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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

JCC Bob Iger's Responsibility to Speak

Discussion in 'Community' started by Gigoran Monk, Jan 30, 2017.

  1. Gigoran Monk

    Gigoran Monk Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Along with other business leaders like Elon Musk, Disney CEO Bob Iger sits on Donald Trump's Strategic and Advisory Council, which, well, advises him. But unlike Elon Musk, Bob Iger has remained silent about the Administration's illegal and deeply un-American immigration ban.

    If Bob Iger doesn't publicly denounce this unconstitutional policy issued by the authoritarian scum that is our President, I believe fans of Star Wars who believe in the franchise's ethical foundation have an obligation to boycott all Disney products, including Star Wars.

    I know I will. And I say that as someone who loves the current direction of Lucasfilm, and as an independent that has voted both R and D in past elections.

    What say you?
     
  2. Lord Vivec

    Lord Vivec Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2006
    >goes to a Star Wars forum

    >proposes people boycott Star Wars

    That's a bold move Cotton
     
  3. Diggy

    Diggy Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2013
    How many people exactly are on Trump's SAC, Gigoran Monk?
     
  4. Rylo Ken

    Rylo Ken Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2015
    agreed. Disney is the villain here.
     
    Gigoran Monk likes this.
  5. dp4m

    dp4m Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2001

    Let's be honest... White Goodman is basically your prototypical Trump supporter and advisor...
     
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  6. Lord Vivec

    Lord Vivec Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2006
    We should boycott the products of any company that has anyone remotely questionable working there.
     
  7. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    I'm sure that boycotting an increasingly diverse franchise that is slowly and finally giving opportunities to women and people of color while changing the pop culture narrative is an excellent way to accomplish your policy goals.


    We may even get a strongly worded letter from Iger, and truly the world will be a better place.


    Missa ab iPhona mea est.
     
  8. Diggy

    Diggy Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2013
    I would boycott, but I'm really looking forward to Beauty and The Beast.
     
  9. Rylo Ken

    Rylo Ken Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2015
    your crush on Emma Watson is much less creepy now than it was when "Chamber of Secrets" came out.
     
    Chewgumma, Ender Sai, siha and 3 others like this.
  10. Alpha-Red

    Alpha-Red Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2004
    I'm not enjoying the sequel movies all that much anyway so eh, what the heck.
     
    Pensivia likes this.
  11. Ramza

    Ramza Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 13, 2008
    While a boycott to express your political beliefs and desired positions from corporate authority figures is not necessarily a bad thing (nor am I feeling the "AM BOYCOTTS GOOD Y/N?" debate, not gonna lie), I'm not convinced forum that manages a typical peak of 200-300 active users and extreme peaks in the 1000 range which is devoted to fannish devotion to the franchise is the best organizing platform for one. You're essentially attempting to appeal to the hardest of the hardcore, the people most likely to forgive missteps at the top in order to continue consuming output from said franchise, and even if you somehow converted all of them with fervent devotion to the end goal you're looking at a box office effect of about USD$13,000, or, to put that figure in perspective, about .0006% of TFA's total gross.

    If you're serious about getting a fervor whipped up for such a boycott there are better venues. If you're serious about making an impact regarding certain policies I'd perhaps encourage a more direct route, such as donating to organizations supporting your particular causes, calling your congresspeople, and the like.
     
    TX-20, Rylo Ken and heels1785 like this.
  12. Lord Vivec

    Lord Vivec Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2006
    Ramza I don't know what you're talking about the last two Star Wars boycotts which were organized on the bigot forums that housed dozens were widely successful!
     
    anakinfansince1983 and TX-20 like this.
  13. Gigoran Monk

    Gigoran Monk Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Actually, I'm quite engaged in the national policy community (it's a large part of my professional life), and there's been a lot of talk about the SAC having a significant influence on Trump's developing tax policy, at the very least. A strong denunciation of the immigration ban from a majority of the SAC members (as opposed to just two, as it stands now) is indeed a potentially effective means of trying to influence the President on this issue.

    Is this board the only place to drum up pressure on Iger? Of course not. That's why it's not the only audience I am speaking to. However, 200+ Star Wars lovers have a lot of people in their respective networks, some of whom have connections to Lucasfilm, in one way or another. In that context, it is most certainly worth the attempt.

    Lastly, the Rogue One crew had no idea if their long shot mission would do any good. But they did it anyway, because it was the right thing to do. And there was a chance it would have an impact.

    I see no difference between this effort and that. Life is imitating art.
     
  14. Darth Guy

    Darth Guy Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2002
    If there's anything that millionaire chief executives of massive media conglomerates can be expected to do, it's potentially jeopardize their business interests by standing up for the oppressed.
     
    True Sith, Chewgumma, TX-20 and 3 others like this.
  15. JoinTheSchwarz

    JoinTheSchwarz Former Head Admin star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2002
    I thought Elon Musk was our friend!!!! :_|
     
  16. TiniTinyTony

    TiniTinyTony JCC Super Bowl Pick 'Em Winner star 7 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2003
    "We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally create Donald Trump for any reason."
     
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  17. Lord Vivec

    Lord Vivec Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2006
    Gigoran Monk is about to join the Minor Injustice League along with StarWarsNumbers (where are they buried), MerlinAmbroise (fanboy is a slur), Slowpokeking (defending dead girl murder victims honor), and WormieSaber (Down with China).
     
  18. Gigoran Monk

    Gigoran Monk Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2016
    He is. Nothing wrong with trying to advise Trump, and nudge things in a less horrible direction. And he had the spine to speak out on the Executive Order.

