A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Smiddimizer]

So what? He is a far bigger name and it's a much bigger offense.

It wasn't against Disney.

 

[njDizFan]

I think the main point of contention is that it is extremely unusual for a corporation to partner with someone that have previously prosecuted.

I don't think there are many employers out there willing to invite you back into the fold, especially in a media capacity(not some behind the scene role) after they sent you to jail.

Question...does he work in any offical capacity for the TWDC, does he get a paycheck from Disney?

 

[rael ramone]

But there is more...


He was sentenced to jail, to be served on work release, and probation.
Later, he violated probation and was taken into custody. It seems he actually served at least 110 days in jail stemming from all of this.


Maybe it's me, but I wouldn't want someone that I prosecuted and jailed promoting my DVDs, acting as media at my events, etc.

If I get this right:
So he goes to the park. Shoplifts at the park. They have him arrested. The judge puts him on probation, and as part of the probation is told to NOT RETURN TO SCENE FOR 6 MONTHS. In other words the judge said No Disney For You. Not banned by the Mouse - banned by the Florida Justice System.

He was a 36 year old adult. And based on the LA TImes article, he said as of 2005 he had been writing about Disney for 25 years (so for 15 years when he became a crook in the swamps).

For those who remember, was he a known commodity in 1995?

 

[lazyboy97o]

It wasn't against Disney.

So? Disney is foremost concerned about their image. This site has plenty of stories of people stealing, attacking Cast Members and other sorts of mischief against the Company that goes unpunished or rewarded.

 

[doctornick]

Wow, this is really flying over people's heads here. I don't think @Lee could possibly explain this in clearer terms than he already has, but you have to admit that it's, at the very least, VERY unusual that Disney would so closely associate with someone who has committed various crimes against DISNEY and its personnel.

Can't speak for anyone else, but I get that. I'm still scratching my head as to why the heck I should care.

If Disney wants to forgive or ignore past transgressions, that's their business. Do I find it odd that they'd associate with someone they previously prosecuted? Sure, but it's not a big deal that they did. Maybe they feel that he's high profile enough that they have no concerns about shoplifting or any other crimes, so they've forgiven him, moved on, and feel they have a mutually beneficial relationship.

Shouldn't we be praising Disney for helping out rehabilitated criminals?

 

[TalkingHead]

Wow, this is really flying over people's heads here. I don't think @Lee could possibly explain this in clearer terms than he already has, but you have to admit that it's, at the very least, VERY unusual that Disney would so closely associate with someone who has committed various crimes against DISNEY and its personnel.

This isn't about judging him or getting on a moral high-horse. It's more about putting the pieces together of why Disney would hold out as a representative of their brand someone who has stolen from them and more (and served HARD TIME for said offenses).

I don't know the specifics any more than anyone else here, and it very well could be a far more complicated/complex situation than any of us understand, but this is absolutely worthy of discussion and not even remotely comparable to an actor who has a crime-ridden past.

Even simpler: if a CM was caught pulling these shenanigans, would they be terminated? (Yep.) Would they be rehired at a later date? (Not likely.)

 

[DisneyOutsider]

I'm still scratching my head as to why the heck I should care.

I ask myself that same question about maybe 90% of the content posted in this thread, but alas, this thread lives on. I'd say the cast of characters who keep this thread pumping are very interested to know the ins and outs of this story.

 

[Smiddimizer]

So? Disney is foremost concerned about their image. This site has plenty of stories of people stealing, attacking Cast Members and other sorts of mischief against the Company that goes unpunished or rewarded.

The bottom line here is the capacity of his relationship with Disney, which I honestly don't know enough about to have a back and forth with you on this. I don't know if he's a lifestyler, a paid shill, or just an unnoficial podcaster who spouts BS and has no working relationship with the Mouse. But those people attacking CMs aren't CMs themselves. If he's literally been paid by Disney, as @Lee said something about hosting D23 panels and the like....would you deny how that's kinda messed up?

 

[PhotoDave219]

That's the thing.
I'm not trying to crucify the guy for crimes of the past.
(Which, best I can tell involved scavenging for old bags and receipts which he could then match with an item to "return" to a merch location. Repeatedly. Theft which was pled down to a lesser offense.)

I'm simply asking:
Why, of all the reputable writers and fans out there, would Disney embrace one who they repeatedly prosecuted and had jailed?
Do the different organizations inside the company know the story?

I do find it very questionable that PR and marketing would deal with an have this sort of relationship with an individual that they sent to jail for theft… Either way, I would really like the police report or narrative to go with this case. Just satisfy my own curiosity.

The part of everything doesn't make any sense whatsoever to me and that I'm willing to question.

On the other hand… It's not like this is the first time we've heard of a podcast or or a blogger getting arrested and having to do time. Where is all sorts of deep, dark secrets in the fan community.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The bottom line here is the capacity of his relationship with Disney, which I honestly don't know enough about to have a back and forth with you on this. I don't know if he's a lifestyler, a paid shill, or just an unnoficial podcaster who spouts BS and has no working relationship with the Mouse. But those people attacking CMs aren't CMs themselves. If he's literally been paid by Disney, as @Lee said something about hosting D23 panels and the like....would you deny how that's kinda messed up?

No, it isn't that messed up. These are misdemeanors from 20 years ago. Far more messed up is the lifestyler stalking.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Wow, this is really flying over people's heads here. I don't think @Lee could possibly explain this in clearer terms than he already has, but you have to admit that it's, at the very least, VERY unusual that Disney would so closely associate with someone who has committed various crimes against DISNEY and its personnel.

This isn't about judging him or getting on a moral high-horse. It's more about putting the pieces together of why Disney would hold out as a representative of their brand someone who has stolen from them and more (and served HARD TIME for said offenses).

