Don't Mess with Tigger.

exile

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Looks like Tigger has been learning a little bit of a martial art in the Magic Kingdom. Lock the arm, and a paw to the mug, way to go Tigger!

http://www.local6.com/news/10685989/detail.html

That's it! No more work on bunkai for Pinan Shodan for you, Tigger! This preemptive striking thing can be taken way too far...

In truth, that is one of the strangest things I've ever seen, and I don't just mean getting paw-heel struck in the face by a giant synthetic orange tiger. Disney is supposed to do very careful screening of their employees and ensure that they're all reasonably safe people to have around children (well, they don't have a good track record as far as some of the Mouseketeers go, but Disneyland staff are supposed to be golden). So what actually happened here? So far as I could see, there was absolutly no provocation.... ??
 

searcher

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I just saw the interview with the kid and his dad on the tube. They also had the video. It did not look that bad, but what was that guy thinking hitting a kid. If he needs to hit someone he needs a different job.
 

chinto01

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While I strongly agree that Tigger should not have hit that kid we do not know what led up to the punch. Maybe the kid did something a little inappropriate and deserved a little slap.

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob
 

Rich Parsons

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While I strongly agree that Tigger should not have hit that kid we do not know what led up to the punch. Maybe the kid did something a little inappropriate and deserved a little slap.

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob

*** Not seeing what happened before this on video nor hearing what was sad on the video I cannot defend either side. I do offer the following personal experience(s) ***

Having worked numerous places where young Adults think they are safe because they are under the age of 18, they kick and punch and pinch and say things to people that would get anyone a STFU or a slap or punch.

One young lady would go around hitting or kneeing guys in the groin and then laughing. She did it to me. I told her to never do that again and that someday someone might hurt her. Later that night she did it again. I just reached out and turned her head with my hand and laid her on the ground. She was very surprised. I then told her that she was in lots of trouble and asked her if she understood this. She repleid with a wimper and cry - yes. I picked her back up and then told her that she was lucky it was me and not someone else who did not care about a young person. She later thanked me
as one of her friends did something similiar and had been hit and attacked by a guy who did no think it was funny.

One young man came up and kicked me in the shins and then hit me in the chest and then said I coudl not touch him as he was under 18. I smiled, and reached out and pinned him to the wall with one hand. He then said he would yell for help. I smiled and yelled for him at the top of my lungs. I yelled for help and for the police and yelled rape - fire - murder - and other workds to try to get someone to come investigate. No one came. The local police station was actually about 300 yards away and in site. I pointed this out and explained that yes it was illegal for me to hurt him, but he might have been seriously hurt if someone else had decided to hurt him. He apologized and asked if he could go home.


Yet - knowing there is a video rolling and or camera taking pictures means this guy was not thinking - either do to rage or lack of judgement. He should reconsider his choice of employment. Those suits are hot, and kids grab you and touch you and puke or other on you and you do your job. You wave.

Like I said I cannot decide from this is the incident was prevoked as there was no audio and I could not see what happened before.
 

michaeledward

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I'm just looking at the young man's left arm. It does not look, to me, as if the young man is putting his arm around Tigger's shoulder for a photograph.

It is not hard to speculate that the young man is attempting to lift Tigger's headpeice off.

We'll see.

This too, is another incident of a company recieving some bad press, and having to take action for PR purposes. The cast member has been disciplined based on the evidence in the video tape; incomplete though it may be.

Oh, well, I suppose it is better for Disney to be talking about Tigger than Spocko.
 

charyuop

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I watched the whole video and the version given by tigger was that the boy was pulling his costume tight cutting his breathing. As per what he did, I think it is a over reacting, maybe thinking to get out some money from Disney. The Arm lock was not very extended, it is clear that it was meant just to interrupt whatever the kid was doing (in fact there is no pain on the face of the kid, but rather a smile) and as per the paw slap, it looked more like a caress than a punch.
By what I see Tigger stopped the kids from what he was doing with no real damage or pain...
Had this happened in my youth I would have been slapped my father too...but those are old days, now parents can't do the parents anymore.

Just my 2 cents.
 

Xue Sheng

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The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers
The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful things
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is I'm the only one

The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful chaps
They're loaded with vim and with vigor
They love to leap in your laps
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is I'm the only one

Tiggers are wonderful fellahs
Tiggers are awfully sweet
Everyone elses is jealous
And thats why I repeat
The wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is Tiggers are wonderful things
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers
Is I'm the only one
Yes, I'm the only one
(Grrrrrr...)

Where in the song does it mention that tiggers put you in a lock and smack you in the face
 

chinto01

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We can speculate all we want but none of us were in that costume nor were we in the situation.

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob
 

michaeledward

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The Nashua Telegraph reported yesterday that no criminal charges were being filed against the actor in the Tigger costum.

Both the father, and the attorney for the minor were making statements that sound like they may persue a civil suit. I believe, however, is that those comments are more for show than credibility. I imagine any civil suit would take place in Florida, and the commute by a New Hampshire family and a Massachusetts lawyer would be a significant constraint.

The Telegraph does not archive articles well, at least that I've been able to see.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070217/NEWS01/202170316

The State Attorney’s Office announced Thursday it will not press charges against Michael J. Fedelem.

Prosecutors made the decision after reviewing a complaint from the teen’s father, Jerry Monaco, 34, also of Greenville.

Reached at his home Friday night, Monaco said he was not aware of the decision, but would not comment further, referring all questions to his attorney.

“Believe me, I would love to comment,” Monaco said.

Monaco’s attorney, Drew Romanovitz, of Salem, Mass., said he was aware of the legal decision and accepted it.

“Whether or not they were privy to all the facts is another issue,” he said.

Romanovitz was tight-lipped about the case as well, stating that he felt it “best todirection we are going to take at this point,” Romanovitz said.

“We are looking at all options,” he said, adding later, “We are hoping we can get the matter resolved for all parties satisfaction.”
 

Adept

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To be honest, the contact between tigger's hand and the boys face looks accidental.

Tigger applied the armlock with his right arm (going by the video) to stop the boy from doing something, then reached around with his left to (presumably) steady the boy and put some space between them, and to make it look less like an armlock. Unfortunately, his paw connected with his face and it ended up looking ten times worse.

At least, thats how it looks to me.
 

crushing

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To be honest, the contact between tigger's hand and the boys face looks accidental.

Tigger applied the armlock with his right arm (going by the video) to stop the boy from doing something, then reached around with his left to (presumably) steady the boy and put some space between them, and to make it look less like an armlock. Unfortunately, his paw connected with his face and it ended up looking ten times worse.

At least, thats how it looks to me.

That's how it appears to me. The boy was caught being mischievous and the park employee in the Tigger outfit accidently bumped him in the face as he turned to protect himself.
 

Carol

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