Bob Iger is having to face a lot of challenges at Disney right now and he has some OPINIONS.
©D23
At the forefront of Iger’s challenges have been accusations that Disney is promoting some kind of “woke agenda” or has strayed from Walt Disney’s original “vision” and “values.” Coupled with that comes all of the controversy surrounding Disney’s handling of the Parental Rights in Education Bill, the ensuing fight between Disney and Ron DeSantis — which is now headed to court after Disney filed a lawsuit against the Florida Governor, and the drama surrounding the Reedy Creek Improvement District (now Central Florida Tourism Oversight District). So just what does Iger have to say about these things? We’ve dug for some of his thoughts and are breaking it all down for you here.
1 — NOT Agenda Driven
During the 2023 Shareholder Meeting, one individual shared how, in their opinion, Disney’s films and entertainment are “increasingly promoting the woke agenda.” They went on to accuse Disney of choosing to “collaborate” with “predators to sing to children.” The individual concluded with another question, “Would it not be beneficial for the Company to ditch the LGBTQIA+ and gender ideology for good?” His advice was to “Turn Disney back to the a-political fun place that it used to be and I bet that you’ll win back both the trust of families and the stock market.”
Photo Op in Disneyland
So what did Iger have to say about Disney reportedly promoting a “woke agenda?” Well, he actually had some strong opinions. In response to the question, Iger said that Disney prides itself on being “accessible to all people.” He acknowledged that Disney has “recently gotten criticism…for what some perceive to be agenda-driven content.” Iger shared that he is sensitive to that and that Disney’s “primary mission needs to be to entertain.”
To drive this home, Iger said, “I’m very serious about that. It should not be agenda driven. It should be entertainment-driven. That should be the goal in all of our stories.”
©Disney+
How Iger’s view could (if at all) change Disney’s content remains to be seen. But it is clear that he does not view Disney’s goal as being to promote a particular “agenda,” but rather to entertain.
2 — Parents Should Be Able to Trust Disney’s Content
Iger spoke a bit more on the subject, particularly as it relates to parents and their “comfort” levels with children’s content. According to Iger, Disney won’t be able to please everyone all of the time, but they should “be sensitive to the fact that parents have different levels of comfort with the content that is delivered to their children.”
Vampirina in Animation Courtyard
Iger said, “I want parents to be able to trust the content that we’re creating for their children.” He went on to note that Disney is “committed to delivering age-appropriate content for family audiences while also telling stories that reflect the world around us and that foster greater understanding, greater perspective, greater acceptance of all people.”
Again, it’s unclear what changes could result from Iger’s view on this topic but it is interesting to see his discussion of how parents can have different comfort levels when it comes to content their kids are consuming.
3 — DeSantis Has Retaliated and Punished Disney for a Constitutional Right
Many have drawn a connection between Disney’s statements against the Parental Rights in Education Bill (what critics called “Don’t Say Gay”) and the subsequent actions by Governor DeSantis and legislators in Florida to dramatically change the Reedy Creek District and strip Disney of some of its powers over the District. Iger drew that connection directly, clearly, and out in the open.
In discussing the Reedy Creek District situation during the 2023 annual shareholder meeting, Iger said, “A year ago, the Company took a position on pending Florida legislation, and while the Company may have not handled the position it took very well, a company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do.”
Pride in Animal Kingdom 2022
According to Iger, “The governor got very angry about the position Disney took and seems like he’s decided to retaliate against us, including the naming of a new board to oversee the property and the business, in effect to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right…and that just seems really wrong to me.”
While some have tried to draw that connection more subtly it seems Iger was not willing to waste any time beating around the bush and directly accused the governor of punishing Disney for exercising a constitutional right. And that battle only continues…
Click here to see how monorail inspections at Disney could CHANGE thanks to DeSantis’ plans
4 — Anti-Business, Anti-Florida
Iger has more to say about DeSantis and his actions in Florida. Also during the 2023 Shareholder Meeting, Iger said, “We love the state of Florida.” He continued, “I think that’s reflected in not only how much we’ve invested over the last 50 years, but how much we’ve given back in the form of jobs, and community service, taxes…tourism of course, and all sorts of other responsible business practices.”
Iger noted that retaliating against any company or individual for a constitutional right seems “wrong,” particularly when such actions are taken “against the company that means so much to the state that you live in.”
Magic Kingdom
Iger mentioned how Disney has “over 75,000 employees…countless thousands of indirect jobs have been created, about 50 million visitors will go through our gates this year alone, about 8 million of them from outside the US, and we [meaning Disney] are the largest taxpayer in the state.”
