Filipino singer-actress Lea Salonga, the singing voice of Mulan in the Disney movie and of Jasmine in the movie “Aladdin,” made the characters “Aladdin” her Twitter cover photo but with a twist. In the photo, Aladdin can be seen asking Jasmine’s hand, but Jasmine reaches out with a hand sanitizer.

Lea's Twitter cover photo showing a meme of Aladdin and Jasmine with a COVID-19 theme.
Lea Salonga via Twitter, screenshot

Meanwhile, Aguilera’s new song, ”Loyal Brave True,” from the new live-action “Mulan” has also been dedicated by Internet users to COVID-19 frontliners.

 

Likewise, “Stay at Home Con 2020” became a viral trending topic as Marvel fans have been sharing their drawings of Marvel characters. 

 

Even villains such as Gaston from “Beauty and the Beast,” has been re-imagined to remind people of three things to prevent COVID-19: clean, quarantine and stop spreading the virus.
“No-one cleans like Gaston; Quarantines like Gaston; No-one stops spreading Covid-19 like Gaston!" said an Internet user’s version of the song dedicated to Gaston in the movie.

Last Holy Week, “Lilo & Stitch” became viral as scenes from the movie reminded people anything from how to properly prepare sandwiches while staying at home, to missing traveling and exploring beautiful countries like Hawaii.
“You know what, i’m gonna say it, quarantine might just be making me SKINNY, but if i don’t look as slim thicc as nani from lilo and stitch when i go to hawaii in december, i WILL be demanding a refund,” said one tweet.

“Ever since this whole covid 19 thing started I have literally turned into the sandwich alien from lilo and stitch... all I kno is the sandwich arts........ head empty.....I just ...... make sandwiches....,” said another tweet.

Another Twitter user, meanwhile, dropped a significant line from “Lilo & Stitch,” which is especially pertinent in these trying times: "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

— Videos from YouTube/Kurt Tocci, ABC

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