Why Disney Got Good (for a while)
In the late 1980s, Disney animation had a string of hits with The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. A renaissance that was largely thanks to lyricist Howard Ashman ā which is ironic, since for most of his career he flat-out rejected Broadway and big-budget shows. But when Disney animation was nearing rock-bottom, they came to Howard for help. He taught them to recapture a magic that everyone thought was gone forever. So how did a gay hippie whose only goal in life was to put on low-budget shows with his friends ā¦ wind up reshaping American entertainment? This is the story of Howard Ashman.
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@BB_BB_-fj5rs
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
I sobbed just as much and I did with Disney + documentary of Howard Ashman great video!
@TheCommonGentry
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Miss Piggy is the Godmother of LITTLE SHOP the Musical. Love it!
@craigmmcgill
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Part of your world should have been nominated, but alas, it was not
@helenachapman681
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
This was so well done and interesting, amazing work xx
@karlheinzamigable5770
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
1:17:48 damn i lowkey wanna hear bea arthur sing this
@js66613
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Not the story Howard wanted to tell, sure, but the death of other people often fills the pockets of the rich. Rather than being moralistic, that iteration was a realistic one. The people with the money get off lightly.
@Lin10uson
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Only one of the films within the very first line of this video that were listed is from the 8os, and that's 1989; the rest are from the 9os because the Disney Renaissance is the 9os.
@sarahvarnadoe5105
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Why is everyone so dead set on the Cats movie being trash!!!!!! I loved it š and yes, Iāve seen the play!!!
@daelen.cclark
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Not thrilled by the new hyperbolic title you have, but I can somewhat understand. Whatever gets the clicks from people, I guess.
@amarissimus29
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
How did it take me so long to notice what you are not wearing?? I feel like I'm missing an inside joke. I'm definitely missing something.
@cmaden78
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
It does seem that his family was supportive. It's always a blessing when a gifted artistic person's family recognizes the talent and protects and nurtures it. I grew up dancing and my parents were fantastic about our home being a safe place for my friends š„¹they made it clear that some of us are here to be stewards to creative people and that it is just as important as being the one who possesses the talent. ā¤
@cmaden78
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Oscar was my favorite character on Sesame Street š
@Interesting_times_enjoyer
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
The black cauldron rules thought
@Interesting_times_enjoyer
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Remember the AIDS pandemic was made worse by the right.
As always
@zelleabbi3
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
I thank the algorithm for bringing this video up to my feed, made me cry at the latter end of the video. I'm truly glad that his work's impact has transcended so much, especially to me personally who has grown up with his songs for most of my life. thanks to his songs and storytelling, it inspired me to one day dive into theater myself. š
@princezzpuffypants6287
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
I want to sincerely thank you for pointing out how HIV/AIDS is still being treated like something political and something deserved by certain groups of people… EVERYONE deserves access to treatment. Everyone.
@princezzpuffypants6287
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
"Gay-borhood" is not a word I knew I needed… thank you for that
@wandrinstar
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
ok but how tf did i not know about the 9 to 5 videogame until now??
@hothatchpa
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Thank you for your VERY important work and for telling these stories which deserve to be told.
@amandakrussell
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
I always yell "KINKY!" while holding my 4-year-old.
@jmp01a24
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Remember the movies, but can't remember hearing of Howard.
@SophisticatedArc
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
16:05 voice crack
@Kel_leSurprise
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Wonderfully done tribute. Made me cry.
@kalaoahaole
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
HOWARD ASHMAN deserves ALL the credit yet Disney and supposed Disney "fans" hardly ever know his name. Crying SHAME! Can't wait to watch this video about the most creative lyricist of the 1980s and 1990s. In 25 years ALL Disney creatives combined wrote 2 songs to add to BnB and they were worse than any of Howard's. The new songs in Little Mermaid by LMM were pitiful compared to his idol. Unless another creative troubadore like Howard, the Sherman Brothers or myself (if i sell out) come along, Disney will continue to rot. Until they HONOR HOWARD, i sit on the sidelines and say "good."
@Mystefier
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
That was an amazing era. Good stuff. There is a point I can't let go. Only one of those Disney Renaissance films came out in the late 80s. All the rest came out in the 90s.
@diannespalding6542
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Thank you so much for this wonderful video. I sang much of his early work on stage and it was a joy to sing. I curse the current administration for their insane decisions on health care. I lost my brother, his partner and many friends to the AIDS epidemic during those early years. Nobody wants to go back to those days. I can only pray that they are gone before they do too much damage. .
@jumbledpixelss
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
For Disney to have been brought back from the brink of ruin in large part by a gay man to then go on to financially support politicians who voted for the don't say gay bill in the early 2020s is so disgusting I don't even have the proper words to articulate it.
@BrianHAlexander
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Matt,
This is a wonderful tribute to Mr. Ashman. Thank you so much! Beautiful!
@DanielBMS
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
7:47 This is where I thumbed up
@HeatherOrdover-CraftLit
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
59:49 I wasnāt thrilled with the changed ending either, however, in the theater, a downer ending is always undercut by the curtain call.
āHey! They arenāt dead ātheyāre bowing right now!ā
Little shop had the extra bit of tentacles failing on the audience. Like āwe got got too!ā Hahaha.
You canāt do that in a movie.
@librapan8
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Imagine a timeline without Aids.
@JSinTX
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Impeccable work as always, Matt! Keep it up ā¤
@sailingsam3815
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Howard Ashman was a genius.š
@thesylvan
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
AIDS stole so much from us.
@ericmagnusson4165
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
You always do a great job. Lots of times memories flood back and, always, I learn something. šš»
@gojewla
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Aladdin was definitely in the 90ās, not the 80ās. I believe that beauty and the beast as well. Not sure about the little mermaid.
@mariagaliotosthe15dayagent
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
I was praying he didn't die and I cried when you said that.
@carlamariee1
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Working in costuming in regional theatre in the mid-80's was heart breaking. We lost so many friends and mentors in that generation.
@PrincessJafar
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
It was because of gay men.
@mikeoliver6742
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
This video makes me cry every time.
@Monagle0
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Who is the guy in the thumbnail
@FrankCutugno-e5h8i
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
If Howard were alive today, his name would be up there with Sondheim and Herman
@SafetySpooon
June 26, 2026 at 11:39 pm
Vincent Gardenia ended up having a recurring character on "All in the Family"; married to "Irene", one of Archie's forklift drivers on the loading dock.
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