Bob Chapek's response to Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The real money comes from Institutional investors, and they only care about profitability not politics. If politics mattered more, where would a company like Exxon Mobil be?

Maybe it's what dinner party or social circle you get invited to participate in that's more important. We know Iger for example had an ego to match his ambitions, so his social circle was critical to him above most everything else.

I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you. But the Smart political play would have been to make a mild, somewhat vague political “condemnation” and move on. They would have the leeway Bob used up being stupid.

Honestly that doesn't matter.

The polling says the more people support the bill than oppose and that's a problem for Disney. If you're framing your viewpoint based on the low single digit percentage of the population that live on the sewer that is Twitter, you're probably doing it wrong.

What polling again?

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

This is exactly the kind of stuff that the bill is trying to ban. Have we really come to the point of indoctrinating children without the parents knowing? Apparently so, in Austin, TX.

School District Tells 4-Year-Olds to Keep 'Pride Week' Lessons a Secret - Texas Scorecard

“What would a teacher be discussing during pride week that she’s worried the kids will tell their parents?”

texasscorecard.com

So this bill has nothing to do with gay content, as we keep being told, but at the same time the concern is specifically the discussion of gay things?

Can't have it both ways. Some of you might want to get your stories straight.

Also, this link comes from a far-right conservative advocacy group, which again raises the question of just who this bill was written for.

 

[fgmnt]

Unfortunately, this is exactly where our country is right now. Anyone recall the news about the School Board Meetings in Loudoun County, Virginina? All one has to do is go on YouTube and search "loudoun county school board meeting" and you will see how bad it can get!

Parents being shut down and kicked out of School Board Meetings. School Board reporting parents as domestic terrorists to our FBI.

I dont follow the news media of the manhattan elite the likes of Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, but it’s a free country so i guess you can.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

This is why Bob Chapek should have stuck to his original strategy and stayed on a politically nuetral path. As it stands now he has both Disney employees and Disney customers, on both sides of this issue, upset with the company's political stance.

So the Company has chosen to take what they believe to be the correct side of the issue (or to be cynical, the more beneficial side to them) while aware they may risk losing some business from certain people.

They obviously thought their initial play was the best and least disruptive way to go: influence politicians behind the scenes, influence specifics in the bill, and be the "hero" without making much of a public statement.

That blew up in their faces because the Government made a similar calculation: taking the side of their base outweighed being chummy with Disney.

Plan B was not rolled out the best, and also some employees and fans on the left appear to have unrealistic expectations about what the Company might/should do. Disney loses either way. They're not getting their way on the law. They upset some people taking either side forcefully (or not forcefully enough.)

At some point, having owned my own business for 23 years, some customers are OK to let go. It's not usually preferable, but some are more trouble than they are worth (literally, just by the numbers.)

Sometimes taking the correct side is better than taking no side at all. People who are against all things gay have another thing coming to them if they think they are going to get their way on things. In the big picture, they're just plain wrong, and that will shake itself out eventually.

It's America. Equality always wins eventually.

 

[monothingie]

I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you. But the Smart political play would have been to make a mild, somewhat vague political “condemnation” and move on. They would have the leeway Bob used up being stupid.

What polling again?

If you want to rule the world in Indiana and Tennessee…it’s going to be a short reign, King Charles I

You know the only states that matter are Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.

Maybe some people in TWDC are not unhappy to see Bob 2 mess it up. Maybe dreaming of getting Bob 1 back?

 

[lazyboy97o]

It’s pretty gross and almost perverted that some posters on here can only focus on sex gay people may or may not be having instead of the full complement of their lives. Can we trust you around children?

And of course as long as it’s not being discussed in a manner of orientation or identity, this legislation doesn’t prohibit discussing sexual acts with any students as language to that effect would have allegedly rendered the bill moot.

 

[fgmnt]

I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you. But the Smart political play would have been to make a mild, somewhat vague political “condemnation” and move on. They would have the leeway Bob used up being stupid.

What polling again?

If you want to rule the world in Indiana and Tennessee…it’s going to be a short reign, King Charles I

I think once this gained momentum, disney could have said something genuinely pretty neutral and almost come out a leader in this; something along the lines of telling the florida legislature to focus on laws that insulate floridians from inflation and underemployment instead of making up a crisis out of whole cloth. Instead the operation here is emblematic of its ceo, a feckless follower.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think once this gained momentum, disney could have said something genuinely pretty neutral and almost come out a leader in this; something along the lines of telling the florida legislature to focus on laws that insulate floridians from inflation and underemployment instead of making up a crisis out of whole cloth. Instead the operation here is emblematic of its ceo, a feckless follower.

I totally agree with that. They could have said “nothing” while talking…but you have to be ahead of it.

You know Iger is/was grumbling behind the scenes to his board cronies the minutes this started to blow

 

[JohnD]

So this bill has nothing to do with gay content, as we keep being told, but at the same time the concern is specifically the discussion of gay things?

Can't have it both ways. Some of you might want to get your stories straight.

