Michael Eisner's Legacy

[Robbiem]

Eisner wasn’t afraid to try new things hyperion publishing, hollywood records, miramax, DVC including vero beach and hilton head, broadway shows, disney store, Mickey’s kitchen

He deserves the credit for trying to grow into new areas. The Bobs by contrast have remade Disney as something that never was but people always assumed it to be - a childrens brand and then expanded by buying up other businesses. Amalgamation not real new growth

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

IMO - and I've been around long enough to remember the Save Disney fiasco and the trashing of Eisner's legacy - I've always liked Mike. Misguided in the end? Yes, to say the least. But he was ambitious and creative, two pieces of inherent savvy that I think the company is egregiously missing.

He was far more creative than the little man..

His main flaws were he didn’t deal well with technology change…AND he was there too long. Burnout

Now apply those in context

 

[CheechChongy122]

I applaud him for at least wanting to try new things. He was sort of a mixed bag in his later years but he was kind of fun lol.
I remember that he would introduce Christmas movies on abc featuring Mickey. Cute memories.

 

[Mireille]

This is really off the cuff, so I could be talking out of my butt, but it seems to me that Disney has been most successful when you have a team: the inspired dreamer and the practical money manager. Walt had Roy and Eisner at his best had Frank Wells. Since then, the money has been in charge and there has been no dreamer to inspire. Every project seems to be started with cautious pragmatism and how it can generate revenue, which is further and further "pragmatised" to drab nothingness, rather than wild creativity of a new experience for guests that is subtly tamed by what can be accomplished within a budget. Modern American capitalism, Wall Street in particular, ruins everything.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This is really off the cuff, so I could be talking out of my butt, but it seems to me that Disney has been most successful when you have a team: the inspired dreamer and the practical money manager. Walt had Roy and Eisner at his best had Frank Wells. Since then, the money has been in charge and there has been no dreamer to inspire. Every project seems to be started with cautious pragmatism and how it can generate revenue, which is further and further "pragmatised" to drab nothingness, rather than wild creativity of a new experience for guests that is subtly tamed by what can be accomplished within a budget. Modern American capitalism, Wall Street in particular, ruins everything.

…you’re not wrong. At all.

I think the fundamental flaw in Bobism is that they decided they were a “tech company” with “large capital interests”…and the structure is what leads them to the current failures.

Roy E said it best “at its heart…it’s a movie studio”
That is what generates its zeitgeist.
So now that can’t be the same…technology and consumer patterns.
But they still need to be centered on a “creative company”
And no matter what he tells investor and auditoriums at fan expos…that’s not what Iger does. They’re a financial “conglomerate” and he’s a “mogul”

That…as yoda would say…is why he fails.

Just took awhile. But it was inevitable.

And that’s the lesson from Eisner: too long is too long no matter what your name
Is.

 

[Doberge]

Many warned Roy about hiring Eisner because they had experienced his ruthlessness and tactics before but Roy thought he knew Eisner better and could control him from the outside. He never thought Eisner would brush him off and have the audacity to ignore him. Eisney didnt think Roy had the power to displace him. Thats why despite warnings that he was out of favor and threatened he didnt alter his tactics to save his position which he could have early on.

Rewritten with minor edits:

Many warned Iger about hiring appointing Chapek because they had experienced his ruthlessness and tactics before but Iger thought he knew Chapek better and could control him from the outside. He never thought Chapek would brush him off and have the audacity to ignore him. Chapek didnt think Iger had the power to displace him. Thats why [D]espite warnings that he was out of favor and threatened he didnt alter his tactics to save his position which he could have early on.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It was reported that Roy started to cool on Eisner over three things that happened. When Eisner began to push the idea that he was a Disney, when he started accumulating money from Disney to benefit his worth and when he ignored Roy's input regarding the path Disney was taking.
Many warned Roy about hiring Eisner because they had experienced his ruthlessness and tactics before but Roy thought he knew Eisner better and could control him from the outside. He never thought Eisner would brush him off and have the audacity to ignore him. Eisney didnt think Roy had the power to displace him. Thats why despite warnings that he was out of favor and threatened he didnt alter his tactics to save his position which he could have early on.

