Former head of Disney general content
What should fans think of the firing of Disney executive Peter Rice by Bob Chapek? Rice was in charge of general content at Disney. Basically everything other than Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar, was under Rice’s control. Could it be that Bob Chapek is truly concerned about quality content that appeals to everyone, and not just the radical activists that are rotting the company from within? Peter Rice is practically a brand ambassador for woke ideologies. Is it possible that this firing by Chapek was to send a message to those that our sabotaging Disney’s content with woke activist LGBTQ+ agendas, that enough is enough? Maybe, but I’m not entirely convinced. Bob Chapek is just as much a part of the problem as anyone else that is supporting radical political ideologies in Disney’s content. If Bob Chapek were serious about fixing Disney’s activist employee and executive problem, he wouldn’t be doing about faces every time there’s a controversy, and would stick to his guns.
Peter Rice’s Firing Was a Good Thing for Disney
Peter Rice is as woke as they come, and has had control over Disney’s general content for three years. Rice was publicly vocal about Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, saying that it was a violation of fundamental rights, going against Bob Chapek’s wishes to abstain from any political narrative, and he was a board member of the Walter Kaitz Foundation, which promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This is an institution, that believes in the equitable distribution of jobs in the entertainment industry based on race and gender, rather than character and talent. How is having someone like Peter Rice, who supports that nonsense, a healthy choice for a company like Disney that was founded on good American values and creative storytelling? It is not, so either way, Rice’s firing was a good thing.
Are Disney’s Board of Directors Really That Confident in Bob Chapek?
There are those in the mainstream media, that think this is just a sign that Bob Chapek is on his way out the door. They say the vote of confidence from Disney’s Chair, Susan Arnold and the board of directors, is shallow because Chapek’s contract ends in nine months, and there hasn’t been a hint of its renewal, which is typically uncharacteristic for any corporation. If the board of directors and Susan Arnold are so confident in Chapek’s abilities, then why not just come out and at least hint that Bob Chapek will be staying past the nine months that are left on his contract.
“The strength of The Walt Disney Company’s businesses coming out of the pandemic is a testament to Bob’s leadership and vision for the company’s future. In this important time of business growth and transformation, we are committed to keeping Disney on the successful path it is on today, and Bob and his leadership team have the support and confidence of the Board.” – Susan Arnold
Peter Rice’s Firing…Too Little Too Late?
There are those on the other side of the argument, that believe Chapek is playing the long game, and is committed to the Pillars of Excellence he laid out earlier this year of storytelling, innovation, and a relentless focus on our audience. Those pillars were great platitudes by Chapek, but have thus far come up severely short. With the revelations by Christopher Rufo, of Disney’s true intent when it comes to their infusion of LGBTQ+ content in children’s programming, why would anyone believe that Bob Chapek is trying to fix the rot that is manifesting itself through their content? Some think that the good quarter two financial news, gave Chapek a window of opportunity to right the Disney ship, and Peter Rice’s firing is just the first move. That may be, but is it too little too late?
SCOOP: Disney corporate president Karey Burke says, "as the mother [of] one transgender child and one pansexual child," she supports having "many, many, many LGBTQIA characters in our stories" and wants a minimum of 50 percent of characters to be LGBTQIA and racial minorities. pic.twitter.com/oFRUiuu9JG
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) March 29, 2022
Bob Chapek is Not Pushing Back Enough Against the Woke
Bob Chapek has had many chances to stand his ground and just say no to the political activists within the company. He could have remained steadfastly silent against the false outcries of discrimination and abuses from Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill. He could have followed through more consistently on making sure his executives and employees refrained from calling out fans as bigots and racists. The latest example being from Lucasfilm preemptively calling out fans as racists for not liking the Reva character in Disney Plus’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’. And what of Chapek’s staunch support for the Reimagine Tomorrow campaign, that actively promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity. Those terms are inherently discriminatory, because they base a person’s worth on the color of their skin and their gender. Sorry, I’m not convinced that Bob Chapek truly and deeply cares about making a Disney that caters to everyone, specifically those on the right.
It Will be Years before We See Any True Correction
Rice’s ouster by Bob Chapek, was unceremoniously sudden, and has the mainstream media thinking Chapek was threatened by Rice as a potential successor. Anything is possible, but one thing’s for sure…Disney is not a healthy company, and maybe this firing of Peter Rice is a step in the right direction away from the woke. Or, maybe it’s not, and it’s more blundering from a Bob Chapek that can’t find the courage to stand up to the woke mob festering inside his company. I think Bob Chapek doesn’t survive past the end of his contract, and we see a Disney going full bore into the woke as a result. That’s just an opinion, and I hope I’m wrong. Bob Chapek is the answer to Disney’s penchant for political activism in their content, but Bob Chapek needs to get out of his own way to make that succeed. For Disney’s sake, I hope Chapek can fix things, and bring Disney back to its once trusted glorious self. But the pessimist in me thinks it might be too late, and it will be years before we see any true correction.
