Lasseter Taking Leave of Absence

[Disneyfanman]

I’m disgusted angry and then depressed. John Lasseter was one of my personal heroes for what he did with Pixar and Walt Disney animation. The other people who have been in the news recently have shocked me but not surprised me. This one left me speechless.

As a guy I really had no idea that this kind of stuff happened as frequently as it does. I guess I am either blind or naïve. Women who I have spoken to, however, all seem to have their own stories of this happening to them.

John Lasseter. Wow.

 

[TROR]

I love it when people take the moral high road on internet forums. I don't think anyone on this thread has said they're not a sinner. If anyone, and I mean anyone, uses their power to take advantage of anyone in a sexually noninvited way, they are a bad person. Forgiveness needs to be earned. His statement was literally released today. What has he done to deserve your forgiveness already? I mean, really, it's been like 7 hours.

"...he should be forgiven in the public's eye as long as he truly does take steps to fix his behavior..."
I'm not saying today, but he's certainly off to a better foot to get forgiveness than any of these other execs.

 

[Disney Irish]

Someone who used his power to take advantage of females is not automatically a bad person??? I believe in forgiveness, but that needs to be earned.

As I said this is a sensitive subject. But we don't know all the details, and probably never will. We don't know he used his power for anything as you describe, you assume.

He is not a bad person, he's done a bad thing. Those are two very different things. Again I'm not defending his actions nor condoning anything he did. I think what he did was highly inappropriate. But again my point is I think we are too quick to label someone when an issue like this comes out.

 

[DisneyDoctor]

"...he should be forgiven in the public's eye as long as he truly does take steps to fix his behavior..."
I'm not saying today, but he's certainly off to a better foot to get forgiveness than any of these other execs.

You've preemptively forgiven him. Also, should Harvey be forgiven? Sure he's handled it differently, but what makes John done differently besides admit he's done bad things? They've been taken advantage of women.

 

[Disneyfanman]

I

Something tells me he won't be returning to Disney or Pixar six months from now, if he even makes it through Thanksgiving weekend still employed. But his drinking problem is obvious and appears to be a big part of the sexual harassment equation here.

I think he is done at Disney.

 

[DisneyDoctor]

As I said this is a sensitive subject. But we don't know all the details, and probably never will. We don't know he used his power for anything as you describe, you assume.

He is not a bad person, he's done a bad thing. Those are two very different things. Again I'm not defending his actions nor condoning anything he did. I think what he did was highly inappropriate. But again my point is I think we are too quick to label someone when an issue like this comes out.

Have you read the articles describing his behavior?

 

[Disney Irish]

Have you read the articles describing his behavior?

I'm going to back away from this as I have stated my opinion. Just know again I am not defending him or his actions. I'm just making a blanket statement about the state of what I feel is quick judgement and labeling by our society.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

You've preemptively forgiven him. Also, should Harvey be forgiven? Sure he's handled it differently, but what makes John done differently besides admit he's done bad things? They've been taken advantage of women.

One has to wonder just how long Lasseter would have continued his inappropriate behavior if the news cycle wasn't riddled with scandalous workplace sexual abuse stories against women spilling out of Hollywood and Washington almost every day in recent weeks. I get the impression that someone inside Disney, likely a woman or women, put pressure on upper management to act. Lasseter's exit and Disney's press release looks to me like an attempt at damage control to get ahead of the story before it leaked to the news media.

 

[Nemo14]

One has to wonder just how long Lassiter would have continued his inappropriate behavior if the news cycle wasn't riddled with scandalous workplace sexual abuse stories against women spilling out of Hollywood and Washington almost every day in recent weeks. I get the impression that someone inside Disney, likely a woman or women, put pressure on upper management to act. Lassiter's exit and Disney's press release looks to me like an attempt at damage control to get ahead of the story before it leaked to the news media.

What reason would he have to stop otherwise?

