Tag: Disney

Voice of the Silent Unwoke Majority

The need to speak is fundamental.

Whether accomplished through verbal, non-verbal, or myriad other means of connecting, communication is a rudimentary part of just being human.

Even if denied we remain resilient, and we try again to hear and be heard.

Despite recent efforts to inhibit free communication, our human connection was made manifest, albeit in a roundabout way, as necessity dictated.

An analysis of consumer choices that have been made over the past several months is providing a window into repressed public opinion.

To put it plainly, the silent unwoke majority sure seems to have found its voice.

We can hear it in the consumer purchasing activity of wildly popular music, movies, and streaming products, including Jason Aldean’s “Try This in a Small Town” music chart-topper, Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” download phenomenon, “The Sound of Freedom” motion picture triumph, and “The Chosen” series streaming success.

In a free marketplace, brands can quickly become tainted if companies do things that their customers find offensive. Retail giant Target is the latest company to hear the silent unwoke majority’s roar.

Recently, the company reported its first sales and revenue decline in six years, with comparable sales in its second quarter falling more than 5%, when compared to last year. It suffered a drop in number of transactions as well.

The plunge in sales occurred following a boycott by those who were outraged at the store’s promotion of transgender ideology and related merchandise for children as well as adults.

Target’s CEO told investors that the company’s sales fell because of “multiple headwinds” that had slowed down business. However, the biggest cause of the company’s woes is most likely the corporate decision to go woke.

One of Target’s merchandise partners, U.K.-based brand Abprallen, was discovered to have produced apparel depicting satanic imagery. Even though the demon-draped items were not sold at Target, the partnership appears to have intensified the anger that had fueled the original boycott.

Similarly, Bud Light continues to suffer financially from a boycott that was prompted by the decision to associate the formerly popular beer with a transgender social media personality.

Needless to say, the customer base was not pleased by the company’s woke left turn. Bud Light sales dropped more than 25% for the week ending August 5, with volumes down nearly 30%.

It is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, which has found its entire portfolio of beers severely hurt in the woke implementation process. Anheuser-Busch InBev shares fell 6% during a six-month period, while the S&P 500 had simultaneously gone up 8%.

Bud Light’s losses led the company to place its marketing vice president on leave, and hundreds of workers had to be let go.

Disney is another company that has severely damaged its brand, incoming revenue, and reputation, particularly when it comes to its most needed fans; i.e., the paying population of parents, grandparents, and guardians. The Mouse House is currently more famous for its family-unfriendly content, and its political stance against the State of Florida’s child-protecting education bill.

With their significant losses following multiple boycotts by the silent unwoke majority, Target, Bud Light, and Disney now serve as cautionary tales for other business concerns.

If avoiding a similar fate is the goal, the above-described consumer reaction provides an ideal lesson for companies that are thinking about implementing woke practices and policies.

In order to preserve their valuable brands, companies need to be extra attentive to the potential minefield of a polarized society amplified by social media.

Additionally, possessing a basic knowledge of the human need to relate to one another, and actually caring about the beliefs, attitudes, and aspirations of the customers to which you cater, are simple common sense business axioms.

The voice of the silent unwoke majority may not exactly be music to the ears of woke corporations.

But it sure sounds sweet to those of us who still live free.

The Fate of Disney’s Brand Hangs in the Balance

The Happiest Place on Earth is in pretty sad shape.

A lot of folks, particularly some of the major shareholders and former diehard fans, are well aware of the predicament that The Walt Disney Company currently finds itself in.

Not too long ago Disney pulled CEO Bob Chapek out of his post and brought back the company’s former CEO, Bob Iger.

Iger now finds himself facing an extremely tough task – how to stop the deconstruction of the Disney brand before its too late, and how to then lift the company back up out of the rubble.

Signs of Disney’s decline recently became manifest by the Axios Harris Poll and the 2022 Corporate Reputation Rankings.

Disney’s score on the poll was 73.4, which resulted in the company’s ranking being 65th on the list. The entertainment giant had fallen 28 places since the previous year, experiencing its worst results in the history of the Harris Poll.

The Trafalgar Group conducted its own poll in Spring 2022, which showed that 68% of Americans consider themselves less likely to do business with Disney, due to the company’s activism.

