The only possible way to make Michael Eisner look alright in my eyes is the jaded hacks at the NY Times:
To the Editor:
You accuse the Walt Disney Company of cowardice and censorship because of its decision a year ago not to distribute Michael Moore’s film “Fahrenheit 9/11” (editorial, May 6). In fact, the cowardly thing would have been to be intimidated into distributing the film. We did not block its distribution. There are many avenues for Mr. Moore to pursue to get his film distributed.
Your accusations of stifling free expression are misplaced. The First Amendment does not say that The New York Times must print every article presented to it or that the Walt Disney Company must distribute every movie. If a government entity had blocked Mr. Moore’s film from being released, that would have violated the First Amendment, and we would have quickly signed up to join any protest.
In the case of “Fahrenheit 9/11,” we chose a path that was right for the company and its stakeholders.
The creation of intellectual product rises and falls on similar judgments by creative people and executives across America. We would hope that The Times would recognize that the Walt Disney Company has the same right of freedom of expression that it is advocating for Mr. Moore.
MICHAEL D. EISNER
Chief Exec., Walt Disney Company
Burbank, Calif., May 7, 2004
It appears like they are almost actively trying to get stories wrong.
M. Scott Eiland
Eisner is well past his prime and should probably step down in favor of someone still up to the job of running Disney. That being said, he’s still more than a match for the idiots running the NYT, and would still be even if he smoked his way through Cheech and Chong’s entire stash before he wrote that letter.
Rick
“It appears like they are almost actively trying to get stories wrong.”
“Appears?” “Almost?”
Cordially…
justin @ RSR
All this talk about Michael Moore reminds me of my favorite movie clip this year:
click here
Andrew J. Lazarus
As a Disney shareholder, I’d like Mr. Eisner to spend less time pontificating and more time finding profitable movies, at which he has been failing. Moore’s movie is going to be profitable, although not enough to compensate for Jeb! Bush taking away Disney’s tax breaks. (As it happens, I don’t believe that, but Moore, like Limbaugh, never lets the facts stand in the way of a good joke.)
Rich
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of Moore creating “intellectual product”.
Mr. Eisner is clearly out of his mind.
M. Scott Eiland
“Moore’s movie is going to be profitable”
Sure–but what about all the workers in the tinfoil industry that will be put out of work when Moore’s fans spend the money they raise by digging in their parents’ sofas for change and selling their blood goes to Lord Pork-Pork’s coffers instead of their head wrappings? Always knew that Moore didn’t really care about the (crazy) little guys.
Crazy4Moore
Holy Crap. That’s funny. I mean
it’s funny that Michael Eisner would
lower himself to respond to the likes
of Michael Moore. Having said that I
admit that I am one of Moore’s crazy
little guys….Maybe Eisner reads Michael Moore’s website, too?
Kimmitt
“Moore’s movie is going to be profitable, although not enough to compensate for Jeb! Bush taking away Disney’s tax breaks.”
That’s pretty much the long and the short of it, yep.
Terry
As contrasted with Mr. Lazarus, Kimmitt apparently believes what Moore said about Jeb Bush given the ellipses in his “quoting” of what the former actually said. Kimmitt has to be one of the few people left who accept what that fatuous gasbag, Michael Moore, has to say on almost any subject.
Slartibartfast
I’m curious to know exactly what tax breaks Jeb Bush could personally take away from Disney. Given that the Republican legislature isn’t even really in control of itself, it’s hard to see how Jeb can effect much of anything, especially when the financial well-being of at least two counties hinge on Disney still being around.
Not saying he doesn’t wield the club. Just that I haven’t seen any evidence at all that he has one to wield.
Ken Hahn
Anyone who believes anything Michael Moore says is an idiot. Eisner is better only by comparison. They deserve each other. If Jeb Bush or anyone else in Florida was going to punish Disney for left wing activity, it would have happen as soon as he had the power.
I doubt Farenheit 9/11 will make enough to worry about. About as much as Finding Nemo made on a good day. There are probably enough morons and masochists in the world so it won’t lose money. Disney would loose enough good will by distributing this piece of garbage to offset any minor profits.
Ricky
According to MSNBC, Disney receives no tax breaks that Jeb Bush could take away.
Kimmitt, Andrew, you can leave your apologies under this comment. (right after you attack the messenger)
Kimmitt
“According to MSNBC, Disney receives no tax breaks that Jeb Bush could take away.”
Interesting; so this whole deal with Disneyland being an independent community which pays no local taxes and has a local police force, et cetera, is . . . smoke and mirrors?
Jeb could do a lot of damage to Disney very quickly — and so could George; current copyright law is very much based around letting a certain mouse still be owned by a certain company. Miramax released “Kill Bill”; there are only two reasons why it would fully fund and then not release Moore’s movie — either it is grossly factually inaccurate (which has not been alleged by Eisner), or it would be politically unwise. Because the sucker’s gonna make money.
Ricky
You’d want to take that up with Governor Schwarzenegger, since Disneyland is in California.
That you’ve now cowered to the “could” scenario shows that instead of basing an argument on a foundation of debate, you’re now pulling wild talking points out of your ass for no good reason other than to be obtuse.
I can get this from the atriettes.
You are not worth my time (I’ll leave it to others to waste theirs). Have a nice life.
AnswertheQuestion
“so this whole deal with Disneyland being an independent community which pays no local taxes and has a local police force, et cetera, is . . . smoke and mirrors?”