And Disney is set to invest more in the state soon, “over 17 billion dollars in Walt Disney World over the next 10 years,” to be more exact, “and those investments we estimate will create 13,000 new Disney jobs and thousands of other indirect jobs, and they’ll also attract more people to the state and generate more taxes.”
Minnie!
In conclusion, Iger said, “Our point on this is that any action that thwarts those efforts, simply to retaliate for a position a company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida.” Those are some pretty fierce words to throw into the middle of an already heated battle.
Click here to see how Disney has subtly responded to some of the Reedy Creek drama
5 — All Disney Wants in Florida
With all of this controversy, you might be wondering just what Disney wants in Florida. Iger has spoken to that too. During a TIME Magazine interview, Iger talked about how Walt Disney’s dream turned “swampland in Central Florida into a business that employs over 75,000 people, that is visited by tens of millions of people every year, that is a major tourist destination in the United States, and for the state of Florida, that creates huge value for our company and its employees, and for the state of Florida itself.”
EPCOT at Disney World
Iger went on to say that Disney’s “sole goal” in Florida is to keep creating value for these constituencies. He said, “All we want is a relationship with the state that enables us to continue to do that.” Iger said that they have the desire to continue to invest in Florida, grow the business, hire more people, increase attendance, and more all so they can “increase more value for the Walt Disney Company and for the state of Florida. It’s that simple.”
Click here to see what hotel is getting a MAKEOVER in Disney World
6 — Willing to Discuss Things With DeSantis?
By now you might be wondering just what Iger thinks about DeSantis and whether he’d even be willing to talk to DeSantis at this point, given the tension that could exist. But, during the TIME Magazine interview, Iger said “the governor of Florida wants to meet with me to discuss all of this, of course, I would be glad to do that.”
©Governor Ron DeSantis Website
Iger continued, “You know, I’m one that typically has respected our elected officials and the responsibility that they have, and there would be no reason why I wouldn’t do that.”
At this point, it seems the battle between Disney and DeSantis continues to be quite adversarial, with DeSantis discussing a potential prison being built near Disney World, changing ride inspections, and more. But who knows what things could change in the future.
See what DeSantis has had to say about building a prison near Disney World
7 — On What Really Is “Political”
Will Disney be weighing in on every issue? What’s a political issue and what’s not? Iger has some thoughts on this too. In late November of 2022, soon after Iger returned to the CEO position, he spoke during a town hall meeting and said, “I think there’s a misperception here about what politics is…Some of the subjects that have been proven to be controversial as it relates to Disney have been branded political, and I don’t think they are.”
This seems to echo his earlier statements from 2022 (prior to his return to the CEO position). At that point, Iger discussed his desire to speak up about the “Don’t Say Gay” situation and explained, “A lot of these issues are not necessarily political. It’s about right and wrong.”
Disney Family Pride
What about potential backlash from fans or others? According to Iger, “When you are dealing with right and wrong, and when you are dealing with something that does have a profound impact on your business, I just think you have to do what is right and not worry about the potential backlash to it.”
Now, that doesn’t mean Disney will weigh in on every issue. During the 2023 shareholder meeting, Iger said “I also understand there are gonna be gray areas. There are gonna [be] times when we decide to weigh in on an issue that we believe is worthy of debate because of its relevance and importance to our business or to our employees…and there are times when I actually believe we shouldn’t.”
Disney Pride Decoration
Still, Iger said that he feels strongly that Disney alone should be able to determine “whether, when, or how to weigh in on an issue, whether it’s private or public.”
8 — On Controversy
We couldn’t write up this post about controversial Bob Iger quotes without including a quote from Iger ABOUT controversy — ironic, isn’t it? Back in November of 2022, Iger discussed the Reedy Creek/DeSantis situation and made several of the quotes identified above. But he also spoke about controversial situations themselves.
He shared, “Do I like the company being embroiled in controversy? Of course not.”
©Disney
FOX Business reported the remainder of Iger’s words where he noted the following about controversy: “It can be distracting, and it can have a negative impact on the company. And to the extent that I can work to kind of quiet things down, I’m going to do that.”
This was all said before the latest developments in the Reedy Creek saga (and prior to some of Iger’s more direct and public statements about DeSantis’ alleged “anti-business” actions), but still it’ll be interesting to see how (if at all) Iger manages to “quiet things down.”