A recent incident illustrates exactly why Iger needs to act swiftly. WDW Pro, a Twitter account that specializes in all things Disney, reported that the company has engaged in something that Christians of all persuasions consider an abomination, blasphemy.

The Epcot Candlelight Processional has been a tradition at Florida’s Epcot Center for the past 64 years. The event takes place at Christmas time and is part of a larger devotional service in which narrators provide inspirational messages that contain heartfelt Christian content.

In the most recent candlelight processional, the Christian content of the messaging was somehow modified. It turns out that within the content of the revised messaging, the actual divinity of Jesus Christ was denied, not once, but five times.

Simu Liu was one of the event’s theatrical readers. The actor performed a passage that actually denied a central tenet of Christianity.

“For all the miracles of Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace himself was simply a man, a human being, and he walked through this world in the most human way possible with love…,” Liu said.

Being labeled in the scripted words as “simply a man,” Jesus Christ, who is recognized by hundreds of millions of Christians around the globe as Lord and Savior, was stripped of His divine nature.

Across all of history there have been those who have attempted to rewrite Christian dogma.

But did Disney have to get into the heretical act?

Many may not have heard, but Disney was founded by a deeply committed Christian, Mr. Walt Disney himself. Early Disney entertainment fare was filled with Christian values, imagery, symbolism and storylines.

Here are but a few examples:

Several Christian leaders offered prayers during the opening ceremonies of the original Anaheim, California theme park. The finale of the “Fantasia” film includes the hymn “Ave Maria,” music that was created to honor the Virgin Mary. And even the character of Snow White takes time out to talk to the Ultimate Maker of her universe.

During the 1940s, Walt proved himself to be an ardent anti-Communist. He founded the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a group that once stated, “We find ourselves in sharp revolt against a rising tide of Communism, Fascism and kindred beliefs, that seek by subversive means to undermine and change this way of life.”

In an article penned in 1949, Walt revealed how his religious faith had guided him in life.

“I was grounded in old-fashioned religious observance,” he shared. “My people were zealous members of the Congregational Church in our home town, Marceline, Missouri. My father, Elias Disney, who was a contractor, built our local church and was a deacon of the congregation. I was baptized there and attended Sunday School regularly.”

Walt was vigilant in making sure that the company he founded did not stray from the principles of his faith.

“I have watched constantly that in my work the highest moral and spiritual standards are upheld, whether my productions deal with fable or with stories of living action,” his article read.

The Candlelight Processional incident compelled Dr. Gregory Seltz, Executive Director of the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty, to call upon parents to seriously distance themselves from Disney.

“Any Christian parent who allows the glitter and glitz of Disney movies and Disneyland theme parks to take hold of our children’s imagination now delivers one’s children into the hands of people who actively seek to steal our children’s childhoods, and now, even their faith,” Dr. Seltz declared.

He concluded with the following unambiguous message for parents:

“This is about the hearts and minds of our children, not just a ride on Space Mountain. Parents of all faiths need to find other avenues for entertainment rather than anything Disney.”

Other boycotts of Disney are ongoing, including the one from One Million Moms, an arm of the American Family Association.

Iger led The Walt Disney Company for 15 years. It is time for him to do what Chapek failed to do.

He has to dissociate the Magic Kingdom from woke Hollywood. He has to stand up to anyone within or without the company who seeks to undermine Walt’s legacy. And he has to rebuild the public trust in the once-beloved Disney brand.

Christians Respond to the ‘New’ Disney

Executives at Disney should have seen it coming.

Recent statements and reactions to the Florida parental rights bill by Disney’s higher-ups have prompted people of faith to take action. And they are clearly a force to be reckoned with.

Individuals who adhere to Judeo-Christian principles have been influential in shaping policies in the past. But it’s a different atmosphere in which we find ourselves now, one that is Orwellian in nature and intimidating in its effect. Still, some folks are stepping forth, and they appear to be up to the challenge.

Despite the aggressive secularization attempts that have occurred over the years in American institutions, the vast majority of the country continues to self-identify as “Christian.”

