Bob Iger replaces Bob Chapek as Disney CEO in shocking return
Democratic strategist Jonathan Harris and Independent Women's Forum's Kelsey Bolar discuss the implications of Bob Iger's return to Disney on 'Your World.'
At a recent company townhall meeting, newly reinstalled Disney CEO Bob Iger told the employees that he wants to "quiet" down culture wars and "respect" the audience.
For conservatives and people of faith who worry that Disney has strayed too far left into deeply woke territory, that certainly sounds promising.
When asked about making "political statements," Iger added: "Do I like the company being embroiled in controversy? Of course not. It can be distracting, and it can have a negative impact on the company. And to the extent that I can work to kind of quiet things down, I’m going to do that…"
Robert Iger speaks during Vox Media's Code Conference on Sept. 7, 2022, in Beverly Hills, California. (Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media)
Again, promising if you are in the camp which has grown up loving Disney the "entertainment" company but now feel increasingly pushed away by Disney the "social justice/identity politics" company.
DISNEY CEO BOB IGER TELLS EMPLOYEES HE WANTS TO ‘QUIET’ DOWN CULTURE WARS, ‘RESPECT’ THE AUDIENCE
With regard to making political statements and venturing into identity politics, Iger was also asked about Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which some at Disney and many on the left falsely and deliberately labeled as the "don’t say gay" law. To that question, the mega-powerful CEO gave a very nuanced answer: "When you tell stories, there’s a delicate balance. You’re talking to an audience, but it’s also important to listen to an audience. It's important to have respect for the people you are serving, that you are trying to reach and not have disdain from."
Again, conservatives and people of faith should certainly be receptive to that answer. For they – previously loyal customers who have collectively contributed billions to the Disney bottom-line -- have long felt that Disney has not listened to their viewpoints and that certain leaders within the Disney executive branch have viewed them with "disdain" over the last number of years.
Nearly 2,000 cast members practice sunrise yoga in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World, June 21, 2022, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
But then, Iger followed up those hopeful comments with a declaration that can be seen as a wink and a nod to some on the left and far left. Said the CEO, in part: "We’re not going to make everyone happy all the time, and we’re not going to try to. We’re certainly not going to lessen our core values in order to make everyone happy all the time."
Logically, it can be assumed that Iger is referring to complaints from conservatives and people of faith when he says "We’re not going to make everyone happy all the time…we’re certainly not going to lessen our core values in order to make everyone happy all the time."
That statement raises the obvious questions: What are the "core values" of Disney? What are the "core values" of Mr. Iger?
A couple of decades ago, when I was the director of communications for former Sen. Bob Dole, I had the pleasure of having a phone conversation with Iger. He could not have been more professional, courteous and non-political.
Walt Disney and ABC teamed up to produce "The Wonderful World of Disney." (Getty Images)
DISNEY PROPERTIES PUSHED PROGRESSIVE RHETORIC AT EVERY TURN, FROM SPAT WITH DESANTIS TO ‘THE VIEW’
Of course, a great deal has changed in our nation and the "C-Suites" of corporate America since that long ago conversation. As a child of the ’60s, there was no such thing as "wokeness" and Disney was a large part of my life. It literally helped to keep me sane during the darkest of times.
I grew up in abject poverty and was evicted from 34 homes by the time I was 17.
As that child, and in anticipation of the next eviction into a car or a cockroach infested motel, I bought a small battery powered tape-recorder. And with it, I would only record the "Wonderful World of Disney" or Disney movies for my sister, brother and myself to listen to during those massively dysfunctional and depressing moments.
The Disney of those years on those cassette tapes did bring us joy, did make us happy, and did help to decompress our troubled minds. No politics. No agenda. No partisanship. Simply pure entertainment for children.
That is clearly not the Disney of today and Iger at least seems to be giving hints that he is aware that the company lovingly created by Walt Disney has moved too far into liberal politics at the direct expense of potentially half of the rest of its audience.
As a fan of the Disney envisioned by Walt Disney, I am also a Christian who happens to believe we are all God’s children born with the exact same rights. That said, I strongly believe children should be allowed to be children.
As Iger well knows, the world for working- and middle-class families has gotten exponentially worse these last few years. Quite sadly and tragically, children have been – sometimes purposely – swept up into that vortex of politics, poverty, and pain.
Iger and the greater Disney companies are certainly entitled to personal and corporate points of view. If they do dramatically differ from those of Disney’s more conservative and faith-based audience, why not make them known in documentaries across the Disney Universe rather than inserting them into the "entertainment" side of the company. Especially the entertainment side most seen by children.
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Iger, along with the CEOs of a number of now fully-woke corporations, have tens of millions of dollars in their bank accounts. Most of the Americans they serve are living paycheck-to-paycheck through some of the most debilitating times in the history of our nation. They don’t want lectures from those who believe themselves superior. They need a break. They need to be entertained. And they need it now.
The entrance of Walt Disney World on March 22, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
Walt Disney, the man, recognized and filled that simple and desperate need decades ago.
Discussion and debate is fine and even healthy. But maybe Disney can get back to that "core values" mission and silo their "let’s alienate half our audience with identity politics" mantra in the meantime.