So DeSantis is aiming to start a fight with people who aren’t interested in fighting him, and in fact would quietly support his goals if they didn’t hurt the bottom line? Certainly a traditionalist. I foresee great (and terrible) things for him.
Disney, like all megacorporations, just wants to be left alone. It donates more money to Florida Republicans than Democrats because they’re the ruling party.
But DeSantis has gone full culture war in the runup to the 2024 presidential election, which means abandoning all veneer of ‘principled conservatism’ (whatever that is or ever was) and careening into performative outrage, cruelty, and exclusion. He’s been doing it for a couple years now, and to great effect. His star is rising.
In this particular case, Disney tried its normal tactic of making some vague disapproving corporate noises, but it didn’t work and there was massive employee backlash. The shift to blatant cruelty is going to make it difficult for any company that paints itself as inclusive (and Disney absolutely does) to tut-tut from the sidelines.
Unless gay folks on screen are involved, but I follow your point.
Would love to see Disney just go “fuck it” and fund the bejeezus out of every Democratic candidate in the state, if only to make DeSantis shit himself.
That’s changing too. Have you seen “Jungle Cruise”? One of the main characters is gay, discusses it with another main character, and is treated sympathetically.
They’ve been making small steps in the last handful of years, mainly because the LGBTQ+ following they built almost by accident started to speak up.
I say “by accident” because their content has always focused on stuff like acceptance, self-love, and tolerance. Even if there were no explicitly queer characters on screen, the themes still resonated and marginalized communities tend to take representation where they can get it - even if mostly exists in headcanon and fandom.
Yes, I did see it. As I recall, it was a scene that can easily be snipped out for the Chinese markets, and it’s pretty obliquely phrased. It was pretty heavily criticized for the same reasons.
To be honest, I was stunned it was there at all.
This could be why Disney is speaking out.
So DeSantis and the Florida GOP are basically adopting Putinism as a policy — your corporate privilege only sticks as long as you please our party.
Of course they have the advantage of Disney having a large fixed sunk investment. Unlike an NBA playoff or a movie filming, they can’t just move away if they disagree. But it is going to be held as an example to other states to go ahead and go cruel, the corporations will eventually run out of places to boycott.
They also are signaling to the communities, if you apply pressure to your employer/local government, we’ll punish THEM. It’s “shut up and dribble the ball” writ large.
I would like to see Disney shut down Disney World for “repairs”. Indefinitely and lay everyone off. Make a statement. “Fuck around and find out”
Of course that’s not going to happen as Disney is governed by a corporate board that won’t risk a nickel unless it’s guaranteed to bring in a dollar.
But I can dream.
I don’t feel this is true. I feel the point for Republicans is about having power.
Republican politicians don’t really care about the issues they espouse. It’s just stuff they say because getting Republican voters angry or scared is how they manipulate them into voting.
I think that for most of the old school GOP politicians, this is true.
However, their voters and the newer generation of GOP politicians, it is about the cruelty. And that means that the old school GOP politicians, while they may not personally care about the issues, cater to those who do.
So, how does this all work out in the end for the counties in which Disney resides?
Disney has been doing its own infrastructure building and maintenance, is that now the responsibility of the county? Will they raise taxes on all the residents and businesses in the county in order to maintain Disney’s infrastructure, or will they allow that infrastructure to fall into disrepair?
Using tax rebates for free speech makes it a publicly funded political process. Disney is free to say whatever it wants on it’s own dime.
Estimates are that if Florida takes away Disney’s special status, it will amount to a $2200 per year tax increase for every family in that county.
Families that vote blue anyway, so fuck 'em, amirite?
I suspect any tax burden of the sort will simultaneously be painted as “making the liberal elites pay their fair share” and “shame on Disney for not voluntarily helping the communities that support it.”
And the house voted to take away self governing. After governor signs it, I would think court cases…
On what basis? Disney has no rights here.
~Max
So, let’s say that you go to a municipal meeting, and speak up in such a way that annoys the council or trustees, so they choose to rezone your business in order to hurt you.
You have no rights here?
The city could eminent domain my house because they don’t like me, I’m not sure I’d have any legal recourse. They have every legal right to downzone a business’s properties, and can even get away with doing it for some political vendetta, so long as there is a good fig leaf. (without one you can sue them for spot zoning)
~Max