What Have They Done to Buzz Lightyear?

Give credit where credit is due.

Disney did a virtual 180 on its “not-so-secret” woke agenda in recent months.

The Mouse House previously flexed its studio might to insert messaging into more than a few Disney titles. Think “Lightyear,” featuring a same-sex couple, race-swapping the main character in “The Little Mermaid” or the nonbinary character in “Elemental.”

Then, not so slowly, then-CEO Bob Iger vowed to lower the volume on culture war clashes. So subsequent films like “Moana 2,” “Inside Out 2” and “Win or Lose” ditched the progressive messaging.

And, voila, we saw a Disney revival in theaters.

The studio listened and tweaked its programming accordingly. And even though 2025’s “Elio” proved a commercial stiff, the filmmakers revealed the studio’s evolving mindset.

Director Pete Docter shared why the animated film ditched a gay subplot.

“We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy”

Enter “Toy Story 5.”

Pixar, under Disney ownership, is responsible for one of the best animated franchises … ever. The fifth installment, out June 19, is expected to crush the box office once more.

Some projections put the film’s opening weekend haul at $145 million (or higher).

The film brings back Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the gang, but the focus now is on Jessie (Joan Cusack), the saga’s cowgirl character.

The film’s gender switch, focusing on a female toy lead as well as young Bonnie, could be considered woke in some circles. The storytelling here is so tight and entertaining that such arguments will likely fall on deaf ears.

And then there’s Buzz.

Minor Story Spoilers Ahead:

The character has had a crush on Jessie for a while now. This time around, he’s thinking about popping The Question to her. Later in the film, Buzz romantically connects with Jessie and he raises a single leg in a very effeminate manner.

It’s a visual gag that lands, in part, because both Allen and Buzz have hyper-masculine brands.

Later, the two attempt to cement their romantic bond. And, in doing so, Jessie becomes the male, or dominant, figure, while Buzz takes on the feminine role.

Buzz even holds a flower bouquet at one point, something that would traditionally be held by the woman. She even cements their bond in a way that’s typically done by the man in the relationship.

That pattern exists throughout the movie, with Buzz as the bumbling, befuddled dude and Jessie the emotional rock.

Buzz also appears to be wearing a skirt or a kilt in a single scene.

Why did Allen, a right-leaning superstar who built a comedy empire on his masculine hot takes, allow this to happen?  What about the new, allegedly improved Disney?

It’s worth noting that these moments won’t impact the box office a whit. The general public adores this franchise, and tickets will sell briskly over the next month.

Maybe more.

It’s still a surprising development and is likely to fuel more than a few YouTube commentary clips.