Disney quietly removes 'casting couch' blooper from 'Toy Story 2'

Disney appears to have removed the 'blooper scene' from the closing credits of Toy Story 2.

Many of the Pixar movies, beginning with A Bug's Life back in 1998, have featured a blooper reel at the end, where characters are caught during faux candid moments, or fluffing their lines.

In Toy Story 2, the character of Stinky Pete, the prospector voiced by Frasier star Kelsey Grammer, is seen in just such a situation.

He's found by Woody in his toy box with two Barbie dolls, who he appears to be quizzing in a lascivious manner as to whether they're identical twins.

The character then adds that he's 'sure I can get you a part in Toy Story 3', but when he realises he's been caught out, he pivots to pretending that he's offering the dolls acting tips.

But according to ReRelease News, it appears the blooper has now been removed from the 4K re-release of the movie.

It reports that 'that scene has been completely removed in the new release of the film and won’t be found on the new 4K Blu-ray as well as any official digital downloads', noticing that users on forums like Reddit and Blu-ray.com had picked up on the missing blooper.

It's highly likely that the scene, an overt reference to the 'casting couch, the storied process in which filmmakers would offer parts in return for sexual favours, was binned in the wake of changing attitudes in Hollywood in the #MeToo era.

Disney is yet to comment on the removal of the scene. The scene in question remains in the digital version of the Pixar sequel available on the company’s UK streaming service Disney Life.

But despite being a family-orientated studio, Pixar has not emerged unscathed from the scandals facing many Hollywood institutions.

Read more: Emma Thompson steps down from Skydance Animation movie

One of its founders John Lasseter took an extended leave of absence in November 2017 after allegations emerged of sexually inappropriate behaviour toward female staff-members, including groping and unsolicited kissing, as well as incidents of heavy drinking during work social events.

He apologised, admitting to 'missteps' in his behaviour, and later stepped down, only to take up a new role at Skydance's new animation arm.

Read more: Rose McGowan ‘grossed out’ by New York Times over #MeToo

But the case came to the fore again in February, when Emma Thompson walked away from a role in new Skydance Animation project Luck after the studio hired Lasseter.

In a letter to the studio's bosses, reproduced in the Los Angeles Times, she asked: “If a man has been touching women inappropriately for decades, why would a woman want to work for him if the only reason he’s not touching them inappropriately now is that it says in his contract that he must behave ‘professionally’?”

Toy Story 4 is in cinemas now.