News Lasseter taking leave of absence

[Sped2424]

Then why bother with the six month leave of absence in the first place? John Skipper at ESPN didn't get the same treatment, he was out permanently right from the beginning.


Of course, I'm just saying I don't think it's legacy-defining. Thomas Jefferson, Henry Ford, Gandhi, FDR, etc. are all flawed men but they're still remembered for the great things that they brought to the world. We're complicated creatures and sometimes artistic genius is wrapped up in a sinful (even occasionally evil) package.

They gave him a graceful exit. 6 month fake sabbatical followed by him announcing he is retiring is a far better exit for his legacy than him being fired outright. Good example with John Skipper as it seems to be a similar situation. He stepped down and the problem publicly is still substance abuse. They are handling these in very similar manners when it comes to PR.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Same with Bryan Singer. "Family needs him." Sure. OK.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Of course, I'm just saying I don't think it's legacy-defining. Thomas Jefferson, Henry Ford, Gandhi, FDR, etc. are all flawed men but they're still remembered for the great things that they brought to the world. We're complicated creatures and sometimes artistic genius is wrapped up in a sinful (even occasionally evil) package.

Time moves on and now there is accountability. Lasseter, in spite of his creative legacy, is toxic now. He and his accomplishments cannot be scrubbed from history but his continued presence within Disney would only bring further scrutiny that the company will not want, and more questions that they do not want to answer.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Reps to both @Sped2424 and @FrankLapidus. Happy to disagree about a very sensitive issue like this with nobody getting hostile or aggressive.

 

[CJR]

But the idea of him being brought out for public appearances, like the opening of Toy Story Land, makes absolutely no sense to me; why would Disney overshadow something like that by having John Lasseter present? It's akin to self-sabotage - the man's reputation is in tatters, there are some very damning questions still to be asked of the extent to which the most prominent figures within TWDC were aware of his behaviour and sought to cover it up. What is going to get more traction in the media in the current climate, the opening of TSL or the appearance of man who has abused his position of power in such ways as Lasseter has?

All I can say is "just watch".

I can tell you're passionate about this subject given the frequency of the posts on this thread, but I would encourage you to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective. Most people will not be all that invested in it and Disney knows that.

They'll be taking a "there's nothing to see here approach". They'll paint John to be a happy man that everyone loved (and many, many still do) and hide the negative press, as they've been known to do. If you point your finger at the bad press, Disney will talk about its commitment to creating a better work place and mention its next film.

 

[Hatbox Ghostbuster]

At the Annie Awards a couple weeks ago, Coco swept all its nominated categories.
But one thing missing from EVERY acceptance speech?? The mention of John Lasseter.

I don't expect he'll be back.

 

[FrankLapidus]

All I can say is "just watch".

I can tell you're passionate about this subject given the frequency of the posts on this thread, but I would encourage you to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective. Most people will not be all that invested in it and Disney knows that.

They'll be taking a "there's nothing to see here approach". They'll paint John to be a happy man that everyone loved (and many, many still do) and hide the negative press, as they've been known to do. If you point your finger at the bad press, Disney will talk about its commitment to creating a better work place and mention its next film.

I can't believe that anyone really thinks that.

Disney can paint Lasseter out to be whatever they want - the minute he walks back into his job, if he does, more allegations will be made. And if that happens, the likes of Bob Iger and Ed Catmull are going to find themselves in very, very uncomfortable positions given that they have long been aware of Lasseter's conduct and have turned a blind eye to it.

I'm not particularly passionate about this subject, nor do I need to look at it from a different perspective given that it is a very simple, cut-and-dry issue in my view. Lasseter is finished, not simply because of the things that he has done, but because of the damage he could yet do to some very powerful people within TWDC if he is allowed to remain in his position. This issue is not one that is going to go away and, contrary to what you are suggesting, a lot of people are going to be looking on with great interest given that Lasseter is one of the most influential figures in the entertainment industry today.

 

[CJR]

I can't believe that anyone really thinks that.

You best believe it, because it's the truth. It isn't nearly as dark as you're making it out to be.

The butter is on the bread:
John hasn't left Disney. He is on Disney's payroll as of today. You can't come back to something you haven't left.
From a public perspective, John is still in his role at Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, and Imagineering.
John is taking a self chosen sabbatical (which will end up being "life changing").

The next steps:
John will make the decision himself to retire.
John will hand keys of Pixar to the next generation of leaders who will continue to push great work and continue to make Disney's workplace a better place.

Disney has control over this story and they know what they're doing, as do some of us.

The worst that he or Disney has admitted to is "unwanted hugs". From a corporate stand point, Teddy Bear John is a loved man who contributed to some of Disney's biggest successes. He's still very much a public figure at Disney without technically being there and it's all positive.

