Uh-oh... more trouble for Tigger

T

Treelo

Member
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/ ... 5628.shtml

Apparently Tigger (or at least, a cast member dressed as Tigger) got into a bit of a tussle over the weekend at WDW. ; The allegation (and I have to say, the video doesn't look good for my Stripey Friend) is that Tigger smacked a teenager in the head for no particular reason. ; Now admittedly, we only have the kid's word that he didn't do something to trigger the incident, but the Orange County Sherrif's dept. are investigating and the cast member has been suspended pending the outcome of that investigation.

In 2004 a different cast member, also dressed as Tigger, got in legal trouble on charges of molestation.

*sigh* Poor Tigger... so many people out to give him a bad name :(
 
They get a little hands on, i find it hard to believe that a man or women who works as tigger would just go off and hit a Teen. There had to be something that caused it! If he even did it!
 
Well... having had a job that periodically involved encounters with 'characters'... and having worn a costume myself on one occasion (I was Polkaroo for a day... don't ask)... I know this:

- kids beyond a certain age (about 6) often see characters as targets for torment
- getting clocked by a character can, indeed, hurt quite a bit ; (I'm not sure about the WDW Tigger costume, but characters with paws often have a certain amount of structure to the 'paws'... and it can be quite hard)

and, having also watched the video, both on BT and online yesterday... this was more than just getting smacked in the face... watch the video again and see the arm-grab (done in such a way as to ensure there was no possibility for avoidance)

I'm inclined to think that the kid was doing something with his left hand that prompted a response... but at the same time, I'm not sure THAT was the response it warranted. ; Anyway, where was Tigger's "handler" in all this? ; Character costumes which cover the entire head are almost always acompanied by another cast member... for the safety of both character and guests... those things seriously reduce your frame of vision increasing the liklihood of tripping or trampling leading to injury of either the character or a guest. ; The 'handler' then also works in a 'crowd control' and supervisory capacity.
 
After watching the video too. ; I think the kid was doing something with his left hand too to make that Tigger want to defend himself. ; Maybe the kid poked his finger at Tigger like it was a gun, and not seeing out of that costume maybe he thought it was a gun. And good point Treelo, where was the handler?? ; I don't think the kid deserved to get hit by Tigger, but I don't think Tigger did it on purpose either. ; It looked pretty reflex.
 
"Treelo" said:
(I was Polkaroo for a day... don't ask)
Click to expand...

Oh i am so going to ask! Polkaroo for a day?? Come on you can't leave us with just that!
 
*laugh*

Ok... but the story isn't nearly as entertaining as that one line makes it sound ;)

When I was in University (I studied Theatre), there was a major event a few towns away (to be more specific, the International Plowing Match in Ayr, ON... which puts this in an interesting perspective)... anyway, TVO posted in our department looking for volunteers to help them out, especially looking for 2 individuals between 5'10" and 6'3". ; Well, I'm 6' tall, and was looking to pad the resume a bit, so I volunteered. ; Got to the match, reported to the appropriate trailer and discovered that the two people in the height range were going to be Dudley the Dragon and Polkaroo... and the guy only fit the Dudley costume, so I got to be Polkaroo for the day... wandering around the grounds, getting assaulted by kids (because my 'handler' thought it was funny... and was shorter than some of them *laugh*... I actually had to tuck my 'tail' into the pouch on the front of the costume because they kept grabbing it and I'd be walking along and suddenly get pulled off balance because the tail stopped following), and then clambering up onto a hay truck for a 'parade'... changed into and out of the costume in a horse trailer... and was rewarded for this with a t-shirt. ;

Very glamerous *laugh*

I found it amusing at the time because one of my substitute teachers in high school had actually done a season long stint on the Polk-a-dot door (like most actors... he needed to supplement his income between gigs, so he did the sub teaching thing).

I have great sympathy for characters at theme parks. ; Actually, they've got a pretty good gig... when I was working at Canada's Wonderland I knew one of the characters... they had a maximum 15 minutes in the head of the costume at a time (so maximum 15 minutes in public, due to heat and strength concerns) and then they got a half hour break (or more)... so really, he was getting paid to sit in the green room most of the time!
 
This story made me mad when I saw the video and how the media twisted the story. Here's another link to the story that also has the police report. http://www.local6.com/news/10685989/detail.html. Tigger responded saying that he felt someone pulling his costume back pulling him off balance and knocking the head back making it hard to breath. At the end of the video you see tigger holding the back of the kids head lifting him up. If it was deliberate I think it would have been more of a punch than a swiping motion to loosen the kids grip. Regardles I think the CM is toast perception is everything and Disney I think will fire him.


Treelo any pics?
 
"NorthernMouse" said:
This story made me mad when I saw the video and how the media twisted the story. Here's another link to the story that also has the police report. http://www.local6.com/news/10685989/detail.html. Tigger responded saying that he felt someone pulling his costume back pulling him off balance and knocking the head back making it hard to breath. At the end of the video you see tigger holding the back of the kids head lifting him up. If it was deliberate I think it would have been more of a punch than a swiping motion to loosen the kids grip. Regardles I think the CM is toast perception is everything and Disney I think will fire him.


Treelo any pics?
Click to expand...

Yeah... I had a feeling the kid was doing something with that left hand.

*laugh* ; No... no pics.... you know that Polkaroo... sneaky little critter... keeps disappearing ;)
 
Here was someone else's theory on what happened.

As a former-Tigger, I can tell you...

After seeing the video several times, I can see that the "kid" was actually pulling on Tigger's upper-back. There are only two things there: A zipper, and Neck-cowel.

The first, well, we know why Tigger would want to protect that.

The second, if pulled, severely chokes the performer.

Furthermore, Tigger's hand came up as a reaction, unknowingly, he "brushes" the kids face -not punching him as the accusations imply. I know the sight-lines in that costume, there is no way Tigger was aiming for the kid, it was a reaction only.

That's the news. Good luck, Tigger!!!
Click to expand...
 
Disney 'Tigger' Won't Face Charges

POSTED: 2:56 pm EST February 16, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Criminal charges will not be filed against a Disney employee accused of hitting a teenager while in costume as the character "Tigger," according to officials.

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

Prosecutors made the decision after reviewing a complaint from New Hampshire resident Jerry Monaco.

Monaco videotaped his son, Jerry Jr., posing with a costumed Fedelem at Disney-MGM Studios in January. At some point, a confrontation occurred between the teenager and Fedelem. Orange County Sheriff officials say the father later watched the videotape and said Fedelem intentionally hit his son quote: "on or about the head."

Park officials suspended Fedelem while the investigation was being conducted. A telephone call placed to Disney officials by The Associated Press early this morning to find out Fedelem's employment status was not immediately returned.
 
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