Click here to see what the DeSantis-appointed board has been working on with the Disney District
9 — Straying Too Far from Walt’s “Vision” or “Values”
Another big criticism that goes hand-in-hand with some of the situations discussed above is that Disney has strayed too far from Walt Disney’s original “vision” or “values.” Iger addressed this (somewhat) during the TIME Magazine interview when he was asked if you can change a company and keep its values.
Iger replied, “I actually think that if you study great companies over time and you try to figure out why some companies stand the test of time and others do not, you would quickly conclude that most companies fade away because they’ve abandoned the core values that created the company in the first place.”
Disney World’s Festival of Fantasy parade
He continued by saying that “in the interest of staying relevant, they distance themselves from the essence of what they were.” But he noted, “There is a way to completely adhere to those same values but to present them to the world, to your customers, and to your employees in much more relevant ways.”
So it seems Iger does NOT want to abandon Disney’s “core values” but he does feel that there may be a way to present those to the world in a more relevant manner.
10 — The “Right Values” in Disney Films
Finally, we’re tackling Iger’s views on the “right values” contained in Disney films. If Disney’s content is not supposed to be agenda driven but is still meant to be accessible and touch people’s hearts, then what will be represented in them? During the 2023 shareholder meeting, Iger discussed some of that.
He said, “We’ve been telling stories for 100 years aimed at entertaining and inspiring families from all over the world. And we’re extremely proud of the positive impact we’ve had on billions of people over that 100-year period of time. For generations, the stories that we’ve told have touched people’s hearts, because they’ve been infused with right values.”
It’s Lightning McQueen!
Just what are those “right values?” Well, according to Iger, Disney’s films have “celebrated heroes, emphasized the value of family and friendship, they’ve instilled a steady faith in the belief that good triumphs over evil, that tomorrow is always brighter than today.” He shared, that it is his “hope that Disney continues to be a source of hope and optimism for the world. And we’re honored to actually carry forth Walt’s legacy of inspiring joy and wonder for everyone.”
JOY!
And there you have it — 10 important and potentially controversial quotes from Bob Iger on some hot topics. What will Iger say next? And what challenges will Disney face as it moves forward with job cuts, budget cuts, continued Reedy Creek drama, and more? We’ll be watching to see and we’ll share ALL of those details with you.
To see more about what Iger has said recently, click here to see his views on having more Marvel in Disney World, and click here to learn about Iger’s bromance with Steve Jobs.
Click here to learn about 5 controversial Bob Iger CHANGES
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Which of these quotes intrigued you the most? Tell us in the comments.
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I’m still asking, what interest does the Walt Disney Company have in opposing a Parental Rights in Education bill?
Are they opposed to parents having the right to not have their children introduced to topics such as sexuality?
Or is there some other agenda that is driving this opposition to where Disney not only stated they oppose this bill, but pledged the power, money and resources of the company to fight it? Then followed up with several Disney executives plainly stating that they were going to use the company to promote the LGBTQ+ agenda to children.
Certainly seems sketchy there.
Please post a link to where you found this specific information.
“ Then followed up with several Disney executives plainly stating that they were going to use the company to promote the LGBTQ+ agenda to children.”
Ellen, Disney’s interest is the same as any other citizen concerned with fairness and creating an environment that is welcoming to everyone, whether in schools or in their parks. As the law stands, a child with two same sex parents is without question going to be made to feel inferior, dirty, and excluded when families are discussed in school, a subject that is usually used in early grades to promote reading and writing skills. Teachers are also muzzled from mentioning their own spouses if they are same sex. Disney has an additional interest as this particular law is part of an aggressive effort to make LGBTQ people feel unwelcome in Florida, to deprive them of the rights most of us take for granted, and to force them back into the proverbial closet. If you think about the tens of thousands of people Disney employees at the parks, there are going to be many entertainers and CMs who are members of the LGBTQ community or have family members who are, so anything that impacts them impacts Disney’s ability to hire the best talent.
I agree with Ellen. Iger said Disney’s opposition to the Parental Rights in Education bill is a matter of right and wrong. I agree with Iger on this initial premise. It is wrong to oppose this bill; morally wrong. If you support it, you also are saying that it is perfectly acceptable to instruct 5 year olds about sexual orientation. Really, Mr. Iger? This is where Walt Disney’s company is today, instructing 5 year olds about sexual orientation?
Be careful here, AJ and Team. We have been admonished by fellow readers of DFB for using the word, “Woke,” and you used it in the title of your article. Expect to be told you can’t say that word. Only Disney has a 1st Amendment rights to free speech it seems.