A 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 65 percent of adults in the United States identified as Christians. And according to a 2021 report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, the number of people who embrace the Christian identity is even higher, 69 percent.

Following the recent rhetoric and behavior displayed by Disney’s management, the distress that Christians in particular were experiencing is being channeled in a positive direction.

Sean Feucht is one member of the Christian community who has taken a leadership stance. He recently organized a worship gathering and public expression event at the Disney Studio Lot in Burbank, California.

Video footage of the gathering, which is posted on Twitter, has received more than 1.2 million views to date.

Sean’s list of credentials is lengthy.

He served as a worship leader at Bethel Church.

He ran for a House seat in California’s 3rd Congressional District.

In 2020, he organized worship concerts to bring revival and hope to Americans while simultaneously protesting government restrictions, which were being imposed at the time. He dubbed the movement “Let Us Worship.”

He is the founder of “Hold the Line,” which, according to the website, is “a new movement focused on engaging with the church and young people across the country.”

Sean gave the title “Hold The Line for Our Kids” to the Disney rally. He and other presenters spoke to the crowd about Disney’s vociferous political opposition to the Florida law, which safeguards the rights of parents and the innocence of children.

Participants at the Burbank rally held up signs that conveyed strongly worded messages, including the following: “Boycott Disney,” “Dis-Needs to STOP,” “Stop mousing around with our kids,” and “God gave kids to parents, not government.”

He himself tweeted, “Parents Fight Back—We sent a message: DON’T MESS WITH OUR KIDS.”

Using a flat bed truck for a stage, Sean and his fellow musicians played worship songs for attendees who were strategically located in front of the Alameda gate of the Disney Studio Lot, where Disney’s headquarters is located.

Sean’s commitment is similar to one that Christians adhere to across the country.

“They can call us white nationalists. They can call us racist. They can call us homophobic,” he said. “They can call us whatever…but they’re never gonna get me to stop fighting for my kids! Nothing is gonna get me to stop fighting for my kids!”

Having already proven that he is able to draw tens of thousands of people to his events, he declared, “I think we’re going to do this in Orlando, we’re going to do this in Anaheim, we’re going to do this until things change.”

Anaheim happens to be the location of Disney’s other major theme park, the original Disneyland.

Sean compared the fight against Disney to the biblical battle between David and Goliath.

“If parents in America would realize the power and the authority that they have, they could shift the economy of this place in one day,” he said.

The Burbank protest also featured Pastor Rob McCoy from Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park, California, and Pastor Samuel Deuth from the Awakened Church in San Diego.

The reaction to Disney’s political and societal stances has prompted many prominent religious figures to speak out. Perhaps one of the most worrisome for The Mouse House is the recent statement by highly influential Samaritan’s Purse president Franklin Graham.

“When I was young, my father @BillyGraham took me to visit Mr. Walt Disney,” Franklin recently stated in a tweet.

“We weren’t allowed to watch many TV programs growing up, but because of Mr. Disney’s commitment to wholesome entertainment, parents had confidence in their content. That has sure changed!” he said, adding, “Today, Disney is indoctrinating children w/the LGBTQ agenda—& they don’t try to hide it. I hope parents wake up to what Disney is trying to do & protect their children & grandchildren from the lies this once-great company is now so willing to promote.”

Although the protection of children has traditionally been held up as a universal value, people of faith really take the precept to heart, based on the Good Book’s many admonitions.

Sean called upon God at the rally to “…bring everything that’s been hidden into the light.”

At this holiest time of year, believers take solace in knowing that the Light of Truth dispels all darkness.

Disney Now Caught In Its Own Mousetrap

Disney has painted itself into a corner.

The predicament in which the entertainment media giant now finds itself is one that is self-made. It is also one from which the company is unlikely to escape unscathed.

Some of the policies implemented and statements recently made by a number of Disney’s top level executives have created a backlash from all sides of the ideological and cultural spectrum. And the whole thing may wind up being one of the worst public relations disasters in the history of corporate Hollywood.

It’s an unthinkable saga. Disney became the recipient of severe criticism over the company’s response to a proposed bill in Florida regarding parental rights in education.

Some of the company’s most vocal employees staged a pressure campaign against Disney management, urging executives to use their influence in Florida to oppose the bill H.B. 1557.

