Imagine being so committed to ignoring one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century that you take a paintbrush—yes, a literal paintbrush—to a photograph and wipe him from history. That’s exactly what happened when The New York Times decided that Igor Stravinsky, the Russian composer, deserved center stage over some random dude who just happened to be Walt Disney. Ever heard of him? Yeah, me neither.

Let’s recap: Jeff Roth, the caretaker of The Times's morgue (which, oddly enough, is where they store their archive of clippings and photos—no embalming fluid necessary), stumbled upon this bizarre discovery while sifting through Stravinsky’s file.

There it was: a photo of Stravinsky on the right, pen in hand, looking very official.

On the left? A thick, gray glob of paint covering whatever—or whoever—shared the frame. Because apparently The Times thought gray paint was the editorial equivalent of saying, "We don’t talk about Bruno."

And here’s where it gets juicy: scrawled on the back of the photo was a note suggesting that the mystery figure under the paint was Walt Disney himself.

That’s right—Walt flipping Disney, the man who only revolutionized animation, storytelling, and the entire entertainment industry. A guy you might think worth keeping in the picture, literally. Jeff Roth, playing detective, grabbed a wet towel, wiped away the paint, and there it was: Stravinsky seated next to Disney during a visit to Disney’s studios.

The year is unknown, but we do know Stravinsky was alive when Fantasia was released in 1940, and Disney used his composition The Rite of Spring in the film.

Now here’s where it gets even more absurd: The Times apparently ran this photo of Stravinsky three times (1948, 1953, and 1955), each time diligently preserving their editorial choice to pretend Disney didn’t exist. It’s like taking a picture of Michael Jordan and airbrushing out his sneakers because you want to focus on his socks.

So what’s the lesson here for business owners?

Don’t Let Ego Paint Over Opportunity

The Times editors were so focused on their narrative—spotlighting Stravinsky—that they literally erased Disney. I don’t care how legendary your main subject is; if you’ve got a chance to feature two titans in one shot, you take it. In business, don’t let your preconceived notions block a great partnership, opportunity, or story. Sometimes the unexpected collaboration (*cough* Disney-Stravinsky cough) is where the magic happens.

Details Matter—Because Someone Will Notice

You can’t just slap some paint on something and hope no one asks questions. The Times tried to crop Disney out, and nearly a century later, someone’s still asking, “What the heck were you thinking?” In business, glossing over details—even with a heavy coat of paint—will come back to bite you. Customers always notice when you cut corners.

Your Legacy Isn’t Yours to Control

Stravinsky, for all his genius, supposedly wasn’t thrilled about Fantasia. He griped in his autobiography that Disney reshuffled the music and botched the performance. But here’s the kicker: Stravinsky’s name will forever be tied to Disney’s Fantasia, whether he liked it or not. In business, once your work is out in the world, it doesn’t belong to you anymore. You can steer the ship, but the audience decides where it sails.

In short: don’t be The Times. Don’t miss opportunities. Don’t pretend obvious things don’t exist. And for heaven’s sake, don’t bring a paintbrush to the party when all you need to do is let the story—and the people—shine.

Oh, and next time you find yourself in a room with Walt Disney? Don’t crop him out. Just saying.