 

[TROR]

What reason would he have to stop otherwise?

Guilt.

Am I just being too light on the guy in hoping for the best?

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Why can't these men keep their hands off other people?

Not just men. In my younger and more handsome days, I had a female boss take me aside and tell me I looked like a Chippendales dancer. And I won't even mention what a couple of gay men have also said to me. Not appropriate for a family forum. ( It doesn't happen anymore- the blessing of age! )

 

[Deleted member 107043]

What reason would he have to stop otherwise?

Exactly my point.

Lasseter's career is toast, especially if charges are filed against him and/or the Studio.

 

[Nemo14]

Guilt.

Am I just being too light on the guy in hoping for the best?

I'm sorry, but do you really think he felt a speck of guilt? The only reason he left today was because he was confronted about it all.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Not just men. In my younger and more handsome days, I had a female boss take me aside and tell me I looked like a Chippendales dancer. And I won't even mention what a couple of gay men have also said to me. Not appropriate for a family forum. ( It doesn't happen anymore- the blessing of age! )

 

[RandomPrincess]

More people are coming forward with stories - https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/11/disney-pixar-john-lasseter-leave-allegations

 

[TROR]

I'm sorry, but do you really think he felt a speck of guilt? The only reason he left today was because he was confronted about it all.

No, hence my additional comment.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

More people are coming forward with stories - https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/11/disney-pixar-john-lasseter-leave-allegations

According to interviews with more than 10 current and former Disney and Pixar employees, Lasseter often crossed boundaries with them, particularly when he had been drinking. One former male employee described traveling to a film festival with the executive and being asked to bring him to a strip club. “He’d get dances and point at me to pay for it,” the employee said. “I was supposed to entertain him. It was so uncomfortable. He liked to have a good time. He liked his wine.”

Female employees describe discomfort with Lasseter’s physical affection, which included close hugs, and kisses on the lips if a woman failed to turn her face in time. “After one of those hugs, we’d joke to each other, ‘Boxers or briefs?’” said one former Pixar employee. At a recording session, she described an encounter that led her to feel strange around her boss. “He leaned into my monitor and whispered into my ear, ‘You look so beautiful, that light in your eyes,’” the former Pixar employee said. “It was the way a lover would talk to you. I remember him touching my back or leg or knee and just feeling . . . ugh. And then we talked about the work.”

And this jackass is married. With 5 kids.

 

[TP2000]

More people are coming forward with stories - https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/11/disney-pixar-john-lasseter-leave-allegations

Wow. Burbank got the heads up this was all coming out within the next 8 hours. They had to act, and thus the “six months leave”.

I really doubt he’ll be back, if he even lasts through the Thanksgiving weekend.

 

[Practical Pig]

Something tells me he won't be returning to Disney or Pixar six months from now, if he even makes it through Thanksgiving weekend still employed.

I'm not so sure. Disney doesn't want to lose his ability to drive profits. They just don't want the negative public relations of keeping him. The six month leave of absence seems to me like a "wait and see" kind of thing. After the current, remarkable circumstance inevitably dies down, they may try to salvage the situation – maybe after one of those repentant times spent in sexual addiction and/or alcohol rehab scenarios. If the public has tired of the (justified) outrage by then – who knows?

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I'm not so sure. Disney doesn't want to lose his ability to drive profits. They just don't want the negative public relations of keeping him. The six month leave of absence seems to me like a "wait and see" kind of thing.

Good point.

On the other hand Disney/Pixar deserves whatever public backlash that comes from this as punishment for fostering and enabling a workplace culture where a top executive can freely sexually harrass employees. Disney delivers amazing experiences, products, and services to consumers, but the recent news about its strong arm business practices in Anaheim, its petty feud with the LA Times for covering them, and the revelations about Lasseter's bad behavior has left me with the impression that the internal corporate culture at Disney is toxic. Needless to say as a fan of Disney I'm feeling very conflicted right now.