Reported statements made by Disney resulted in customers and even some employees taking offense. Also placed in jeopardy were special legislative privileges that had previously been bestowed on Disney.

In a nationwide campaign, critics of the legislation, along with a complicit media, mischaracterized the bill, portraying H.B. 1557 as an anti-speech bill.

But the legislation did not ban specific words or any type of informal classroom discussion. Additionally, it did not require schools to notify parents concerning a child’s gender identification. What it did do was protect children in school settings from being introduced to ideas that were not age appropriate.

The Mouse House, which frequently remains silent on issues of societal and ethical importance to our own country and the world abroad, loudly condemned the duly passed Florida legislation.

But it became official. Despite the hubbub, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Florida bill into law.

Adding to the company’s troubles, several leaked videos surfaced of a virtual meeting in which Disney executives vowed to depict more “transgender and gender-nonconforming” characters in future productions.

The footage led to the impression that the company had betrayed its core audience, particularly adults who merely desired to have their little ones entertained and not indoctrinated.

Internally, there are some who disagree with the stance of the company for which they work. We may come to find that they actually comprise a majority of Disney employees. In any event, they released an open letter to the press and social media.

In their own words, the group of employees indicated that Disney’s response to the Florida law has made them feel as if they don’t belong “in a company actively promoting a political agenda so far removed from our own.”

The letter was anonymous and clearly stated the reason for its anonymity. “[Those] of us who want the company to remain neutral can say so only in a whisper out of fear of professional retaliation,” it read.

Seems like forever that Disney has been in existence. Over the years the company has been mindful of the importance of safeguarding its family brand, and more importantly, the minds and imaginations of the children entrusted to them by parents, grandparents, and guardians of youthful innocence.

This was a reputation that above all else was worth more than all the gold that the Magic Kingdom can hold.

Management right now is playing a villain that Captain Hook could never have matched. In addition to the promised introduction of a panoply of gender characters, the leaked videos also made the announcement that at Disney’s theme parks around the world, and presumably in its productions, references to phrases such as “ladies and gentlemen” and “boys and girls” will no longer be used.

This stance places the company in another PR pickle. Its website lists merchandise that is offered in the categories of “women’s,” “men’s,” “girls,” and “boys.”

Lots of royal characters are also in danger of being de-throned. Beloved princesses such as “Sleeping Beauty”’s Princess Aurora, “The Little Mermaid”’s Princess Ariel, and “Aladdin”’s Princess Jasmine may have their tiaras snatched away. And princes such as “Cinderella”’s Prince Charming, “Sleeping Beauty”’s Prince Phillip, and “Frozen”’s Prince Kristoff better watch their own crowns.

The primary assets of The Mouse House are found in its ownership of the original characters and stories. Over the years, Congress has extended Disney’s valuable copyright many times, due to the company’s successful lobbying efforts.

When Mickey Mouse first publicly emerged, the copyright law granted 56 years of protection. Mickey’s copyright would have expired in 1984, and the character would have become public domain. If that had occurred, anyone would have been allowed to use the animated celebrity without having to ask Disney’s permission or pay compensation.

However, before the 1984 expiration date hit, Congress passed an extension, which moved Mickey’s copyright expiration to 2003.

Then before the 2003 deadline arrived, Congress passed a revision, which extended Mickey’s protection deadline to January 1, 2024.

Now Disney faces the possibility that it could lose its valuable ownership of Mickey, should the 2022 midterm elections turn out to be favorable toward the GOP and Republicans become the House majority. This could result in significant losses for the entertainment giant.

House Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks (R-Indiana) has sent a letter to Disney CEO Bob Chapek, indicating that he will support the 2024 expiration of the Mickey Mouse copyright.

Mickey would then no longer be Disney’s property, but he would instead belong to the public-at-large. The entertainment company’s plans to present inappropriate sexual material to young children is what led Rep. Banks to conclude that he will not support any further extensions of Disney’s copyrights.

Rep. Banks also noted that Disney maintains a close business relationship with China. In his letter, the congressman noted that the company “…has allied with a hostile foreign regime and domestic ideologues who seek to tear our country apart.”