Couple things:

To be fair…Eisner did not ignore Roy…he was his benefactor…until conditions changed. He also consulted Lily and Diane Disney - and didn’t have to but understand how important the tie to the name was…
Which also lead down the path of him “adopting himself” into the family. Bad move

Things changed it seems after wells went. Wells was Roy’s old friend…and was a buffer in many ways - it seemed?

And I think the caution against Eisner was because of who he worked for: Barry Diller…as cut throat as they come. Katzenberg would have had the same stigma at that time as well.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Couple things:

To be fair…Eisner did not ignore Roy…he was his benefactor…until conditions changed. He also consulted Lily and Diane Disney - and didn’t have to but understand how important the tie to the name was…
Which also lead down the path of him “adopting himself” into the family. Bad move

Things changed it seems after wells went. Wells was Roy’s old friend…and was a buffer in many ways - it seemed?

And I think the caution against Eisner was because of who he worked for: Barry Diller…as cut throat as they come. Katzenberg would have had the same stigma at that time as well.

Yes Roy was his benefactor and greatest cheerleader at the start. Once Wells died there was a dramatic change in Eisners tactics and methods of operation. This started a rift between Roy and Eisner that grew and grew as Eisner gained more prominence and power. Roy started to see his influence over Eisner slip, a change in company dynamics, his input ignored and felt insignificant and thats when he began the campaign to get him removed.
Wells had always been seen as the partner that kept Eisner in check or should we say grounded to where the team worked exceptionally well and Disney was on its way up and up. The death of Wells created an opening which gave Eisner strength to exert the "evil" Eisner he always was. You can hear a dramatic change in Eisners approach and self worth in interviews he gave at that point in his reign.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Rewritten with minor edits:

Many warned Iger about hiring appointing Chapek because they had experienced his ruthlessness and tactics before but Iger thought he knew Chapek better and could control him from the outside. He never thought Chapek would brush him off and have the audacity to ignore him. Chapek didnt think Iger had the power to displace him. Thats why [D]espite warnings that he was out of favor and threatened he didnt alter his tactics to save his position which he could have early on.

But I believe Iger always though that the appointment of Bob C. was not entirely a hand over of the reigns. Iger remained hovering in the background tying to and assisting the direction of plays and moves and Bob C. had an awareness of that shadow with him. Completely different than Eisner and Roys relationship. Roy was mostly hands off until Eisners power grew too vast.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes Roy was his benefactor and greatest cheerleader at the start. Once Wells died there was a dramatic change in Eisners tactics and methods of operation. This started a rift between Roy and Eisner that grew and grew as Eisner gained more prominence and power. Roy started to see his influence over Eisner slip, a change in company dynamics, his input ignored and felt insignificant and thats when he began the campaign to get him removed.
Wells had always been seen as the partner that kept Eisner in check or should we say grounded to where the team worked exceptionally well and Disney was on its way up and up. The death of Wells created an opening which gave Eisner strength to exert the "evil" Eisner he always was. You can hear a dramatic change in Eisners approach and self worth in interviews he gave at that point in his reign.

You know who that sounds a lot like?

 

[Sweet tears]

But I believe Iger always though that the appointment of Bob C. was not entirely a hand over of the reigns. Iger remained hovering in the background tying to and assisting the direction of plays and moves and Bob C. had an awareness of that shadow with him. Completely different than Eisner and Roys relationship. Roy was mostly hands off until Eisners power grew too vast.

I think that some of his early successes inflated his ego and over inflated his confidence.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

But I believe Iger always though that the appointment of Bob C. was not entirely a hand over of the reigns. Iger remained hovering in the background tying to and assisting the direction of plays and moves and Bob C. had an awareness of that shadow with him. Completely different than Eisner and Roys relationship. Roy was mostly hands off until Eisners power grew too vast.

