# DeSantis's war on Disney **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 19, 2022, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073 "2022-04-19T18:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/281 "2022-04-25T02:46:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Poor people might not be able to go to Disneyland, and that’s relevant, because the theme parks are the largest chunk of Disney’s business. > [@Babale](#): > > That floored me, but checking up on it it appears to be true. I’d have for sure thought it would be its movies that make Disney most of its money. When I check, I definitely see movies first. > **[Disney revenue by segment 2023 | Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/193140/revenue-of-the-walt-disney-company-by-operating-segment/)** > > Disney's revenue breakdown shows that the Media and Entertainment segment generates the largest portion of revenue for the company. Theme parks are a distant third. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/282 "2022-04-25T02:58:11Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > When I check, I definitely see movies first. > > [Disney revenue by segment 2023 | Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/193140/revenue-of-the-walt-disney-company-by-operating-segment/) > > Theme parks are a distant third. I think that movie side includes ESPN and ABC (big American television networks). I’m not sure how relevant that is to the DeSantis issue. However, you are correct that Disney isn’t mostly theme parks. ---
**Author:** ![derekbd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/derekbd/32/9162_2.png) [@derekbd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/derekbd)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/283 "2022-04-25T13:10:05Z")
I assume it’s not going to end, at least not in the next few decades/generations/lifetimed. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/284 "2022-04-25T14:14:43Z")
_applause_ ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/285 "2022-04-25T17:12:22Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I don’t think a company should have an opinion on issues which do not affect its core mission. It invites boycotts and is bad for business and polarizes its customers. […] > > It is not your job as a corporation to push for change. Let others do that. Just make me money. > [@Bernie Sanders' answer to Citizens United](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-answer-to-citizens-united/605734/43): > > Well, as somebody on this very message board once said: > > > [@Bernie Sanders' answer to Citizens United](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanders-answer-to-citizens-united/605734/43): > > > > In other words, you join the NRA or the ACLU, or buy stock in a corporation with full knowledge that you can be outvoted on things and that the organization may do some things that you don’t like. You join anyways because the things they do that you like outweigh those small things. Otherwise, you can withdraw. Hey, guess [what else that very same poster once said on the same subject:](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-true-that-corporations-are-legally-required-to-maximize-shareholder-profit/735507/17) > [@UltraVires](#): > > There is also the idea that part of being a corporation is to act like responsible citizens and participate in local charities, little league teams, and the like, just like society expects but does not require of good citizens. > > It not only promotes good will among customers, but says that we are acting like good, responsible citizens, giving back to the community we live in. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/286 "2022-04-25T17:22:36Z")
> [@bump](#): > > But this Florida Republican nonsense is basically retribution for Disney having the temerity to say something they don’t like. WTF? This is absurd and terrifying. I believe, if Disney had not suspended political donations until the Don’t Say Gay law is repealed, they would not have incurred the wrath of DeSantis. I don’t think it’s about their “speech” _per se_, it’s about the money. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/287 "2022-04-25T17:24:48Z")
But money _is_ speech, right? Isn’t that what Citizens United established? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/288 "2022-04-25T17:28:37Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > I don’t think it’s about their “speech” _per se_ , it’s about the money. US: “Supreme Court, we need you to find the difference between these two pictures.” [![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0722/9621/products/Stacks_Of_100_Dollar_Bills_Clementine_LowRes_1024x1024.jpeg?v=1456667180) ](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0722/9621/products/Stacks_Of_100_Dollar_Bills_Clementine_LowRes_1024x1024.jpeg?v=1456667180) [![](https://static.thenounproject.com/png/3096702-200.png) ](https://static.thenounproject.com/png/3096702-200.png) USSC: “They’re the same picture” ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/289 "2022-04-25T17:37:37Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > And the position of a shareholder is simply to operate a fucking park and sell Mickey Mouse dolls and make cartoon movies that make money. I believe a huge portion of Disney’s revenue (more than the parks esp. with COVID-19) is their broadcast networks: ESPN, ABC, the Disney Channel, FX, Disney+, Hulu, History, NatGeo, etc. May be mistaken on that, though. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/290 "2022-04-25T18:28:37Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > What does Exxon, for example, think about the ridiculously named “Don’t Say Gay” bill? The law is titled “Parental Rights in Education”. “Don’t Say Gay” is a media moniker. Think Obamacare versus Affordable Care Act. Exxon [recently banned its employees from flying a Pride (rainbow) flag on it’s corporate flagpole](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-22/exxon-triggers-employee-backlash-with-rainbow-pride-flag-ban?srnd=premium&sref=KQPtNSUL), but has not specifically weighed in on this particular bill. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/291 "2022-04-25T18:30:12Z")
If this was Disney doing the same thing to another company or individual through the mechanism of the courts, it would absolutely be a SLAPP suit. But it’s apparently OK for the state government to punish a private entity for its beliefs, even though the entity has not violated any laws? That’s ultimately the meat of this matter; it’s punishment for making public statements that the party in charge of the state government don’t like. It’s absolutely chilling; what’s next- movie and TV studios having to submit their works for an ideological purity review and rewrites? It’s ultimately not very far off from this when you come right down to it. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/292 "2022-04-25T18:33:46Z")