When all this started, remember Disney threatened that they would do everything possible to have this law reversed. That was what made DeSantis the most upset. Then Disney went back and added a same sex kissing to the Lightyear movie and it flopped because of it. Actions as this is why people say they have a woke agenda. They could have just said they disagree with the law and they support their employees of every race, color or sexual orientation.
Ha! In first statement he says they arent promoting an agenda and the in question 2 tells us what their agenda is.
This guy should be in politics, not business.
Ellen, 100% agree with everything that you said. I have been saying that since this all began.
Disney is reaping what is sows now. They are going to be treated like all the other corporations in Florida with no special benefits of Reedy Creek and force them to really compete for business against Bush Gardens, Sea World and Universal which has steadily been on the rise. Most of these companies have stayed out of the lime light and are growing as a result of Disney’s policies. I say more competition is better.
At this point, the controversy has nothing to do with. being “woke,” agendas, or political positions.
It has everything to do with a public official using state power to harass a private corporation for their speech. Imagine if a blue state governor tried to pull similar stunts on Hobby Lobby or Chick-fil-A. Conservatives would (justifiably) yell foul.
If Disney takes a controversial political position, they should be punished by consumers, not a government.
Iger explains his position very clearly and honestly. DeSantis on the other hand is very political and vindictive. Disney has been in Florida for over 50 years bringing joy to millions of guests each year and supporting the economy of Florida for over 50 years. Would Florida be better off if Disney never existed? NO!
In a few Years DeSantis will be gone but the political mess that he has caused will remain.
To: Skeptical. I am responding to your question, wondering if someone at Disney actually stated a LGBTQ advocacy goal within future Disney creative content. Karey Burke, President of Disney General Entertainment, stated in March 2022 that it is their goal to have 50% LGBTQ or minority character representation in new creative content. Do a Google search on Ms. Burke’s comments. A video of her making this statement can be found in several sources. I agree with Ellen, and others. This sure sounds like an agenda to me, in spite of what Mr. Iger stated. This is an expressed goal that Disney has and Disney is clearly trying to advance the Woke agenda of LGBTQ advocacy and indoctrination of children. As part of this agenda, Bob Chapek stated, and Iger also supported, Disney’s strong opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, pledging Disney resources to have this bill over turned. This bill states that children in grades K-3 are not to receive instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity by school faculty or 3rd party consultants. Prior to this bill, some teachers were going outside of approved curricula and bringing in LGBTQ advocacy books and in some cases, inviting in 3rd party consultants to present this material to little children. I agree with the State of Florida. Five, six, seven and eight year olds are just too young to be exposed to this material. Let them enjoy their innocence for a few years longer. Lord knows that our current world will rob them of this innocence soon enough.
To Skeptical. Here’s the link. It’s all over Google.
https://nypost.com/2022/03/30/disney-executive-wants-more-lgbtqia-minority-character/
I would like to say that I didn’t know that the Constitution guaranteed corporate freedom of speech. That having been said, we, as a country, have gotten far too comfortable with taking sides on issues to the point that we can no longer agree to disagree. Topics like gender identity are scientifically investigated and should be, without the facts being presented as true or false based on volume of agreement nor financial backing. When we allow companies and corporations to dictate what we must agree or disagree with we give our individual freedoms over to bigger, richer, louder and even more violent entities that then try to muscle everyone into agreeing, by shaming, glossing over, and force-feeding their viewpoints to the public. I don’t appreciate seeing the rainbow motifs becoming only representative of the LGBTQ opinion. I don’t like seeing cartoons, animation, live action nor live productions on topics that are sensitive for families in any way but that which is long-established and basic such as good vs evil and good wins! And changing attractions and productions and storylines is way off base for any entertainment company whose primary target is children. And I resent having to do in-depth research for every new offering in order to feel confident that it’s appropriate for children. Acceptance is far different than either support or promotion!!!
The Woke issue is meant by many to protect children. Whatever damage you feel that woke causes for children, guns cause more deaths of children than Woke causes damage to children
Randy,
Posting confirmation bias is not evidence. Additionally, your entire follow up post is filled with falsehoods and exaggerations at best.
Skeptical, Wow, I guess Disney Exec Karey Burke did not say what she said on that video I posted regarding LGBTQ representation in creative content to be 50% by YE 2022. We should not believe our own lying eyes and ears. Given that Disney’s primary product is children’s entertainment and that 7.1% of the adult population identifies as LGBTQ, a rational person would conclude Disney is trying to influence children. But people are going to believe what they want to believe. The marketplace has its own checks and balances, inspite of the efforts of Mr. Iger and Mr. DeSantis. People, today anyway, are free to buy or reject products and services of their own choosing, for what ever reason.
