Most of the talking so far in the ongoing Disney vs Ron DeSantis battle has been done by the Florida Governor. The Mouse House has mostly been content to let its lawyers speak out through sassy legal briefs, but that changed earlier this week when CEO Bob Iger sat down for an extended interview on a host of different issues. One of the topics, of course, was the continued fight in the Sunshine State, and while the exec was guarded in his comments, he still gave listeners a good idea of where he stands and where the company stands on the current lawsuit and its viewpoint toward speaking on social issues in the future.
The first thing Bob Iger did was explain in specific detail why Disney felt the need to sue Governor DeSantis/ Florida. He said the company, under his predecessor, spoke out on a piece of proposed legislation, and he feels that speech was protected under the First Amendment. He feels Governor DeSantis retaliated because of it and wants to sue to protect the business. Here’s a portion of his quote during the chat with CNBC…
So far what we’ve said publicly is that we are concerned that he’s decided to retaliate against the company for a position the company took on pending legislation in that state. And frankly, the company was within its right, even though I’m not sure it was handled very well, it was within its right to speak up on an issue, constitutionally protected right of free speech. And to retaliate against the company in a way that would be harmful to the business was not something we could sit back and tolerate. So, we have filed a lawsuit to protect our First Amendment rights there and to protect our business frankly.
So, I think there are probably two main takeaways here. The first is the line about protecting the business. It seems like Iger is trying to draw a line in the sand to keep the State of Florida away from Disney World as much as possible. Even if things don’t go back to the way they were in which legislators seemed to let Disney do pretty much whatever it wanted, he wants to prevent anything more he sees as retaliation.
The second important takeaway here is the line about not handling the situation well under his predecessor Bob Chapek when the company released a statement saying Florida’s so-called Don’t Say Gay Bill should never have been passed. Clearly, Iger would have handled the situation differently, and he inferred that later in the interview by saying Disney does not want to be “drawn into any culture wars.” He wants to focus on telling great stories, but he did reiterate that, despite Governor DeSantis’ claims, Disney is not “sexualizing children.” You can read a portion of his quote below…
The last thing I want for the company is for the company to be drawn into any culture wars. We have operated for almost a hundred years as a company making product that we actually are proud of in terms of its impact on the world. I joke every once in awhile that we’re there to manufacture fun. We are there to tell great stories… It’s not our goal to be involved in a culture war. Our goal is to continue to tell wonderful stories and have a positive impact on the world. We are a preeminent entertainer in the world. We’re proud of our track record there. The notion that Disney is in anyway sexualizing children quite frankly is preposterous and inaccurate.
The back and forth between Disney and Governor DeSantis started in the midst of The Mouse House’s since cancelled plans to move its Imagineering Department from California to Florida. State politicians began talking extensively about the materials children were reading in school and later passed a law that, among other things, limited how teachers could address sexuality in classrooms. Opponents referred to the bill as Don’t Say Gay, and Disney released a public statement saying it disagreed with its passage. Governor DeSantis soon appointed a new board to oversee Reedy Creek, which is the municipality Disney is governed through, and there has been a series of new oversights and regulations proposed. Disney filed a lawsuit, saying it was being retaliated against, and the two sides have been in court ever since.
The early problems between Disney and Governor DeSantis happened during Iger’s brief retirement. He seems focused on handling things in a different, less public way. I wouldn’t expect to see a ton of additional quotes on the matter from him in the near future, but we’ll have to see how the case develops.
