Next year Disney will launch it’s streaming service, meaning if you want to watch Star Wars, the Marvel Universe, and the classic animation films, you’ll have to pony up yet another monthly fee. The move is all about making money and it looks like another new revenue steam has opened up for the company . A judge in Missouri has sentenced a man, convicted of poaching, to watch the Disney classic Bambi every month. If Disney can tap into the crime and punishment market, it could be very lucrative for the multi-billion dollar corporation.
The Springfield News-Leader reports that 4 members of a Missouri family have been convicted of poaching, in a case where they illegally killed hundreds of deer.
“The deer were trophy bucks taken illegally, mostly at night, for their heads, leaving the bodies of the deer to waste,” said Prosecuting Attorney Don Trotter.
The arrests and convictions were the result of a years long investigation by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri.
“It is unknown how many deer the main group of suspects has taken illegally over the past several years. It would be safe to say that several hundred deer were taken illegally,” said Conservation Agent Andy Barnes.
The ring leader of this family poaching operation, David Berry Jr., was hit with the stiffest sentencing. He got 120 days for a felony firearm violation as well as a 1 year sentence for the illegal poaching. As part of his sentence, the judge threw in this unique condition:
The case was so egregious that Lawrence County Judge Robert George ordered a special addition to the jail time one of the poachers received.
Court records show the defendant “is to view the Walt Disney movie Bambi, with the first viewing being on or before December 23, 2018, and at least one such viewing each month thereafter, during Defendants incarceration in the Lawrence County Jail.”
Bambi of course has a scene in which (spoiler alert) the title character’s mother is shot to death by hunters. Next to Old Yeller it’s probably one of the most heartbreaking scenes in any movie and has been traumatizing children for generations. It’s unclear that it will have any effect on an asshole who illegally killed hundreds of deer for their heads, but anything is possible.
The thing about this Bambi sentencing is that it appears the required viewing of the film is to take place in jail, making it a public showing. That also means that the country jail probably has to pay to screen the film. While it may have seemed like a joke that Disney has found a new revenue stream with this, they will more than likely benefit financially because of it.
That really opens up a whole new world of licensing fees for the company. If they could encourage more judges to render Disney film-based punishments, there would be a lot of money to be made. Those convicted of perjury could be forced to watch Pinocchio. Those convicted of child abuse could be forced to watch Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. Those convicted of knowingly infecting others with STDs could be forced to watch Herbie the Love Bug. The possibilities are endless and so are the opportunities to make money.
In addition to the jail time and forced viewings of Bambi, Berry Jr. had his hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges revoked for life. Prosecutors say the group of poachers he led has already paid $151,000 in bonds and $51,000 in fines and court costs, collectively served 33 days in jail. There’s no word if those fines include paying a licensing fee to The Walt Disney Company.
