“Disney Targeted by QAnon Believers Using Meme-Stock Tactics” reads the headline over on Bloomberg. Seldom has something so foolish and silly ever been published in a respected, financial repository.
Written by Daniel Zuidijk (click the link to find out this person has zero qualifications for economic analysis), all I can really say is that, “no, Disney’s stock is not being tanked by extremists.” Such is the rambling of someone who doesn’t understand the stock market, how stocks are affected, nor the power of anyone on the fringes of the political spectrum. Worse for the article, Zuidijk provides absolutely zero proof that anyone involved in a weird political fringe organization is targeting Disney’s stock. Nor does the article identify how the supposed crazies tanking the stock would manage to do so against the vast number of investors who just care about rate of return.
In reality, Disney’s stock is largely impacted by 1) the Stock Market as a whole, 2) streaming projections and results, 3) profit expectations and results. Everything else is much smaller. Disney has a huge increase in stock price as a result of Disney+ exceeding expectations in 2020, and they’ve largely been on a downward trajectory since as streaming has cooled off… with blips of increases when streaming has outperformed (such as the last earnings report).
To see some of the childishness in this Bloomberg article, just read the following paragraphs:
The bill dissolving Disney’s special district was heralded on one site as a sign the company was being “sunk into the sea for its perversity.” One demonstration near Disney World, promoted on QAnon channels, attracted dozens of protesters, though a social-media user claimed inaccurately that they had blocked the entrance to the theme park. The livestreamed event was attended by far-right figures such as Laura Loomer, a U.S. congressional candidate. Other supporters have advocated bombarding Disney’s hotel reservations line with phone calls to shut it down.
The QAnon proponents, operating on websites and social media, claim that Disney’s opposition to the Florida bill, and its various diversity initiatives, are attempts to “groom” children. That term was long meant to describe the tactics of child abusers, but some conservatives have used it as to describe what they see as indoctrination into acceptance of gay and transgender people.
I”m sorry, but this seems to be conflating the “far right” and “QAnon” with what most people would just say are Republicans. If there’s no difference then change the headline and say “Republicans are Targeting Disney Using Meme-Stock Tactics”. That would still be wrong, but it would be less wrong.
Here’s the problem for Daniel Zuidijk: According to an A- related polling firm (according to FiveThirtyEight… and that puts them in the top 5%), Trafalgar says that even 48+% of Democrats are against Disney’s decision to put sexual ideas in children’s programming. The conservatives are way, way higher than that. Overall this is the clear-cut mainstream position. People don’t want sexual orientation or gender fluidity issues in kids’ shows. Maybe they’re wrong, maybe history is not on their side, maybe they’re even evil, but they’re the majority for now. That means it can’t be the “far right” tanking the stock even if you buy that this issue has brought the stock down over the past two years. Hint: it hasn’t but it very well could soon because it may drive Disney+ subscriptions down.
Again, I really recommend everyone read the Trafalgar poll. It tells you everything you need to know about what a sucky position Disney has placed itself into and why pieces like this Bloomberg article are just plain idiocy.
I’m not usually this harsh with anything ever, but seriously, this is up there with the idea that the Russians were affecting The Last Jedi audience scores. It’s beyond dumb and we just have to call it out.
A new study reportedly found that some of the negative reaction tweets about "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" were created by Russian trolls https://t.co/imcIUF08CH
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 2, 2018
Anyway, that’s my take… what’s yours? Let us know in the comments below. And keep checking out That Park Place for all the news, analysis and rumors that should be fun!