Until he retires, maybe even after, he'll still be happily greeting guests at the Imagination pavilion. He'll also be getting his executive producer credit at the end of Incredibles 2 this summer. He's still very much there, from a public standpoint. It's all about the illusion of having control.

 

[FrankLapidus]

You best believe it, because it's the truth.

It isn't.

If you want to pretend otherwise, that is your prerogative.

 

[CJR]

It isn't.

If you want to pretend otherwise, that is your prerogative.

We'll see, like I said "just watch". You might be vocal, millions might be vocal, but there are billions of people in the world. Ultimately, the people you're talking about who have interest are a niche group.

EDIT: I deleted my reply to the next post because I felt like it went in too much of a political direction. This should be strictly about John Lasseter and, since it got political (and, is it just me?, but personal), I will be bowing out.

 

[FrankLapidus]

We'll see, like I said "just watch". You might be vocal, millions might be vocal, but there are billions of people in the world. Ultimately, the people you're talking about who have interest are a niche group.

I can only assume that you've been asleep for the last few months and have missed the whole #MeToo movement.

Or is that the "niche group" you're referring to?

 

[Timothy_Q]

Disney has taken down the cover and removed his name for the time being, until a new cover is released

 

[Sir_Cliff]

All I can say is that Disney must be thanking their lucky stars that whatever PR moves they have pulled worked and everyone seems to have kind of agreed not to talk about John Lasseter amidst the continuing fallout over abuse in Hollywood. Disney would have to be out of their minds to tempt fate by bringing him back. I think he would, too, as the one consolation Lasseter still has left is that his legacy hasn't become so toxic Disney has tried to scrub him from their history. For the record, I don't think they should at all, but if this became a big story I don't doubt they would.

 

[Tavernacle12]

All I can say is that Disney must be thanking their lucky stars that whatever PR moves they have pulled worked and everyone seems to have kind of agreed not to talk about John Lasseter amidst the continuing fallout over abuse in Hollywood. Disney would have to be out of their minds to tempt fate by bringing him back. I think he would, too, as the one consolation Lasseter still has left is that his legacy hasn't become so toxic Disney has tried to scrub him from their history. For the record, I don't think they should at all, but if this became a big story I don't doubt they would.

My assumption is he'll just never return from his sabbatical, Disney will never acknowledge it, and will quietly add some press release about who'll have his job permanently inside a bigger press release. They won't scrub him, but they'll avoid mentioning him whenever possible, and as things he was involved in are redone he won't be acknowledged in them anymore. They want to avoid ever publicly acknowledging him again, even to say he's been fired or decided to retire.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Zenia Mucha has been threatening outlets who have been interested in reporting on Lasseter’s misconduct. Also remember these pieces do take time and require clearance from legal.

 

[ford91exploder]

It’s always amusing when people with no inside sources or knowledge post things like this and try to sound like they know what the hell they are talking about.

Any competent executive collects harmful tidbits about their colleagues who's sleeping with underlings along with documentation of same, Major violations of corporate policy, violations of law etc. all with documentation this is collected and quietly filed away usually at a law firm.

Have you ever wondered why so many bad executives get to walk away after being fired with all their benefits where in reality they should get only 'dont let the door hit ya where the universe split ya'

Well its because of these files, the instinct for self preservation is quite strong in most people.

Every senior executive at Disney (and every other company as well) has one of these files. With the contents being sufficient to destroy the majority of their colleagues and the company as well.


Similar files are behind the takedowns of Matt Lauer etc by the #MeToo crowd

 

[peter11435]

Any competent executive collects harmful tidbits about their colleagues who's sleeping with underlings along with documentation of same, Major violations of corporate policy, violations of law etc. all with documentation this is collected and quietly filed away usually at a law firm.

Have you ever wondered why so many bad executives get to walk away after being fired with all their benefits where in reality they should get only 'dont let the door hit ya where the universe split ya'

Well its because of these files, the instinct for self preservation is quite strong in most people.

Every senior executive at Disney (and every other company as well) has one of these files. With the contents being sufficient to destroy the majority of their colleagues and the company as well.


Similar files are behind the takedowns of Matt Lauer etc by the #MeToo crowd

That wasn’t even the part of your original post I was referring to. But as @lazyboy97o said, you need help.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

That wasn’t even the part of your original post I was referring to. But as @lazyboy97o said, you need help.

But he’s not wrong... in this case. Someone like Tony Baxter got a great deal when he walked away from the company because of what he knows.

 

[peter11435]

But he’s not wrong... in this case. Someone like Tony Baxter got a great deal when he walked away from the company because of what he knows.

Absolutely. Knowledge is power. But that wasn’t what was wrong about his original post and he knows that.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Absolutely. Knowledge is power. But that wasn’t what was wrong about his original post and he knows that.

So Ford being Ford.