> [@bump](#): > > what’s next- movie and TV studios having to submit their works for an ideological purity review and rewrites? They already censor themselves for China, why not? /s ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/293 "2022-04-25T18:34:53Z")
> [@bump](#): > > If this was Disney doing the same thing to another company or individual through the mechanism of the courts, it would absolutely be a SLAPP suit. But it’s apparently OK for the state government to punish a private entity for its beliefs, even though the entity has not violated any laws? > > That’s ultimately the meat of this matter; it’s punishment for making public statements that the party in charge of the state government don’t like. > > It’s absolutely chilling; what’s next- movie and TV studios having to submit their works for an ideological purity review and rewrites? It’s ultimately not very far off from this when you come right down to it. Government taking an otherwise permissible action, specifically to retaliate against a private entity exercising protected behavior, is not permissible. The classic example of this is in government contracting, the government at various levels is allowed to use plenary discretion in awarding contracts (in some cases that is not the case because there are mandated contracting processes–but this is not universal.) However in a classic Supreme Court case, a mayor asked a tow truck company owner for a political donation, when the owner refused and stated he was supporting the mayor’s opponent in the upcoming election, the mayor dropped the tow company from the city’s tow list–something that the city could do essentially whenever it wanted under normal circumstances, but because it did so to retaliate against a private entity engaging in protected activity (deciding to not donate money to a political candidate, and to publicly support a different candidate), the mayor’s actions were deemed unconstitutional. The biggest wrinkle with Florida and Disney is that the action is technically not being directed at the Disney company, but at the Reedy Creek Improvement District, and other districts like it. The Reedy Creek Improvement District is a political / legal entity, and the courts are generally far more lenient towards government retaliating against other government entities for purely political reasons. For example, a State deciding to curtail privileges long enjoyed by municipalities specifically because the State legislature has a political beef with the cities–the courts generally view that as part of the “political process” and don’t view it the same way as my example about the mayor of a town and a tow company doing business with said town. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/294 "2022-04-25T18:50:30Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > My family literally built a city using private investment and yet here you are… a ‘conservative’… asking _is it right to build a city for private investment?_ > [@JohnT](#): > > Conservatives: The US should never give land away to private interests for their gain. Wait until he hears about The Villages, FL. The Republican stronghold where DeSantis made the announcement that sparked this thread. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/295 "2022-04-25T19:34:28Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > But money _is_ speech, right? Isn’t that what Citizens United established? > [@Babale](#): > > US: “Supreme Court, we need you to find the difference between these two pictures.” > […] > USSC: “They’re the same picture” In that post I was trying to address what appears to be some posters’ opinions that this is unexpectedly strong retaliation for a written or spoken statement, such as a press release. Such as **bump** ’s post I quoted, or **JRDelirious** ’s summary here, > [@JRDelirious](#): > > In all their calculations about the decision making at Disney, it may have never crossed their mind that **a simple letter saying “we don’t like this”** would have this sort of reaction. @bump, since I see it as GOP retaliation for cutting off a money supply I don’t think it’s “absurd”. My reaction isn’t WTF, but rather, why am I not surprised? ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/296 "2022-04-25T19:35:55Z")
Since when are politicians entitled to donations? Since when is it ok to use the power of the state to punish people for not donating to them? This is a really really bad thing for society. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/297 "2022-04-25T20:25:41Z")
I forget where I first heard it; it’s not mine, the idea that politicians should dress in racing suits adorned with the patches of those who donate to them, those whom they actually represent. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/298 "2022-04-25T20:37:21Z")
Sounds like something George Carlin would have said. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/299 "2022-04-25T20:48:13Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > @bump, since I see it as GOP retaliation for cutting off a money supply I don’t think it’s “absurd”. My reaction isn’t WTF, but rather, why am I not surprised? > > ~Max The point is that it’s a political party _using the power of the state_ to enforce their own ideological opinions. That’s what I have issue with- it’s the principle, not the magnitude. I wouldn’t have too much issue with say… Disney related bills dying in committee in Tallahassee in the next legislative session. That’s just GOP legislators not going to bat for Disney, which is similar but not the same as using the power of the State of Florida to actively punish them. One is basically the quid pro quo of politics, and the other is effectively state-sponsored ideological coercion. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2022, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073/300 "2022-04-25T20:48:19Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > > [@bump](#): > > > > But this Florida Republican nonsense is basically retribution for Disney having the temerity to say something they don’t like. WTF? This is absurd and terrifying.⁢ > > I believe, if Disney had not suspended political donations until the Don’t Say Gay law is repealed, they would not have incurred the wrath of DeSantis. I don’t think it’s about their “speech” _per se_, it’s about the money. > > ~Max⁢ The point is that they hadn’t actually withdrawn any money yet. They just wrote something about it. The normal thing for a corrupt government to do would be to sit back and wait and see if it’s just a PR statement or actually going to be backed up. It could have just been a small blip, but then they declared war on Disney over it. And they somehow think they will win over Disney, who has changed international law with its power. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desantiss-war-on-disney/963073.md?page=16)