    Time for Iger to speak up as well. Otherwise, Disney's growing brand - which emphasizes tolerance and diversity - could be significantly damaged.

    I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.

    If so, let me give you an example of this "minor injustice": I'm a retired Army vet. I worked with some of the bravest people in the world in Iraq. A number of them were Iraqis that helped us interpret, navigate the field, and generally support us against the multi-faceted insurgent campaign. Nearly every single one of those heroes is now barred entry into the United States by the 5-time draft dogder, Donald Trump..

    So please spare me the "minor injustice" admonition. This act flies in the face of core American values, and basic human decency.

    Surprised that a Star Wars fan wouldn't recognize that.

    But if I misinterpreted your comment, and you were actually being supportive, please ignore this rant. :)

    But that's the strength of such an effort. People listen when CEOs lead in the public space, even if it might but into their bottom line. And it's already happening. CEOs of Apple, Facebook, Tesla, SpaceX, and a number of other major corporations, have already condemned the order. Not least because such a ban is terrible for business!

    • Stephen A. Schwarzman (Forum Chairman), Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blackstone;
    • Paul Atkins, CEO, Patomak Global Partners, LLC, Former Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission;
    • Mary Barra, Chairman and CEO, General Motors;
    • Toby Cosgrove, CEO, Cleveland Clinic;
    • Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co;
    • Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO, BlackRock;
    • Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company;
    • Rich Lesser, President and CEO, Boston Consulting Group;
    • Doug McMillon, President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.;
    • Jim McNerney, Former Chairman, President, and CEO, Boeing;
    • Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi, Chairman and Managing Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners;
    • Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, and CEO, IBM;
    • Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Economics, Hoover Institute, Former Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
    • Mark Weinberger, Global Chairman and CEO, EY;
    • Jack Welch, Former Chairman and CEO, General Electric;
    • Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize-winner, Vice Chairman of IHS Markit;
     
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  19. JoinTheSchwarz

    JoinTheSchwarz Former Head Admin star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2002
    We are truly lost.
     
  20. Lt. Hija

    Lt. Hija Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 8, 2015
    Gigoran Monk wrote

    If Bob Iger doesn't publicly denounce this unconstitutional policy issued by the authoritarian scum that is our President, I believe fans of Star Wars who believe in the franchise's ethical foundation have an obligation to boycott all Disney products, including Star Wars.

    Since George Lucas laid the ethical foundation of the franchise (and IIRC is a large shareholder of Disney), shouldn't he be the one to weigh in, first?

    With the Galen Erso character in Rogue One we have an anti-authoritarian role model who probably could be best compared to a whistleblower in our real life.

    As long as Disney (or Lucasfilm) propagates such characters with strong (and good) moral values, I'd think that such a boycott would be premature and serve no constructive purpose (rather the contrary).

    On the other hand, should authoritarian values and ideas enter the Star Wars Universe and show up in a favorable or ambiguous light, then the alarm bells should ring, IMHO.
     
  21. Gigoran Monk

    Gigoran Monk Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2016
    Bob Iger, by remaining silent about this immigration ban while serving on Trump's Strategic and Advisory Forum, is implicitly contradicting the values promoted in their Star Wars (and other) franchises. Were he to join the other two CEOs on the SAF, and make his opposition known, it could certainly have an influence on Trump, and that is worth it.

    The boycott is a threat, and would hopefully never need to come to pass. But if even a small percentage of Disney consumers were to voice their displeasure with Iger, there's a real possibility that he would take that into account. Disney's squeaky clean brand is important to protect, and even a small stain could spread.

    I love the current direction of LFL, including its emphasis on diversity. But if Disney is unwilling to align that approach with a principled stand against a deeply un-American policy, then the company would deserve to feel a consequence of that.

    Will an effort on a message-board change things? No. But it doesn't take a lot of voices these days, on social media and elsewhere, to raise an issue and change behavior. I think it's worth it, and am proud of it. I didn't fight for a country that treats people this way.
     
    Valairy Scot likes this.
  22. vin

    vin Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 1999
    Mods please delete my account.
     
  23. Lord Vivec

    Lord Vivec Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2006
    I'm not stating that Donald Trump's ban is a "minor injustice." I'm stating that Bob Iger not speaking out is.

    Look, I'm a communist. But if I boycotted everything that came from questionable people, I'd be sitting in a cave somewhere with nothing. Bob Iger not speaking out isn't important. He's a CEO. He's going to do what's best for his company. If he speaks out, NOTHING WILL CHANGE regarding the Donald Trump ban. It's literally a waste of time.
     
  24. TiniTinyTony

    TiniTinyTony JCC Super Bowl Pick 'Em Winner star 7 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2003
    If Bob Iger doens't speak soon, I have a pending request for my username to be strikethrough!
     
  25. Gigoran Monk

    Gigoran Monk Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 2, 2016
    If a significant number of the business leaders on Trump's SAF speaks out against the ban, it is quite reasonable to believe that this may moderate Trump on the issue. So far, we have two. Iger joining would make it three, and that's significant, not least because of how influential Disney is in the public sphere.

    Trump's ear is perhaps most open to the perspectives of these people, including Iger. Your assertion that "it will change nothing" is baseless speculation, and also ignores the historical record of major CEOs having an influence on policy. Asserting unequivocally that Iger speaking out would changed nothing is unscientific, and essentially justifies an apathetic approach. It's actually one of the few strategic approaches that could change Trump's mind. And even if it's a long shot, it's worth it.