In the linked article the Financial Times speculates on whether Disney will sell off its television business or ESPN or Hulu or blah, blah, blah. It also wonders about the recent spate of theatrical releases that have underperformed or out right lost money. As it goes through the litany of business divisions that have problems it seems that one option seems to be ignored. Instead of concluding that television or streaming or movies aren’t really the “core” business of Disney maybe they should be looking at why each of these formerly lucrative businesses is suffering.
In each of these ventures, Disney has attempted to take a winning formula and mangle it by substituting a woke alternative. Star Wars was chloroformed to provide a platform for the “Estrogen = The Force” narrative. Now The Marvel movies will follow suit. Kill off Iron Man and Captain America and substitute Captain Marvel. And finally Indiana Jones is wheeled off to an old age home and Unlikable Girl Jones is brought in.
And now in the most brilliant example of brand poisoning on record they are openly sabotaging the classic cartoon properties of the 1930’s. Snow White is an empowered girl boss who “don’t need no man” and is too busy with her empire building to fall in love. She’s doesn’t need Prince Charming and for all we know she doesn’t swing that way.
Honestly, you’ve got to admire a campaign as boldly insane as the Disney reset. One thing they’re responding to is the future status of those movies from the thirties and forties. It’s getting close to the point where their copyright protection ends. Snow White was made in 1937. 2037 is in fourteen years. At that point anyone can repackage that movie and sell it. By then Disney may be known as the non-binary children’s entertainment company. Somebody else could have an amusement park where the old fashioned “normal” male and female Disney characters walk around and entertain the kids. Who knows, maybe the amusement parks will be the business that Disney sells off. Maybe someone else will restore the brand with a more family friendly attitude toward these formerly wholesome places. It’s a thought.
Iger’s vision for Disney is embracing the woke sensibility and make it the their brand. It’s a bold decision but right now it looks pretty dangerous to the company’s profitability. Whatever they think they know about the future of the children’s entertainment market it looks like most parents still want to bring their kids to see movies where the beautiful girl is saved by the handsome prince from the evil stepmother or the evil witch and they live happily ever after.
You know, I hope Disney continues down the road they’re on. Killing off the biggest entertainment company in the world may be the only thing that can save that industry. There’s something to be said for being a true believer.
Disney is failing on every front of its business. Movies, television, theme parks, merchandising and especially streaming are all suffering from the woke agenda.https://t.co/Nx9wlwKg2k
— orionscoldfire (@orionscoldfire) August 9, 2023
Iger is in a hole of his own making.
The first rule of holes is “When you are in one, stop digging.”
Judging by the upcoming woke Snow White movie, Iger is still digging.
There have been some hints that they recognize just how badly the new Snow White is likely to be received. There is a report that they are getting rid of the non-dwarf dwarfs. Personally I hope they keep things full bore woke and it’s a disaster. The more money they lose the better for our side.
Speaking of holes. What does Iger do after losing viewers?
He raises the price!
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/09/disney-to-raise-disney-price-for-ad-free-plan-in-september.html
Things ain’t going so well for Iger. Perfect time for a really creative entertainment company to breath new life into the old stories. You know Snow White and Cinderella are in the public domain. They are Grimm’s Fairy Tales and have always been part of the treasury of folk tales that belong to all of us.
Or some space opera. As long as it has the hero saving the beautiful girl it can’t fail. Or so I think.
I can see Baby Yoda (grown up), riding into battle atop Godzilla’s head, followed by Godzilla’s kaiju buddies with a wing of A-10 warthogs as CAS, and F-22 Raptors as top cover, with particle beam garling guns, battling some Princess Dragon Mom character and her coterie of monsters. Toss in a beautiful, scantily-clad, heroine/ kidnap victim. And I’ll put down ten bucks for the IMAX ticket. Have Grogu wearing a fedora and leather jacket as he swings the lightsaber. Dress the older Dragon Mom in revealing armor, too. Add in a Guardians sort of sound track. Let Grogu and Dragon… Read more »
Sure. Giving people entertainment isn’t that complicated. Just have the good guys win and the boy gets the girl. Pretty simple.