Never has Bob Chapek looked so much like a fish out of water as he does right now. Both he and the Board of Directors have come to a knife fight not understanding what they’re facing, and the actions they are taking are nothing in comparison to what they need.
I am referring to, of course, the demands of the Disney Walkout group that seeks actions taken following the passage of the Parental Rights Bill (referred to as either the “Don’t Say Gay” or “Anti-Grooming” bills by opponents and proponents). Before we get into the rest of this article, let’s review the demands:
- Cessation of all projects, construction and investment in Florida (including Walt Disney World).
- End all requirements for Disney employees to have to move to Florida for any job.
- Guaranteed retention of any Disney employee who refuses to move to Florida.
- Creation of a new political/legal organization inside the state of Florida to help employees “navigate” LGBTQ+ issues.
Just so we understand what Bob Chapek and the Board are up against, none of those are going to happen. Furthermore, we now know the people behind the Disney Walkout group have at least some personnel from very high up in Disney leadership, specifically from the LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council. This is an intra-company full-on assault against Chapek, the Board, Susan Arnold, and Disney C-Suite Executives. Make no mistake, they know that there is no way that Disney is going to stop all construction at Disney World. They know that Disney is not going to stop requiring people work in Florida when there’s a project that requires it. Thus, they know that these demands will not be met and they can continue to organize against those in leadership they’ve put in the middle of their target.
So with it understood that the demands cannot be satisfied by Disney, and intentionally so, let’s look at what Bob Chapek and company did today to try to appease those who want him ousted:
First, in a quickly-assembled video call (according to sources poorly delivered and poorly received), Bob Chapek vowed The Walt Disney Company will strongly oppose legislation in Texas that would prohibit, and potentially criminalize, sex alteration surgeries performed on minors. We’re talking about double mastectomies for thirteen year-olds, castrations for sixteen year-olds, etc. Disney is going to oppose that. Okay.
So I’m rather sick of writing these articles, I’ll just be honest with you. I enjoy talking about the cultural implications of major entertainment works and I enjoy chatting about possible big theme park projects. Lately, Disney’s decisions have put me squarely in the realm of ethics and politics. Those are two places it largely doesn’t need to be, and that’s two places that I on this site don’t wish to be. But Disney is taking me there kicking and screaming. I cannot for the life of me figure out what good will come for Disney with opposition to prohibiting mastectomies on children. The only thing that I can see coming from that is that it will not succeed in placating those who want Chapek et al removed, and it will absolutely cause a minimum of half the country to begin hating The Walt Disney Company. I want to reiterate that last point. Disney can support a genocidal communist government in Beijing and they can mostly get away with it. Disney can wipe out franchises like Star Wars and Mickey Mouse still isn’t damaged. But if Disney starts taking extraordinarily controversial positions like promoting sex change operations for minors, they will not survive that without a severely altered public perception. They will become reviled.
The other thing that Bob Chapek tossed to those who want him gone is that they are going to create a task force with the explicit goal of creating more LGBT-oriented content for children.
From WDWNT:
The Walt Disney Company is also creating a task force “to develop action plans to make more LGBT-aware content for children and family” overseen by film executive Paul Roeder and marketing executive Lisa Becket. Other leaders will do a global listening tour of employees.
While not as damaging, this still does the two things it should not. It emboldens Chapek’s opponents rather than brings protests and leaks to a halt, and it simultaneously will make half the country suspicious of Disney+ for propaganda. I’m not taking a position as to whether that suspicion is valid or ethical, I’m just relaying the reality of how this will play out.
Guess what? No other entertainment company is being twisted like a pretzel over any of this. Universal Studios is having a grand ol’ time in Orlando without a bit of this controversy yanking their company back-and-forth.
Bob Chapek, Susan Arnold, and all the rest of the highest level executives at Disney need to figure out what they’re up against and respond accordingly. The solution to their problem is not to dive headfirst into the culture war of the United States. If financial success and Disney+ subscription rates are the goal of the company, these actions are sure to wipe those out better than just about anything else the company could do. Given the demands being made by Disney Walkout, why should anyone think that March 22nd is the first and last major walkout protest? Take a look at their latest tweets to see if you think this is going to go well:
(1/3) We have been informed that Disneyland Cast Members who do not feel safe to fully walkout tomorrow are being told they cannot even wear pride/trans Mickey pins to show support.
Standing in stark contrast to the words of "inclusion" spoken by Chapek today in the town hall.
— Disney Walkout (@DisneyWalkout) March 21, 2022
(2/3) These are the Mickey pins that Disney themselves sells.
They want us to feel "safe" but then sell our identities as brands for profit while preventing those same identities from existing in their own company.
— Disney Walkout (@DisneyWalkout) March 21, 2022
This all happening while many sectors of the company have been internally supportive of employees walking out tomorrow.
Front-line workers, the most vulnerable of us, not given the respect they deserve is shameful.#DisneyDoBetter #DisneySayTrans #DisneySayGay #WhereIsChapek
— Disney Walkout (@DisneyWalkout) March 21, 2022
Yeah, that group with the communist red fist salute in Mickey glove form sounds like they’re happy with Disney and the little presentation that Bob Chapek gave today. I’m “sure” everything will settle down after tomorrow.
The only silver lining in any of this, for those who wanted to moderate the company’s politics, is that most of the studio personnel are still working from home because they live in California. Otherwise, tomorrow would be a full-on debacle. That shouldn’t give much solace to the Disney execs, but they’ll take what they can get at this point. That’s what happens when you’re grasping for positives in a fight you have so far totally misgauged.
For all the latest news on Disney and their internal conflict, keep coming back to That Park Place. And please, feel free to leave a polite comment down below. We read them, we think on them, we consider them when we write new articles. Our readers matter.
Time to quit playing nice with those people and begin the firings. I am amazed how far the executives and board are allowing this to go. Utterly spineless.
You’ll never be able to satisfy the mob. Mark my words they’ll come for Mickey Mouse eventually. Animated characters from that era were inspired by minstrel acts which were popular at the time. It only takes a few tweets for the mob to grab onto that idea and run with it.
You’re complete right about being reviled. Keep up the revolting actions. I’m no longer distinguishing between the management and employees anymore. They are both going down quick.
Society wants their way at all cost.
The consequences for corporate America will be extreme.
Why did you think Comcast is able to avoid the issue better?
1) Neutrality
2) Lack of internal fragmentation
Based on the demands of this “Walk Out” group, this is about stopping the moves to Florida and not any Bill. Chapek and the Board needs to get some “intestinal fortitude” and quit chasing the opinions of these Cry-Bullies.
“Happiest place on Earth” as long you stay out of politics especially left leaning politics which is diabolic in itself. Just a suggestion!!!