They didn’t simply express an opinion, they said they were going to fight the legislation. Legislation that PROTECTS children from sexual content. How is this being on the “right side”? “Normal healthy adults don’t get angry that they can’t talk to 5-9 year olds about sex.” Disney has chosen this as their hill to die on?!
Also, it’s just bad for business to get politically involved. Companies should focus on their service or product, not spouting political sides. Everytime they do, they risk alienating half of their customer base.
Desantis didn’t start this fight, Disney did. Not by expressing their 1st amendment right, but rather by threatening to fight the legislation.
I agree with RJ 100%.
I also agree 100% with RJ.
Mr. Iger is just a lost soul at this point. Right and wrong Bob? Really? By whose standards? Yours, the governors, the LGBTQ community, cast members, visitors, criminals, politicians, black, white, yellow, red ? Maybe we’d be better off by just use the standard of God and scripture ? And when Bob says he wants to tell stories that “reflect the world around us” ….. why would you want to do that? It’s a fallen world. Read Romans 1. I don’t think “reflecting the world around us” was Walt’s intention. Or maybe Walt was just not as smart as the Bob’s and Disney execs ? Perhaps Bob, Walt should’ve created “Todayland” instead of “Fantasy, Adventure, Frontier and Tomorrow” ??
The bottom line is that Disney has lost 10 of millions millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars on the last few movies, that has been pushing an agenda that the majority of parents don’t agree with. Now they are laying off thousands of employees. Maybe Disney should listen to the majority of parents that don’t want this agenda.
Matt,
The bottom line is First Amendment rights were violated and continue to be violated by DeSantis and his sycophants.
End of story.
I know three GLB+ people. One I can’t stand because she’s always been a nasty miserable person, and the other two I care very much for, because they’ve always been the nicest guys you’d ever meet. I just, however, will never agree to anyone teaching children about alternative lifestyles especially when they’re only in elementary school. That’s a parent’s job. Only a parent knows when their child is mature enough for that education.
A fair discussion of an issue should not begin with a distortion of the other side’s position. “Don’t say gay” is not an accurate portrayal of the Parents Rights bill. Disney can have a corporate policy of hiring anybody without trying to influence Florida’s standards of protecting children from perversions. The issue is about forms of child abuse.
First and foremost, DeSantis is using his political position to punish a corporation on having an opinion that rubbed him the wrong way.
Second, Disney is not by any stretch of the imagination, the only corporation to get “special treatment” in Florida. In news reports I’ve read there are at least 1,400 corporations and private enterprises that get some kind of NEGOTIATED benefit that Disney was likely to be one of the first to approach the state government with. Many have benefited from Disney’s lead. I have loved stock-car racing for pretty much my whole life, but I hate NASCAR because of their favored son status in Florida. They have taken advantage of the people of Florida for years only to take more and more of their business and the jobs they created to North Carolina, L.A. and N.Y.C. A $400,000,000 investment in Daytona International Speedway during their worst income years in recent history?
Third, DeSantis relishes in creating unneeded laws to get his foot in the door for HIS agenda. I don’t know ANY teacher who would even WANT to engage in ANY conversation about sexual identity with a K-3 child. Ahh, but now after shoving that unneeded law through, it’s now K-8, with the desire to make it K-12. If parents want that kind of control, take it. It’s your responsibility anyway. You don’t need to throw someone else in jail because you aren’t exercising your right as a parent. But just remember, how is your kid going to handle himself with your teachings? He may end up in jail because of not letting him learn to tolerate others differences on Earth, and let The One make the final judgement as I was taught on Sundays. Another example of an unneeded law, not allowing auto makers to sell direct to public, EXCEPT TESLA! No Automaker up here in Detroit has ever mentioned using that strategy in Florida. Ah, but it’s another foot in the door, to pile on to later when no one’s looking.
Those are the things us outside DeSantis’s bubble don’t want to have happen to us, on a national level. The RCID was a negotiated entity. To not negotiate out of it, after all of the benefit it created for everyone involved reeks of payback. Without Disney, Orlando would just be at pit-stop to Miami. If that. I-95 and I-75 would work fine for that. I-4 wouldn’t have ever been needed.
Stock is in the tank so of course he is going to try and walk the tightrope.
Having a child who knew he was “different” since before kindergarten, I am fully in support of educating children that because they don’t want a boyfriend or girlfriend of the opposite sex, they are not freaks or wrong. They are exactly how God created them and it is okay. It breaks my heart that so many young children have to go through life feeling as though they are terrible humans. We are called to love and support, not tear down.