After years of backlash, Disney appears to be retreating from the culture and political wars.
The billion-dollar company has recently taken an active role in distancing itself from important political issues, signaling a shift in priorities. For example, the company confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that it would remove a transgender storyline from Pixar’s upcoming animated series “Win or Lose.”
“When it comes to animated content for younger audiences, we recognize that many parents prefer to discuss certain topics with their children in their own words and timeline,” a spokesperson said.
Disney is facing backlash over the “woke” nature of its products. (Roberto Machado Noah/Lightrocket via Getty Images)
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This is in contrast to what has been seen as a focus on diversity and inclusion in film over the past few years, and some believe that is why 2023 has seen a spate of box office disappointments. There are some too. Experts believe this could be a return to entertainment, as the film has begun to find more success with non-political films such as Deadpool & Wolverine and the recent Moana 2. .
“Disney offers a product: entertainment,” Charles Elson, former director of the University of Delaware’s Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s not about politics.”
Beyond entertainment, Disney was cited as a factor in ABC News’ settlement with President-elect Donald Trump earlier this month. President Trump spoke out after host George Stephanopoulos repeatedly claimed on air that he was “responsible for rape,” when in fact he was accused of “sexual abuse.” He sued a news agency owned by Disney for defamation. York method.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company is pushing its “entertainment first” message. (Jerrod Harris/Getty Images, Vox Media)
Rather than proceed with costly litigation, ABC News and Mr. Trump have reached an agreement in which ABC News will pay the Trump Foundation and the museum $15 million plus $1 million in legal fees. The move faced backlash from more liberal commentators who believed the company was bowing to Trump.
“When you’re involved in politics, you’re expressing your opinion,” Elson said. “And when you step out, it also becomes a statement.”
“You don’t want to fight with the government leaders who are regulating you,” he added. “Politics is bad for business.”
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CEO Bob Iger shared this sentiment in an interview with CNBC earlier this year.
“I think the noise has quieted down to some degree. I preached this at the company for a long time before I left, and our No. 1 goal since coming back is to entertain,” Iger said. said. “The bottom line is that injecting a message as a top priority in our movies and TV shows is not what we’re trying to do. They need to be entertainment, and a company called Disney… Where can we make a positive impact on the world?’ If it’s about promoting acceptance and understanding of all types of people, that’s great. ”
Disney recently avoided delving into political issues by removing transgender storylines and recently made peace with President-elect Donald Trump. (St. Petersburg)
“But generally speaking, we need to be an entertainment-first company,” he added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Disney for comment.
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