A Message from Roy E. Disney... How Low Can You Sink?

[General Grizz]

A Message from Roy E. Disney...
How Low Can You Sink?

I was watching television on a recent evening and came across one of those ads for a set of CDs that include "all your favorite songs of yesteryear." You know the kind, where they list all the titles and play excerpts from a selected few... only in this case, instead of "Rock'n'Roll from 70s," or "Super Special Country Hits," it was, as you may already have guessed, "All Your Favorite Disney Songs," in their original versions, (forty songs, as I remember), right off the movie soundtracks with the original artists, on two, count 'em, two CDs... BUT if you call the 800 number NOW you can have them for a special price!!! Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!!!! Get 'em while they last!!!

All I could think, watching this commercial, was: "How low can you sink?" How does this Company, which has ownership of the largest collection of beloved characters, songs, stories and ideas in the world, sink to the level of hawking its most prized possessions on a cheap-looking TV ad?

I have had the experience of watching the process that generates this kind of feverish salesmanship in action - especially in the Consumer Products Division - and I really have to ask the question: Is anyone actually in charge of this? Does anyone actually need an approval to do it?

And of course, that's only the tip of the iceberg. It is the attitude of the top levels of the company, starting from Mister Eisner, that everything is there to be sold off for nickels on the dollar -- all for the short-term profit it might generate, with no thought of preserving its value into the future.

You can translate that attitude, of course, into things like ride maintenance at the Parks, the serious lack of care of the Disney Stores... in fact every unkept promise of the past too-many years.

What will happen to the perceived value of the Disney name and characters in future generations if this keeps up?

Roy E. Disney
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Here, here!

And Roy is absolutely right. Have you seen those cheap Radio Disney commercials, too? The ones with a skanky half-dressed Lindsay Lohan or modern pop songs by Hilary Duff? These excuses for Disney entertainment are being given the "living" treatment, whereas the classic Disney tunes are being thrown off as "part of history," with no new songs to come out of the company in the foreseeable years.

More reason to boot Eisner, bring back Roy and Stan (people who care), get a great new CEO, and change management.

 

[ogryn]

Where abouts would these half-dressed Lindsay Lohan adverte be? :lookaroun

I agree with what R.E.D says though Grizz!

 

[Shaman]

I think Disney needs a totally, completely NEW board of directors, a new chair person and a new CEO....so yea its high time they clean house....

The company needs to make money, but there's a right way and a wrong way...and this administration at the helm in WDC promotes dilution of the Disney name and its traditions and loves that word "brand".

Sad.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I can bear Radio Disney for about 3 1/2 seconds, on average. And it's the same with what the Disney Channel has turned into. I absolutely do not get how pushing all this teenie-pop and Nickelodeon wannabe programming has anything to do with what Disney is about.

aargh.....*watches the Travel Channel and has a Pepsi*

 

[celticdog]

I agree. It's unfortunate that we are experiencing a second "dark ages". The first occurred in the 70's and early 80's. When the movies and tv shows were very mediocre. I just hope that this "dark age" ends soon.

I too miss the shows, movies and traditions of olde.

 

[speck76]

Every company has peaks and valleys....it is the cyclical nature of business. Sometimes the dark times are good for companies, as they can trim the fat, find new efficiencies, and return with the ability for a greater tomorrow.

This happened in the 70's/80's, it is happening now, and someday it will happen again.