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香港迪士尼对圣诞老人说不 2012年2月3日对“胡须男”来说是个特别值得庆祝的日子，尤其是对那些生活在北美两大迪斯尼乐园（Disneyland）所在地——美国加利福尼亚州和佛罗里达州的人来说。 为什么？ 因为从这一天起，美国迪斯尼打破了保持50多年的清规戒律，开始准许招收蓄络腮胡的员工。 但是由迪斯尼和香港特区政府联合经营的香港迪斯尼却坚守禁令，继续拒绝聘用“胡须男”。 圣诞老人，这下你可惨了，不能去香港迪斯尼谋差事了。不过，反正您老人家的中文也不过关。 但该表扬的咱还是得表扬，随着时间的流逝，人家迪斯尼也在日益变得更具包容性。如果是在2000年以前，就连唇上蓄小胡子的人都会被排除在外。但从那以后，小胡子修剪得当的求职者和员工开始逐渐被迪斯尼接纳。 但滑稽的是，缔造迪斯尼王国的创意大师沃特•迪斯尼（1901-1966）本人也留着一抹小胡子。这也许又是一条“只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯”的人事规定吧。 针对面部毛发的规定起源于美国上世纪六十年代的动荡时期。那时候迪斯尼秉承保守的价值观，着力呈现清爽整洁的美国形象，反对流行的嬉皮士运动。这个决定主要是基于商业考虑，但也折射出迪斯尼本人的价值观。迪斯尼是反共的“保护美国理想电影联盟”（Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals）的创始人之一。 【顺便说一下，沃特•迪斯尼仍是美国电影学院奖（for Academy Award nominations）及奥斯卡奖（Oscars）获提名最多的纪录保持者，分别是59次和26次——绝对是传奇人物。】 不出所料，香港迪斯尼延续“禁须令”已经招来香港某些社会阶层的批评。除对个人选择横加限制外，禁令可能还会对大量生活在香港的穆斯林及锡克教徒构成歧视，因为他们可能遵循宗教信仰，蓄有胡须。 观察人士也指出，具有讽刺意味的是很多著名迪斯尼电影和卡通片中的人物——包括库克船长、梅林巫师、尼莫船长、七个小矮人里的“万事通”——都留有胡须。不过，从另一方面讲，他们当中也没有人很快会去香港迪斯尼应聘。 香港迪斯尼在当地的直接竞争对手——海洋公园（Ocean Park）不会根据面部毛发筛选雇员，据我所知其他雇主也不会。 女性历来承受的性别歧视要比男性多。不过，香港迪斯尼在平衡这种局面上似乎走在了前面，因为我认识的大多数女性都不留胡子。 透露个秘密：我留小胡子，但不是络腮胡。 |
Santa Claus Need Not Apply February 3, 2012 was a day of special celebration for bearded people, especially in the U.S. states of California and Florida, where the two North American Disneyland theme parks are located. The reason? After 50-plus years, Disneyland U.S. finally relaxed its ban on employing bearded people, effective on that date. Hong Kong Disneyland, however, which is jointly owned by Disney and the Hong Kong SAR Government, has chosen to uphold its ban on hiring "beardies." Too bad, Santa Claus, you wouldn't qualify for a job here; but then, your Chinese language skills may not be up to snuff anyway. Let's give credit where credit is due. Disneyland's inclusiveness is growing step by step over time. Prior to the year 2000, even people with mustaches were excluded. Since that time, job candidates and staff with neatly trimmed mustaches are OK. The irony of this is that the creative genius who founded Disney, Walt Disney (1901-1966) himself sported a mustache. This must have been one of those HR policies which applied to everyone but the boss. The origins of the facial hair policies are rooted in the tumultuous era of the 1960s in America. Disneyland was committed to embodying the values of conservative, clean cut America rather than the hippy movement. This was a strategic business decision, but also a reflection of Disney's own values. He was a founding member of the anti-communist Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals. (Walt Disney, by the way, still holds the all-time record for Academy Award nominations (59) as well as Oscars (26) -- an extraordinary legacy.) Predictably, Hong Kong Disneyland's maintenance of the "beard ban" has aroused criticism from some segments of the Hong Kong community. Apart from personal choice, the ban could constitute discrimination against Muslims and Sikhs, of whom there are many in Hong Kong, who may wear beards for religious reasons. Observers have also pointed out the irony that numerous well-known Disney film and animation characters -- including Captain Hook, Merlin the Wizard, Captain Nemo, Uncle Remus, and Doc the Dwarf -- wear beards. On the other hand, none of them are likely to be applying for jobs at Hong Kong Disneyland any time soon. Hong Kong Disneyland's arch competitor in Hong Kong, Ocean Park, does not screen prospective employees for excessive facial hair, nor to my knowledge does any other employer. Women have traditionally been on the receiving end of far more gender discrimination than men. Hong Kong Disneyland seems to be at the forefront of efforts to balance the score, since most women I know don't have beards. Full disclosure: I have a mustache, but not a beard. |
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