Woody (courtesy pixar.wikia.com)

TTAG reader KWK recently (belatedly) spotted an annoying anomaly at pixar.wiki.com: a disarmed tea-oh-why-TOY. Specifically, Woody. And it’s not just this image either. All of the films, pics and costumer version of Pixar’s cowboy character show him toting an empty holster. Why? Because he doesn’t have one. Now you could say it’s because Woody’s gun was lost. Or you could say Pixar PC demanded disarmament. Or both. Or . . .

They probably would have never have given him a holster, but they needed somewhere for him to put the match, and a holster made the most sense. In TS1, the lack of a gun to put there is immaterial.

When TS2 comes out, they suddenly have the problem of “original condition” and what parts are needed to complete the set. A gun complicates matters more than is worth dealing with, so it was simply ignored, completely.

It’s not the only thing Pixar chose to ignore because dealing with it would be too complicated. In TS1, when Buzz is showing off his wings, the wings would have hit the car track when he flipped through the loop. To make it through, they just made a few camera cuts and: boom, problem solved. Same with a group hug Buzz gives: his arms weren’t long enough, so they just stretched them and hid it behind the group he’s hugging.

Thank you garygnu from the straightdope.com board, circa 2006. To which D18 added . . .

He had to have a gun at some point because one of his catch phrases is “reach for the sky”. Why would the bad guy reach for the sky if there wasn’t a gun aimed at him?

Anyway, as the Toy Story re-runs run-up to Xmas at least there’s one kiddies Christmas film that not only has a gun, but bases its plot on the rifle. Or have I forgot something?

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55 COMMENTS

    • Ralphie almost shoots Ralphie’s eye out with his very real rifle. I always wondered if there was a subtle anti-gun message in Christmas Story. But then I think “It’s Christmas Story, one of the best, most entertaining movies ever…don’t over think it.”

      • The message is more like “be safe” than “don’t have fun with air guns”.

        His glasses saved his eye, which is kinda a subtle PSA like wearing helmets while riding bikes.

        • If I remember correctly…
          The icicle was his cleverly crafted story for his parents.
          I think the recoil (from a BB gun?) knocked him down and his glasses fell off then he stepped on them.

    • Yes they do. One even has a bayonet! Oh the horror!

      (OK, novel kinda-pointless post, I get it. But seriously, between Pakistan and Sydney and Surgeon General, this isn’t exactly a slow gun news day…)

    • The Bucket O’ Soldiers is shown fully armed, including what appear to be M16s, a 1911, a mortar team, and a bazooka/RPG launcher.

    • We bought a Woody for our son for Hanukkah this year. I can confirm that the doll also comes gun-less. I noticed it right away after the lady picked it up from the store. It’s no big deal. Unlike many of his .friends, my son will get to enjoy the responsibility of gun ownership soon enough

    • You should know there is no problem with vaporizing a person because when a person dies they disappear. With a bullet they are still present.

      The lesson: Out of site, out of mind. This is how the anti-firearm thought justifies.

  3. Someone who’s quicker than I am should be able to come up with a line about Woody’s, ah, deficiency. . .

    Dirk? Ralph? Bueller? Bueller?

  4. Ban “A Christmas Story”! For the kids! They’ll shoot their eyes out! Ironically the house where much of the movie was filmed is in Cleveland.

  5. Everyone knows that small plastic detachable parts always end up in the vacuum the first day……. it’s a wonder the potato heads have both eyes… most of the time.

    • Exactly! As the Rebel Pilot, you could count on the original Luke Skywalker being armed for maybe a day. But as the actual Lukee, he stayed armed because the light saber retracted into his forearm.

      I have always assumed the gun was lost because anyone who has owned an action figure will tell you that the pieces go quickly.

      • “But as the actual Lukee…”

        I’m confused: who was the Luker in this situation? How do you even Luke someone in the first place? I sometimes go by that name, so the information could come in handy.

  8. @ Quinn & Grindstone

    Welcome to the war. The future of the Second Amendment means recruiting new shooters. Now, I’ve managed to breed two, and have another pair on the way… And I’ve taken several new people to the range. But the other side is waging its own war to redefine what normal is, and in their world guns are bad, citizens shouldn’t have any, and the government will provide for your every need.

    Is this article silly? Maybe, but it’s an example of the absurd lengths taken to denormalize guns in today’s world.

    • You really think Pixar is deliberately trying to “denormalize” guns by having an *empty holster* on Woody? Seriously? The fact that we get dozen of Hollywood blockbusters that 100% center around firearms per year doesn’t make this idea seem more than a little silly? Tell me, what place would a firearm have even served the plot of TS1?

      No, this is just absurd and looking for boogeymen where there are none.

      • I did not say it’s a Pixar conspiracy. I said it’s an *example* of the lengths the left will go to to win.

        While we’re all either wearing foil hats or accusing each other of wearing foil hats, the antigun conspiracy may yet win.

      • Two letters for you: ET. On re-release, the gvt shotguns were changed to walkie-talkies. And don’t get me started on Spielberg and Schindler’s List.

  9. Lovely.

    Funny they didn’t also disarm Buzz Lightyear, but they likely will once directed energy weapons become commonplace…

  12. For everyone going “OMG who cares”, just consider it a little light-hearted break from the more intense and serious news of today.

  13. Let us not forget Yukon Cornelius of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, with a revolver stuffed in his belt. But not at Toys R Us. They disarmed him.

  16. I was around 7 when Toy Story came out, and that bit with Buzz’s wings and the racetrack has bothered me ever since. And it still annoys me, way more than Woody’s empty holster does.

  17. Woody the cowboy negligently misplaced his handgun and we can only assume that now it’s being used in a school shooting somewhere.

  18. You’ll shoot your eye out!”

    It’s not Christmas in this household until we watch Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation…several times

  20. I thought it was obvious. He doesn’t have the gun because he is an old toy that isn’t in good condition. That’s why he doesn’t like Buzz in the beginning. Because he is afraid that he will lose Andy to the new and shiny Buzz.

  23. “Hey Etch….. DRAW”

    *spin around*

    The etch-a-sketch draws an old school cap and ball revolver in under two seconds… Surprised nobody else brought that up.

  24. Also, there is simply no way that Buzz’ helmet could have focused sunlight just right to launch the rocket. Incidents like this, Woody’s gun, Buzz’ wing phasing through the track, and the toys’ attack on Sid are CLEARLY examples of Pixar’s subliminal messaging trying to get people to stop buying toys! I think we should start http://www.toystoryTRUTH.org to expose the conspiracies of the ATO (Anti-Toy Order)!

  25. I can’t remember the last time I saw a gun on illustrated cop’s belt. My family always snaps up police books for my little guy and I always grumble to the wife about it.
    Aren’t cops the “only ones” who should have them? It’s a glaring omission, IMHO, and I hate why they do it.

  26. They’re portraying Woody realistically… every kid would lose the toy gun as part of the set! LOL 🙂

    I don’t see this as a big deal.

  27. i noticed this as well at disney world. i looked through several dolls to make sure someone just didnt take a bunch of them and nope, the picture on the box shows no gun, but buzz gets a lazer? some how thats not a gun i guess because it doesnt have a grip. its built into his suit.

  28. The gun wasn’t lost because he’s an old toy, it has always been absent.
    TS2 doesn’t just avoid the issue of “original condition”. The black & white videos shown of “Woody’s Roundup” (the Cowboy Crunchies advertainment that is the origin of the Woody character) the puppet’s holster is always empty.
    So, the character has never had a gun but always had an empty holster. Seems awfully silly to me.

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