It looks like one Hollywood star is stepping out and talking back against Disney, and many fans are rallying behind him.
When people think of The Walt Disney Company, they often associate it with success. From the moment Walt started creating his animations and theme parks, while the company nearly went broke, its rollercoaster ride was destined for greatness. Now, it feels like Disney is everywhere. When kids and adults alike think of a vacation destination, Walt Disney World will come to mind.
The ultimate family trip instantly involves walking down Main Street, U.S.A. and heading toward Cinderella Castle. Snag a photo with Mickey Mouse and eat a churro? You are basically living the dream. Additionally, Disney is the creator of so many stories, from their animated classics to their “newly” acquired Star Wars and Marvel enterprises. With the development of Disney+, it feels like the company dominates the entertainment world.
Of course, we also see Disney characters on everything. With Disney working with so many companies on licensing deals, placing Disney characters on any object they can find, the company is truly everywhere.
Disney’s Fall From Grace
While it feels that Disney is dominating, they are certainly undergoing multiple financial hardships at the moment.
This past summer, Disney stocks dropped to an all-new low.
As reported by Forbes, “Disney, whose earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization dwindled from $17.4 billion in 2018 to $11.5 billion last year, has suffered from a broad decline in profitability in linear television: Disney’s 55% return over the last decade compares favorably to similarly exposed stocks like CBS parent Paramount (down 57%) and HBO and CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery (down 68%).
Still, Disney is the 78th-worst performing stock over the last ten years out of the 468 S&P companies that have been publicly traded during the period.”
Additionally, the Disney parks are failing when it comes to attendance records, seeing some of the lowest crowds in history.
It seems that there is an ongoing mix of emotions from park guests at the moment. Some cannot afford the constant price hikes that Disney puts forth while the world is currently undergoing an economic crisis as inflation only continues to grow. Disney tickets alone now are up to $180 per person, so a family of four looking to visit Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be spending thousands alone just to enter the park.
Add food, merchandise, and Disney Genie+ if you want to skip the lines, and that total will grow by hundreds each day.
Disney’s Film Industry Plummets
Disney has also been underfire as of late due to their movie choices, and the content they are putting out.
In the original rendition of The Little Mermaid, Jodi Benson portrayed the iconic character Ariel, enchantingly singing “Part of Your World.” However, in 2023, Disney unveiled a live-action adaptation of the film, sharing the same title.
The casting decision to feature Halle Bailey, a Black actress, as Ariel stirred considerable controversy and criticism prior to the movie’s release. This choice marked a departure from the animated depiction of Ariel seen in Disney World, Disneyland, and all Disney parks globally. Despite the initial backlash, the live-action adaptation garnered a worldwide gross of $569.6 million, though it fell short compared to the immense successes of Disney’s live-action releases like The Lion King in 2019, which amassed $1.7 billion, and Aladdin, reaching $1 billion in the same year.
Following the film’s release, Disney introduced The Little Mermaid-themed hotel rooms, such as those at Disney’s Caribbean Beach, featuring animated versions of Flounder and Sebastian, but notably omitting Ariel, a decision that sparked speculation about Disney’s approach to representing the character’s different ethnic portrayals.
While this casting choice had Disney labeled as “woke” by some, it was respected by many others. That being said, the conflict certainly made for tons of negative publicity in the media. Disney is currently being torn apart for casting a Latina actress, Rachel Zeger, in the role of Snow White. On top of that, the studio is being criticized for altering the plot of the film to remove the Prince Charming character due to consent issues, as well as relabeling the seven dwarfs as “magical creatures”.
Many have accused Disney of becoming much more “woke”, due to the Strange World controversy. As Disney has moved to be more diverse and inclusive, they have integrated characters from the LGBTQ community into their films.
Jenna Barbee, a fifth-grade teacher in Florida, came under investigation by the Florida Department of Education for showing her class the animated Disney movie Strange World, which features an openly gay character.
Barbee, who shared her experience on TikTok, explained that she was being probed for alleged indoctrination. In the video, she mentioned, “Our students had standardized testing all morning. I thought it would be a great time to give them a brain break by showing a movie that related to what we were learning about in school…I chose this movie because it relates to our curriculum.”
The school district addressed parents, stating, “Yesterday, the Disney movie Strange World was shown in your child’s classroom. While not the main plot of the movie, parts of the story involve a male character having and expressing feelings for another male character. In the future, this movie will not be shown. The school administration and the district’s Professional Standards Dept. are currently reviewing the matter to see if further corrective action is required.”
This incident highlights the resistance in certain audiences against any progression in films that mirrors the diverse world we live in today.
Overall, Disney’s entertainment industry has been faltering, with The Marvels having the worst Marvel opening weekend at the box office, and the latest Disney animation film, Wish, also underperforming. During its Thanksgiving weekend release, it earned $31.7 million compared to the anticipated $45-$55 million.
Disney Swapping Out CEO Drama
On top of all that negative media, The Walt Disney Company had to kick out their previous CEO Bob Chapek in haste in an attempt to save the company from his poor leadership, reinstating the prior CEO Bob Iger. Iger has even stated that the company is facing a lot of challenges since his return, ones that he did not anticipate.
As we reported, “One may find it hard to put the blame entirely on Chapek himself, with the man taking over one of the largest companies in the world months before an unprecedented global pandemic would shift the way the world works forever. However, there are plenty of reasons why Disney fans, specifically Disney parks fans, do not like Chapek.”
Chapek did instill many of the price increases we have in place at the Disney parks today, and is the cause for many free offerings, like the Disney FastPass system, becoming a pay to use option.
Rob Schneider Speaks Out
Now, actor and comedian Rob Schneider, who is widely known for his controversial conservative views, is speaking out.
Schneider first gained recognition as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 1990 to 1994, where he created memorable characters like the “Copy Guy” and “The Richmeister.” He then transitioned to a successful film career, often collaborating with his SNL colleagues Adam Sandler and David Spade.
Some of Rob Schneider’s notable films include Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, The Hot Chick, The Animal, and Grown Ups.”He has also appeared in several Adam Sandler comedies, such as Big Daddy, The Waterboy, and 50 First Dates.
Newsweek shared, “Disney got financially spanked by American families who don’t want their children indoctrinated by idiotic Woke lunacy,” the comedian posted to X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.
“Now they will return once again to being the great entertainment company for ALL Americans. Thank YOU, America!”
Schneider’s post has received over 395,000 views, with many of his 1.7 million followers agreeing with his statement.
The publication shared some replies, “Disney is dead to me and my family,” said Stan Hill.
“There’s a growing list of companies that are going DOWN with that ship by playing partisan politics and ideological war…good riddance,” wrote Daniel.
“I believed it impossible for Disney to fully destroy the trust parents had given them, they clearly thought so too,” said Mondo.
“I truly miss the Disney before woke,” said Doggie Mom. “Hoping this really does change the mission.”
Overall, it seems that Disney fans have been quite divided, with some liking the direction that the company is going in, while others do not.
Do you agree with Rob Schneider’s point of view? Let us know in the comments below!
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