Also, this link comes from a far-right conservative advocacy group, which again raises the question of just who this bill was written for.

But the argument put forward by those in opposition is "Don't say 'Gay'", which those in support are saying that word is not in the bill and says nothing about not saying the word 'gay'. It talks about inappropriate content for children under 3rd grade. And here is a school district trying to indoctrinate children in that age group without the parents knowing. Exactly what this bill is in opposition to.

So I have my stories straight, pardon the pun. Maybe it's you who needs to get your narrative straight.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You know the only states that matter are Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.

Maybe some people in TWDC are not unhappy to see Bob 2 mess it up. Maybe dreaming of getting Bob 1 back?

Totally…though I’d drop Florida from that list (this whole episode is proof) and add NC and watch for Texas. Bob Dylan song.

I have little doubt there are higher ups in the dwarf building comparing the Bobs…none

 

[fgmnt]

I totally agree with that. They could have said “nothing” while talking…but you have to be ahead of it.

You know Iger is/was grumbled behind the scenes to his board cronies the minutes this started to blow

Say what you will about the Iger/Xenia relationship, but it’s become apparent the BP guy was hired to be a subservient and unchallenging toady to the CEO first, and a value add to communications a distant second.

 

[lazyboy97o]

But the argument put forward by those in opposition is "Don't say 'Gay'", which those in support are saying that word is not in the bill and says nothing about not saying the word 'gay'. It talks about inappropriate content for children under 3rd grade. And here is a school district trying to indoctrinate children in that age group without the parents knowing. Exactly what this bill is in opposition to.

So I have my stories straight, pardon the pun. Maybe it's you who need to get your narrative straight.

Why were the authors and sponsors discussing gay people in relation to this bill?

What Florida district(s) was violating state law on curriculum development? How does this legislation prevent that from happening?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Say what you will about the Iger/Xenia relationship, but it’s become apparent the BP guy was hired to be a subservient and unchallenging toady to the CEO first, and a value add to communications a distant second.

I’ll say they’re both evil…but they had a plan and were ruthlessly effective

 

[Tony the Tigger]

But the argument put forward by those in opposition is "Don't say 'Gay'", which those in support are saying that word is not in the bill and says nothing about not saying the word 'gay'. It talks about inappropriate content for children under 3rd grade. And here is a school district trying to indoctrinate children in that age group without the parents knowing. Exactly what this bill is in opposition to.

So I have my stories straight, pardon the pun. Maybe it's you who needs to get your narrative straight.

Getting your information from "people are saying" does not seem to be helping you in the accuracy department.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

But the argument put forward by those in opposition is "Don't say 'Gay'", which those in support are saying that word is not in the bill and says nothing about not saying the word 'gay'. It talks about inappropriate content for children under 3rd grade. And here is a school district trying to indoctrinate children in that age group without the parents knowing. Exactly what this bill is in opposition to.

So I have my stories straight, pardon the pun. Maybe it's you who needs to get your narrative straight.

What a crazy coincidence that the people defending this bill seem to be exclusively focused on gay issues being discussed and only bring up examples that focus on gay issues.

And, they continue to refuse to answer and acknowledge the question of why the bills' authors refused to include language that would have made the bill clearly apply to age appropriate content only, with no bias toward any one group.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Getting your information from "people are saying" does not seem to be helping you in the accuracy department.

If it’s off the tv…it’s poison.

The only thing that matters here is the text - what’s said and not - and what legal or policy analysts believe the results will be.

 

[JohnD]

What a crazy coincidence that the people defending this bill seem to be exclusively focused on gay issues being discussed and only bring up examples that focus on gay issues.

And, they continue to refuse to answer and acknowledge the question of why the bills' authors refused to include language that would have made the bill clearly apply to age appropriate content only, with no bias toward any one group.

Interesting. I was about to say the same thing about those who put forward the "Don't Say Gay" slogan. What a crazy coincidence that the people in opposition to the bill seem to be exclusively focused on gay issues when that is no where mentioned in the bill and only bring up examples that focus on gay issues.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Interesting. I was about to say the same thing about those who put forward the "Don't Say Gay" slogan.

Gay people were brought into the conversation by the author and sponsors explaining the legislative intent.

 

[Disney4Lyfe]

I’m well aware that teachers don’t just do a rote recitation of a script. If the issue was teachers going way off script then that too is a broader problem that isn’t addressed

I believe it is addressed. It’s addressed by stating in a straightforward way that it won’t be tolerated. And if they still do it, there is a process for parents to seek resolution.

 

[lazyboy97o]

See above. How many times has is been brought up that it was the author of the bill who brought gay into it? Why refuse to acknowledge this, unless for the obvious reason that it contradicts your narrative.

To me this is the big issue. Personally I have become very much concerned with the means, even if it is at the expense of a desired end. I would much rather support someone who seeks an end with which I disagree but is acting in good faith over someone who wants the same outcome but whose justification I find problematic.

Yes, guilt by association can be unfair but it also has its place. People clearly do not want to be associated with the words of the sponsors.