Mike Pence Once Wrote a Scathing Review of ‘Mulan’ Saying Women Shouldn’t Be in the Military

“Moral of story: women in military, bad idea”

Mike Pence Vice Presidential Debate Oct 4 2016 Planned Parenthood
Getty Images

Long before he was vice president, Mike Pence once wrote a scathing review of Disney’s “Mulan,” using it as a jumping off point to argue that women shouldn’t be allowed in the military.

The 1998 op-ed, which has been re-circulating on social media given Pence’s role in the Donald Trump administration, was published on the website for his talk radio show after seeing the film with his kids on Fathers Day weekend.

Incidentally, today is the 19th anniversary of the animated Disney film, which is due to come out as a live-action movie next year.

“For those who have not yet been victimized by the McDonald’s induced hysteria over this film, Mulan is a fictional account of a delicate girl of the same name who surreptitiously takes her fathers place in the Chinese army in one of their ancient wars against the Huns,” Pence wrote. “Despite her delicate features and voice, Disney expects us to believe that Mulan’s ingenuity and courage were enough to carry her to military success on an equal basis with her cloddish cohorts. Obviously, this is Walt Disney’s attempt to add childhood expectation to the cultural debate over the role of women in the military.”

Pence goes on to argue that men and women serving in the military together is a “bad idea” because “many young men find many young women to be attractive sexually” and “many young women find many young men to be attractive sexually.” He uses two events to support his argument: The 1996 sexual assault scandal at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, which saw 12 instructors charged for assaulting female trainees, and the Tailhook scandal of 1991, in which 100 people came forward as victims of rape or assault.

“Put [men and women] together, in close quarters, for long periods of time, and things will get interesting. Just like they eventually did for young Mulan,” he wrote.

Read the full post below:

Just spent a memorable Fathers Day, like so many other all American Hoosier dads, with my kids at the new Disney film entitled, “Mulan”. For those who have not yet been victimized by the McDonald’s induced hysteria over this film, Mulan is a fictional account of a delicate girl of the same name who surreptitiously takes her fathers place in the Chinese army in one of their ancient wars against the Huns. Despite her delicate features and voice, Disney expects us to believe that Mulan’s ingenuity and courage were enough to carry her to military success on an equal basis with her cloddish cohorts. Obviously, this is Walt Disney’s attempt to add childhood expectation to the cultural debate over the role of women in the military. I suspect that some mischievous liberal at Disney assumes that Mulan’s story will cause a quiet change in the next generation’s attitude about women in combat and they just might be right. (Just think about how often we think of Bambi every time the subject of deer hunting comes into the mainstream media debate.)

The only problem with this liberal hope is the reality which intrudes on the Disney ideal from the mornings headlines. From the original “Tailhook” scandal involving scores of high ranking navy fighter pilots who molested subordinate women to the latest travesty at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the hard truth of our experiment with gender integration is that is has been an almost complete disaster for the military and for many of the individual women involved. When Indiana Congressman Steve Buyer was appointed to investigate the Aberdeen mess, he shocked the public with the revelation that young, nubile, 18 year old men and women were actually being HOUSED together during basic training. Whatever bone head came up with this idea should be run out of this man’s Army before sundown. Housing, in close quarters, young men and women (in some cases married to non-military personnel) at the height of their physical and sexual potential is the height of stupidity. It is instructive that even in the Disney film, young Ms. Mulan falls in love with her superior officer! Me thinks the politically correct Disney types completely missed the irony of this part of the story. They likely added it because it added realism with which the viewer could identify with the characters. You see, now stay with me on this, many young men find many young women to be attractive sexually. Many young women find many young men to be attractive sexually. Put them together, in close quarters, for long periods of time, and things will get interesting. Just like they eventually did for young Mulan. Moral of story: women in military, bad idea.

Comments