If all of this weren’t enough to make Disney do a quick turnabout, there is a strong possibility that the company may experience a significant loss of privilege in the way it has managed the Sunshine State’s Disney World.

Gov. DeSantis has announced that he is “receptive” to altering a decades-long state law that gives Disney the power to self-govern its Disney World properties.

Florida lawmakers have already met to look into repealing the 1967 law, which allowed Disney to establish its own government through the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Through this arrangement, Disney, in effect, is allowed to function as its own government, providing fire protection, emergency, utility, and planning services for the properties that surround Disney World.

The bottom line is if business execs don’t get their act together soon, it will mark the beginning of the end for the Happiest Place on Earth.

Disney’s ‘Turning Red’ Has Parents Concerned

Disney’s brand was always thought to have been family-friendly. Not so anymore.

Now the Mouse House’s products actually have to be pre-screened to determine whether or not they are suitable options for children’s viewing.

With all the digital devices and content providers that have permeated the media universe, it is difficult for parents to even keep up with what is out there for kids and adolescents to access with a simple click.

Disney, via Pixar, is currently streaming a movie that is over-the-top in terms of its unsuitability and potential to cause outright harm to our youth.

The film “Turning Red” is being marketed as a coming of age story. The setting is a Chinatown community located in Toronto, Canada. Lead character Meilin “Mei” Lee is 13 years-old and is in the process of transitioning to full-fledged womanhood.

Curiously, in this new state of transition, Mei discovers that whenever she feels angry, upset, or otherwise emotionally charged, she turns into a giant red panda. This condition is oftentimes accompanied by an unpleasant scent and some unfortunate occurrences.

The cinematic tale is apparently meant to be an allegory about female puberty, a kind of symbolic representation of the physiological, psychological, and emotional changes that occur in a female’s life as she journeys from youth to adolescence.

The panda manifestation, red in color, problematic, and emotionally intense, only happens to the women in Mei’s family.

The representation of the menstruation process is disrespectful and debasing in nature. But this is far from the worst of the film’s flaws. Adding to the potential mind, body, and soul-altering mix are the exploration of sexual urges and blatant participation in occult practices.

The movie is directed by Oscar winning Chinese Canadian filmmaker Domee Shi. As if on cue, mainstream media critics are showering it with praise. On the other hand, a whole lot of parents are not. Faith-filled folks in particular are really riled up.

The red panda is depicted in promos as cute and cuddly, which is seemingly designed to appeal to small children. However, there are numerous scenes in the film that in no way should be viewed by this demographic.

Christian parents should be especially concerned with the depictions of ancestor worship, polytheism, ritualistic practices, and supernatural transformations.

In the film, the transformation of little girl to panda is viewed as a curse. The only way for Mei to be relieved of the curse is to have the oldest male in the family, which in her case happens to be her grandfather, perform a ritual ceremony that coincides with the next red moon.

Prompted by the themes in the film, one prominent pastor is warning parents about the movie. Mike Signorelli, founder and lead pastor of the multiple location V1 Church in New York City, recently released a video on social media and conducted an interview with CBN’s Faithwire, all in an effort to inform parents of his religious concerns over “Turning Red.”

A former atheist, the pastor was led to Christianity by a friend after a year of faith discussions.

According to Pastor Signorelli, the sexual content of the movie as well as the menstruation metaphor are enough, in and of themselves, to make the film inappropriate for the younger demographic.

“If you extract the spiritual aspect of this movie, just on the basis of the content being about menstruation and this coming of age, it’s not appropriate for children,” he advised.

However, Pastor Signorelli finds the occult-related content even more disturbing.

“Even within the first eight minutes, you have chanting, communication with ancestors, and immediately a red flag should start to go off,” he stated.

He also noted that scenes in the film contain numerous concepts that conflict with a biblical worldview. He warns of danger in the fact that “the movie contains an intermingling of spirituality and ritual.”

This intermingling occurs, for example, during the ritual to rid Mei of the red panda spirit. She crosses into another “dimension” and encounters a deceased ancestor.

It occurs in a nightmare sequence too, one in which statues with glowing red eyes appear to be tormenting her, a scene that the pastor believes would be highly disturbing to an audience of children.