I don't know the specifics any more than anyone else here, and it very well could be a far more complicated/complex situation than any of us understand, but this is absolutely worthy of discussion and not even remotely comparable to an actor who has a crime-ridden past.

OC Jail for 49 days is not hard time.

Coleman Federal Maximum Security Penitentiary (about an hour northwest of WDW) is. I've been on the tour. (Press, not as a Guest)

 

[Phil12]

The bottom line here is the capacity of his relationship with Disney, which I honestly don't know enough about to have a back and forth with you on this. I don't know if he's a lifestyler, a paid shill, or just an unnoficial podcaster who spouts BS and has no working relationship with the Mouse. But those people attacking CMs aren't CMs themselves. If he's literally been paid by Disney, as @Lee said something about hosting D23 panels and the like....would you deny how that's kinda messed up?

I agree. However, I know how to solve this problem. The next time Jim Hill is at WDW we get someone to "accidentally" bump him into a convenient body of water. Then someone with a cell phone can take a video and we'll all be able to see whether he sinks, or he floats...

 

[jakeman]

No, it isn't that messed up. These are misdemeanors from 20 years ago. Far more messed up is the lifestyler stalking.

Agreed. It's far more worrisome that someone actively took time in any capacity to research public records on Disney bloggers and then feed that information to a source they know would put it out there for public consumption.

I understand it's public record, but I also very much understand that you have to actively seek out those records. This isn't some passive thing that just popped up. This was an active search targeting at the very least Jim Hill, if not Lifestylers in general.

I'm personally not interested in Disney's relationship with Jim Hill or the decision making process to form a relationship with him after he committed several misdemeanors. That's simple: Disney finds the benefits of the relationship in 2015 outweigh the crimes of 1995.

However, my interest is highly stoked in the potential that someone could potentially be targeting Lifestylers and trying to bring them down with dirt from their past. I'm very curious as to the motivations and long game around that question.

 

[PhotoDave219]

However, my interest is highly stoked in the potential that someone could potentially be targeting Lifestylers and trying to bring them down with dirt from their past. I'm very curious as to the motivations and long game around that question.

Thats another reaaaalllllly big question that needs answering.

Someone has a serious Axe to grind.

 

[jakeman]

Thats another reaaaalllllly big question that needs answering.

Someone has a serious Axe to grind.

Yep and it's way more interesting than "Mega-corporation does something slightly icky".

 

[DisneyOutsider]

OC Jail for 49 days is not hard time.

Coleman Federal Maximum Security Penitentiary (about an hour northwest of WDW) is. I've been on the tour. (Press, not as a Guest)

Yeah it seems that my prison-term game leaves much to be desired. But either way, serving time in a jail to me indicates something a little more serious than a misunderstanding.

 

[ABQ]

I'm not a fan of Mr Hill, as he comes off as arrogant any time I've heard him, but I need to ask, as I've not seen anything myself, but in what official capacity has he done anything for Disney? Obviously he has some contacts within the company, but I don't see him blogging for the Theme Parks blog or whatever. Far as I can tell, he's just another fanboi. Maybe he's gotten some quid pro quo junk, free lunch at California Grill after a remodel, maybe he's gotten a boat load more than that, but I don't see it. If he's not cashing a pay check signed by the mouse, how is his 20 year old criminal past a problem?

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm not a fan of Mr Hill, as he comes off as arrogant any time I've heard him, but I need to ask, as I've not seen anything myself, but in what official capacity has he done anything for Disney? Obviously he has some contacts within the company, but I don't see him blogging for the Theme Parks blog or whatever. Far as I can tell, he's just another fanboi. Maybe he's gotten some quid pro quo junk, free lunch at California Grill after a remodel, maybe he's gotten a boat load more than that, but I don't see it. If he's not cashing a pay check signed by the mouse, how is his 20 year old criminal past a problem?

There are two problems as I see it.

1 - Disney PR has been in bed with someone that stole from them and that ended up in jail for said crimes. That's kinda weird.

2 - Someone intentionally dug this up.... Why exactly?

 

[Goofyernmost]

There are two problems as I see it.

1 - Disney PR has been in bed with someone that stole from them and that ended up in jail for said crimes. That's kinda weird.

2 - Someone intentionally dug this up.... Why exactly?

I agree Dave, but, the one thing that makes my head spin is how anyone expects that in a company the size of Disney, anyone that was involved with the alleged incident would even still work there or if the incident was so minor that even if they did work in that same department back then, would remember it and if they did... would it matter?!

The second point is, to my knowledge, he has never been on Disney payroll. He has either been an independent blogger or a possible paid "celebrity" that no one would ever do a background check on. It doesn't connect with Disney at all other then common interests. You do background checks on potential employee's, not independent contractors or, for the lack of a better description, reporters. Can you just imagine what might happen if every single person that comes into contact with Disney on a different level then just "guest" was subject to a background check. Disney would probably have no suppliers at all. The entire idea that anyone should care at all about this "possible" situation is absolutely absurd.

And indeed, what would motivate anyone to spend the time and energy to research this to begin with? What is anyone trying to prove other then they have way to much time on their hands.

 

[yepitsandy]

Oh no. Somebody did something fairly minor twenty years ago. Let us panic forever.

Who cares? People can change a lot in twenty years. Some people do learn from mistakes. I know it is cool to hate on Jim Hill, but I can't seem to muster any hate for this. Everybody has skeletons. The dude having skeletons a few decades old is not going to rile me up a bit.

Adam the Woo got banned. He got back together with Disney, worked out whatever agreement they worked out, and he's back and following the rules. That was much more recent than the Jim Hill stuff. If Disney can find ways to move on, everybody else should too.