So earlier today, I told you about the rumor going around that Disney-Pixar would release Toy Story 4 in 2015 – that many have since poured cold water on. I didn’t necessarily want to cover it, but sometimes when a rumor is already all over the place (this one was trending on Twitter) and a lot of people seem to be talking about it, I feel compelled to explain what the rumor is and where it came from, even if it sounds a little thin. At least that way, you, FilmDrunk Reader, can make your own decisions about whether it’s bogus or not. The trail for the Toy Story rumor seemed to lead back to a now-deleted article on Terra (here’s the cached version), and to a Colombian radio personality named Jorge Luis Balaguera. Neither of them said where they got their information, only that it was confirmed. Meaning the rest of us all had to speculate based on the accuracy of these sources we didn’t know much about. Prompting me to write:

So how did the Colombians get this news before us? My guess is that they were up all night doing cocaine. HIYO! I kid, I kid. Obvious jokes, am I right? Anyway, take this news with a grain of salt until it’s confirmed by Disney.

Mr. Balaguera must’ve seen the link to my post on Twitter, because later this afternoon, I received an email from a Jorge Luis Balaguera from the same radio station saying:

Mr. Mancini:
I have read your letter with pain, did not know that by posting a tweet on information that was published in various media, you would qualify me as a cocaine addict.
Know how many people die in our country by the drug? knows how many years have you been at war in our country for that matter? Knows how many children are addicted?
I demand a correction on his blog about the terms in regards to me and my country or else I will take legal action.
Jorge Balaguera

And after I emailed back saying it was only a joke:

I repeat Mr Mancini the drug issue so painless because we see worldwide, not think it’s a joke to talk about it.
Simply I demand a correction on his blog about his qualification of cocaine addicts as information about Toy Story there are many rumors.

So here we are. Okay, you got me, it was a bad joke. Or rather, it was a sarcastic joke about what the obvious joke would be when all you know is that the source is Colombian (look, it is what is, I wouldn’t be thrilled if it was my legacy). It’s not because I actually think you’re a cocaine addict, or that all Colombians are cocaine addicts. But it is an export. If you were French, the joke probably would’ve been about baguettes or snails or surrendering. Not because that’s all I think your countries have to offer, but as a sarcastic “ignorant American” response. See? We all have our stereotypes.

I also can’t help but point out that if you’d just given some hint as to where you got the information in the first place, I wouldn’t have needed to write the post at all. When you work in media and you just tweet out that something “has been confirmed” without saying how you know that, people are left to assume that you’re breaking new information. And then I’m left to make bad jokes to keep from calling anyone a liar. If you got your information from Terra, say that. Include a link. Otherwise, Terra can just take their story down after the fact and make you look like the guy who started a bogus rumor. And all of these boring words I’ve just written could have been avoided.

In any case, consider this my correction. As the author of a comedic movie blog, I feel comfortable acting as the representative of all 300 million Americans when I say to you, as the entertainment coordinator of RCN Radio, that I look forward to increased understanding between our two great nations.

Be excellent to each other, bros.