During his clerical tenure, Pastor Signorelli has had extensive experience in a deliverance ministry, one in which he has had a key role in confronting evil itself. This enables him to recognize imagery in the film that is not merely inappropriate, but dangerous to the spiritual well-being of our young ones.

“I believe that every parent — not just a pastor, but a parent — has a mandate to actually screen material, because every single device you have in your home is a portal, either a window into the things of God or, unfortunately, things that I believe are demonic,” he said.

In his post, the pastor offered a summary of his major concerns.

“I cannot in good faith allow you to show this to your children knowing what I know about demonic spirits, knowing what I know about the cultures that demons create,” he said.

Parents, relatives, and guardians of children and teens would be wise to take heed of Pastor Signorelli’s words regarding this film and other youth-oriented media that have hidden agendas embedded within.

Disney Rules Over a Declining Box Office

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Despite some blockbuster hits, Hollywood’s box office continues on its downward trend as 2019 comes to a close.

Domestic revenues are expected to fall nearly 4 percent by year’s end; this according to The Hollywood Reporter. The box-office total of this past fall not only constitutes the sharpest decline in five years, it is also the fifth downturn this decade.

Executives in Hollywood are assuming that the decline is mostly due to new home entertainment technology and the rise of streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. However, the content of much of the entertainment product that is being produced these days simply does not seem to be connecting with American filmgoers.

Disney is proving to be the major exception to this rule. The company’s product is not only resonating with the movie-going public, it is stamping out the competition in a big way.

The top 10 films of the year brought to the industry 38% of domestic ticket sales (up from 33% in 2018). Disney contributed an unprecedented 80 percent of the product, meaning eight out of the top 10 biggest revenue generators in the domestic box office were brought to you courtesy of the Mouse House.

The growth of the company that Walt Disney founded continues on an upward trajectory. Disney had a record-breaking year in 2016 and during that time period accounted for 6 of the top 10 highest grossing domestic films. The company made 4 out of the top 10 in 2017, 5 in 2018, and then jumped to 8 in 2019.

The Disney releases “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Lion King,” “Captain Marvel,” “Toy Story 4,” “Frozen II,” “Spider-Man: Far from Home” (shared by Disney and Sony), “Aladdin,” and “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” have propelled the company to $3.8 billion domestically and over $10 billion in global box-office revenue, a record breaking number for Disney or for any other Hollywood studio.

Although some have criticized the cost of acquiring Lucasfilm and Marvel, in hindsight the purchases were bargains. But even with Disney’s blockbuster year, including the highest grossing movie of all time “Avengers: Endgame,” Hollywood is watching the overall domestic gross for movies head south.

No doubt the introduction of elaborate home theaters equipped with big screens, high definition technology, surround sound audio, and streaming of content directly into homes has been a factor in the overall impact that is being felt in the entertainment industry and beyond.

However, the effect has not been great enough to alter content creators’ perception, or for that matter to make them even question the themes that are being shoehorned into a whole lot of the entertainment product.

Because streaming is being used more as a distribution alternative, especially for smaller budgeted studio films, the big budget blockbuster has become the stock-in-trade for movie theater owners.

Some in the entertainment world are concerned by a new approach, which is that streaming services, with the acquiescence of producers, are debuting new films online rather than in brick and mortar movie theaters. This is causing a drop in traditional movie theater ticket sales.

Ironically, Disney has embraced the direct to streaming approach with “Noelle,” a Christmas comedy starring Anna Kendrick, and the “Lady and the Tramp” remake, both of which bypassed the multiplex and went straight to Disney+, the studio’s new streaming service.

“The Irishman,” an Oscar buzz offering from Martin Scorsese, was streamed by Netflix after less than a month had passed. The streaming giant similarly started to stream “Marriage Story” after only one month. Both films are getting the awards talk that Netflix undoubtedly wanted. Nevertheless, the impact at the box office has been underwhelming.

Because the overall ticket revenue outside of the United States will likely be the same or greater than last year’s $41.1 billion, Hollywood will pay even more attention next year to the global consumers of entertainment, particularly the biggest overseas film market. For all those who are keeping tabs, that would be China.