IF they are an independent community, just who are they supposed to pay “local” taxes to? And maybe that “local tax” money is used to hire and fund their local police force….eh?
Never mind. It’s censorship, Jeb Bush, Haliburton, Enron, blah, blah, blah…
Slartibartfast
“Interesting; so this whole deal with Disneyland being an independent community which pays no local taxes and has a local police force, et cetera, is . . . smoke and mirrors?”
Walt Disney World does in fact pay property taxes in both Osceola and Orange counties. They pay no local taxes because…there are no local taxes. They did negotiate for local autonomy of government, and to some degree have that. I believe they police themselves (although the police force doesn’t have power to arrest and prosecute) and they provide their own fire protection and water treatment.
Now, if you’d made a case for exemption from state income tax, I really don’t know one way or another. But my original point stands: as governor, Jeb Bush doesn’t wield power to tax or not tax Disney. That power lies with the legislature. Disney does pay Orange County property tax at a millage rate of 0.0147 and 0.0148 (depending on the part of Disney that’s in OC) but finding out tax payments in Osceola County is a little more challenging. And getting a total is similarly challenging; Disney is divided up into parcels and you’d have to search them independently. You’re welcome to look around and see. For owner name type “Walt Disney” (sans quotes). If you just select a few of them, you can see that their property tax bill in Orange County alone runs into the millions.
And the reason they pay lower millage than I do is they administer themselves, i.e. they have a highly reduced City millage to pay; 0.54 mills vs 5.7 mills for city of Orlando.
CadillaqJaq
IMO, the last “intellectual product” that Michael Moore created, he flushed down his toilet upon passing it.
I gotta’ know: does he embarrass the more knowledgeable left? How about Larry Flynt? Where do they get these guys?
M. Scott Eiland
“You’d want to take that up with Governor Schwarzenegger, since Disneyland is in California.”
*snicker*
Now, now–geography is a metaphor to Kimmitt, too. It’s far more poetic to refer to “Disneyland” (it’s the old commercial line, after all: “I’m going to *Disneyland*!”) than to have to grate out “Walt Disney World”, when you’re manufacturing insane conspiracy theories regarding the Bushes, even though Jeb and Disneyland have no connection unless Jeb buys a ticket on a vacation someday.
Bloggerhead
“It appears like they are almost actively trying to get stories wrong.”
I believe it was an editorial, John. You know, like when you and Ricky pointed out to me the difference between opinion and fact. Of course, opinions can be wrong, but then I don’t need to point that out to you soft bigots, do I?
Too, the notion that Jeb! and his party’s state legislature are unable to interfere with Disney’s comfy arrangement–not via state taxes because FL has so few, but otherwise, if you know what I mean–is a little naive, don’t you think?
Kimmitt
Disneyworld, of course.
Ricky
Try front page story.
Apparently, not well enough.
Nah, you can come here and pretend that a front page “news” story was really an editorial & then take personal swipes at me on the foundation of your ill-conceived premise, instead. I’m sure one or two people aren’t laughing right now (okay, maybe I’m being generous on the tally).
Normally, I ignore people who are incapable of anything more than ad hominem attacks, but since you provided a very slow, as well as ignorant, fastball right across the plate, I thought a simple “thank you” wouldn’t be enough. How about “your welcome”?
Glad you went Usenet, now?
Slartibartfast
If Bloggerhead has the idea that the state legislature is lined up and ready to do Jeb Bush’s bidding on any issue, then Bloggerhead’s unfamiliar with Florida politics. Just because the Republican party owns the Florida legislature doesn’t mean they can even find grounds for agreement amongst themselves, most of the time.
Ricky
Yet another example of when there’s nothing left of your argument, make up a new one. In this case, when it’s apparent that the original argument (that Jeb was going to harm Disney with tax hikes if they didn’t do his bidding) was bogus, it changed to Jeb & the legislature being ABLE to do whatever conspiracy theory that can be concocted.
Of course, any state/legislature can pass whatever appropriations, so that strawmant is quite the reach (hey, Sonny Perdue may increase taxes if GA blogs don’t endorse him! I know because I read it on the internet!).
No need to go further —- they’ve lost the debate and they know it. That’s why they’re being so obtuse…..most people are when they lose. Of course, gentlemen and ladies act like adults and realize that a discussion isn’t idicative of an ideology, but that’s ladies & gentlement.
Save it for another day & another debate topic….a fork can be placed in this one & only the losers can jump up & down over their predicament.
Kimmitt
Okay, help me out then. Why the hell did Miramax fund the movie then suddenly make the decsion not to release it?
Andrew J. Lazarus
Apropos of the Disney tax break claim I wrote (As it happens, I don’t believe that, but Moore, like Limbaugh, never lets the facts stand in the way of a good joke.)
You want me to apologize for just exactly what, Ricky? You should h ave read all the way to the end.
Lesmorte
Kimmet,
Mirimax KNEW when they agreed to fund the film that Disney would NOT distribute it. The executives at Mirimax FELT they could convince the higher ups at Disney to release the movie.
I hate to say it, but if I TELL you I will not sell your product and you go ahead and make it anyway and try to get me to sell it I’d tell you to jump in a lake.
This whole thing is Moore attempting to drum up some free publicity for his movie so that he can sell a few more tickets when some other distribution company distributes the movie.