Credit: Inside the MagicStirring controversy ever since it was announced, Pauline (TBA) has become the show that Christians point to when they claim that Disney has sold its soul to the devil. It’s gotten to the point that Christian film site Movieguide has decided to take action.
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Since acquiring multiple IPs and companies, Disney has become no stranger to more mature series. Shows like The Mandalorian (2019-present), Andor (2022-present), The Simpsons (1989-present), and Loki (2021-present) are now part of the Disney catalog alongside Mickey, Aladdin, and Winnie the Pooh.
Despite this, the streaming platform is attempting to increase its reach even more with series and films from foreign markets. This includes Snow Drop (2021-2022), Intertwined (2021-present), and Pauline, an animated love story about a girl who is impregnated with the devil’s child.
Movieguide Believes Disney+ Series’ Pauline’ Promotes Devil Worship
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Movieguide, a Christian film review non-hat is meant to help guide families toward appropriate content, has created a petition intended to convince the Walt Disney Company to cancel the upcoming show, Pauline, claiming that the company’s attempt to broaden its streaming catalog is “misguided.”
The team at Movieguide believes that the movement toward films like Lightyear (2022) and Strange World (2022) shows that Disney is moving away from its family-friendly roots. On top of this, they claim that Pauline is “potentially… content directed toward children under the age of 18 years old.”
#Disney+ has greenlit a new German original series, #PAULINE, that follows a love story between a teenage girl and the devil.https://t.co/ST3szdWEyz
— Movieguide® (@movieguide) July 31, 2023
Movieguide founder Dr. Ted Baehr declared in a statement, “We must act now to petition Disney to reconsider their decision to platform this evil show. We need to inform the studios that there are still discerning viewers and parents who won’t allow this content [to] be viewed by our children! Pauline has not been released yet, and we can still STOP this show from progressing any further! However, time is of the essence, and we need to act fast before the show goes up on Disney+!”
The end of their article asks readers to sign and spread the petition while also providing a monetary donation to support the site and create advertisements so more people see the petition. However, this extreme reaction to something that hasn’t been released yet prompts a question: is Pauline really that bad?
What is ‘Pauline’?
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According to Deadline, Pauline is a brand-new German show from the creators of How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast) (2019), Philipp Käßbohrer and Matthias Murmann. It is written by Sebastian Colley and stars Sira-Anna Faal as Pauline, Ludger Bökelmann as Lukas, and Lukas von Horbatschewsky in an unknown role.
On its IMDB page, Pauline is summarized as “An 18-year-old accidentally becomes pregnant from a one-night stand with Lukas, who, as it turns out, is the devil himself. The pregnancy gives Pauline supernatural powers, and an epic battle between good and evil ensues.”
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While the subject matter is more mature than most titles released under the Disney banner, this honestly doesn’t sound too different from a standard fairy tale. A human falling in love with a mythical creature/monster is the exact plot of family-friendly classics like The Little Mermaid (1989, 2023) and Beauty and the Beast (1991, 2017).
That being said, it’s clear that Pauline isn’t a show meant for children. While the show is animated, that doesn’t that it is intended for minors. There are plenty of animated shows like South Park (1997-present), Rick and Morty (2013-present), and Family Guy (1999-present) that are clearly for adults. Two of them even have satanic themes. More than anything, it’s up to the parents to keep an eye on their children and determine for themselves what they think is appropriate for their kids.
Do you think the show Pauline is dangerous? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!