Chapek was never in charge of anything…he thought he had eliminated Iger in 2021/22…because he was a rube who didn’t understand what the puppet master was doing

None of that changed that Iger quit like a COWARD and couldn’t stand no attention and power.

Chisel it on a plaque and paint it on a window.
It’s reality

 

[AdventureHasAName]

I think much of Eisner's earlier achievement and progress was heavily influenced by Frank Wells. Unfortunately, after Frank's tragic death, Eisner started his spiral downward. He seemed to lose sight of the vital elements that constitute Disney-- at the heart of it, animation; and the willingness to lead the company forward stressing its core values, rather than usurping them.

"An Adventurer's life is best!"

This is the answer. Frank Wells was Eisner's Vice President of Common Sense. When he died, Eisner didn't have anybody to tell him, "You're making a mistake." And Eisner went on to make many mistakes at the tail end of his run.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This is the answer. Frank Wells was Eisner's Vice President of Common Sense. When he died, Eisner didn't have anybody to tell him, "You're making a mistake." And Eisner went on to make many mistakes at the tail end of his run.

You know who that sounds a lot like?

 

[Sweet tears]

I’m not totally sold on Iger’s but at least I believe he has an understanding and appreciation of the past with his time working with Eisner. But times change and the need to be a slave to the market is difficult to balance.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I’m not totally sold on Iger’s but at least I believe he has an understanding and appreciation of the past with his time working with Eisner. But times change and the need to be a slave to the market is difficult to balance.

Eisner thought Iger to be an empty suit.

Which he is…which means two things:
1. Credit to Bob for doing as well as he has for so long
2. It’s well past time for him to go.

Both things can be and are true

 

[Sweet tears]

Eisner thought Iger to be an empty suit.

Which he is…which means two things:
1. Credit to Bob for doing as well as he has for so long
2. It’s well past time for him to go.

Both things can be and are true

Not as I remember it. He actually saw him as a threat as he didn’t quite know how to read him. He also relied on him a bit after Wells passing when things were starting to fall apart with other execs.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Not as I remember it. He actually saw him as a threat as he didn’t quite know how to read him. He also relied on him a bit after Wells passing when things were starting to fall apart with other execs.

…that’s the “Bob” version

Truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I don’t think either Roy nor Michael thought tv Bob to be on the “upper level”

He was experienced in Hollywood, agents, lawyers, talent…so definitely not a bad skill set to have around.

But he never actually “made” anything.

Now he “makes” platitudes to brokers…and not a whole hell of alot else

 

[Sweet tears]

…that’s the “Bob” version

Truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I don’t think either Roy nor Michael thought tv Bob to be on the “upper level”

He was experienced in Hollywood, agents, lawyers, talent…so definitely not a bad skill set to have around.

But he never actually “made” anything.

Now he “makes” platitudes to brokers…and not a whole hell of alot else

Well we’ll agree to disagree. Eisner was reluctant to support Iger’s for quite awhile because he wasn’t sure that he was a full fledged supporter and had exhibited competence. He saw him as a potential threat and in typical egocentric CEO fashion he held him down until he had no other options. This came at a time when others were defecting. I e Katzenberg and such

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well we’ll agree to disagree. Eisner was reluctant to support Iger’s for quite awhile because he wasn’t sure that he was a full fledged supporter and had exhibited competence. He saw him as a potential threat and in typical egocentric CEO fashion he held him down until he had no other options. This came at a time when others were defecting. I e Katzenberg and such

Katzenberg defected before Disney bought Capitol cities…1-2 years prior.

I think you read bob’s biography without salt on top

Not to say Eisner was a prince…far from it. All his “issues” were well documented.

Bob is not the “titan” that fans believe him to be…his strategies are flawed and coming out into the light…it took a while…but the cake was baked.