Woke Disney is Risky Business

New York Stock Exchange Disney CEO Iger, USA - 27 Nov 2017

Entertainment behemoth Walt Disney Company, which as a business startup had a focus on child-oriented product, now has a CEO who has taken an anti-child stance on a significant societal issue.

In a Reuters interview that took place prior to the dedication of Disneyland’s newest land, “Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge,” Disney head Bob Iger was asked whether or not the company would continue to use the state of Georgia as a location for the filming of its projects.

The reason the question was posed to Iger is because Georgia recently passed a state law that bans abortion procedures after a fetal heartbeat can be detected (approximately six weeks of gestation). Iger was letting the world know which side Disney is on in the culture war that continues to surround abortion.

The CEO stated that it would be “very difficult” for Disney to continue to engage in its on-location production activities in Georgia if the new law were to take effect.

Georgia is a preferred locale for many of Hollywood’s film and television projects, due to a 20 percent base transferable tax credit. The Peach State brought in $2.7 billion in revenue from such projects in 2018.

“Well, I think if it becomes law, it’ll be very difficult to produce there,” Iger told Reuters. “I rather doubt we will. I think many people who work for us will not want to work there and we’ll have to heed their wishes in that regard.”

Iger continued, “I think it’s also likely to be challenged in the courts and that could delay it. …But if it becomes law, I don’t see how it’s practical for us to continue to shoot there.”

A sizable amount of The Mouse House’s production has been based in Georgia locales, including that of its blockbusters “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame.”

A number of aptly termed “heartbeat bills” have already been passed, and/or are in the process of moving forward in states that include Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio, using legitimate legislative processes that express the will of the people and allow citizens to exercise their right of self-governance in each respective state.

By choosing to weigh in on one of society’s most controversial concerns, Iger may have inflicted harm on his company’s well-honed brand by slighting a significant segment of Disney’s customer base.

The company recently acquired 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets and is planning to launch its new Disney+ streaming service this year, which will reportedly be loaded with family friendly content. Disney also plans to capitalize on its collection of beloved characters from its “Star Wars,” Marvel, and Pixar catalogs.

Interestingly, at the same time Disney’s CEO is talking about pulling out of Georgia, the company he heads is operating a theme park and distributing movies in China, a country that is known for banning parts of the web, depriving people of their liberties, and engaging in human rights abuses.

Disney recently filmed a live-action adaptation of its 1998 animated film “Mulan” in China. Marvel, a Disney subsidiary, has actually been criticized for caving to censors in China by changing a character’s ethnicity from Tibetan to Celtic.

Iger recently discussed with the Saudi crown prince the prospect of having an amusement park in Saudi Arabia, a place where women are forced to endure second class status.

The comments of Iger followed those of Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos, who not only said that Netflix’s production would be exiting Georgia, but also indicated that the streaming company would support legal efforts to overturn the democratically passed heartbeat law.

Netflix filmed its hit series “Stranger Things” in Georgia as well as the upcoming sci-fi show “Raising Dion.”

Sarandos told Variety, “We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law… Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia.”

However, Netflix does not seem particularly concerned with women’s rights, or even human rights for that matter. The company pulled an episode of “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,” which criticized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This was purportedly done so that it would be unable to be viewed by Saudis following a “take down request” from the Saudi Arabian government. Netflix additionally shot “Marco Polo” in Malaysia, a place in which Sharia law is imposed.

Shortly after Disney and Netflix weighed in on Georgia, other Hollywood companies saw fit to jump on the virtue-signaling bandwagon as well, including WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal, AMC, CBS, Viacom, and Sony, indicating that each may also withdraw from using Georgia production sites.

The Georgia law also prompted a group of Hollywood celebrities to speak out, which included Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, and Alyssa Milano. Directors J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele, and Ron Howard for the moment are filming there but have plans to donate money to the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups opposing Georgia’s duly passed legislation.

Not all left-wingers are united on ways in which to handle the Georgia law, though. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is seeking to avoid a boycott over concerns that the citizens of Georgia could be hurt. And more than 3,300 women have signed a “We Work Here” Change.org petition, initiated by The Women of Film in Georgia, expressing opposition to any boycott of the state.