Go Woke, Go Broke: Disney Admits Political Activism Has Cost Billions, Maybe its Future

'You can bring movies to the public, but you cannot make them sell'

It's been confirmed by Disney that it's pro-woke social agenda and ideologies have cost the company billions and even pose a threat to its future.

The company has been on a screed for several years now to promote the LGBT ideology, fight conservative moves to protect children in schools and demand special privileges from the state of Florida, where it has large properties.

Much of that agenda is in opposition to what many parents, whose dollars have built the massive empire, want.

The Washington Examiner reported the company's recently released animated "Wish" was facing backlash for its "wokeness."

TRENDING: Couple's dog survives mysterious illness sweeping U.S., they say stranger's suggestion online saved him

Get the hottest, most important news stories on the Internet – delivered FREE to your inbox as soon as they break! Take just 30 seconds and sign up for WND's Email News Alerts!

"YouTube channel Clipped Coin called it 'recycled woke trash' with bad songs and bad writing, based on the trailer. As of this writing, the trailer has 78,000 downvotes on YouTube," the report said.

That followed Disney's failed "The Little Mermaid" remake, and well as the controversy over the now-much-delayed and apparently being remade "Snow White."

A report at MSN said the disastrous performance brought on by Disney's leftist ideologies disrupted the company's recent 100th birthday, with "rows over land … to their recent releases bombing at the box office."

Are you boycotting Disney?

Yes No 

Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Disney's live-action version of 'The Little Mermaid' (Video screenshot)

The company recently discounted children's tickets at Disneyland and Disney World because of the fallout, the report said, and attendance is down.

The company even is in an actual court fight with Florida, where lawmakers withdrew a special privilege that had been granted Disney essentially to govern itself and its own property over recent decades.

That came about because Disney refused to accept the state's Parental Rights in Education Law, insisting that it be thrown out.

Now the company's woes are being documented.

A column by constitutional expert Jonathan Turley quoted from Disney's annual SEC report, where the company admitted, "We face risks relating to misalignment with public and consumer tastes and preferences for entertainment, travel and consumer products."

The company noted, "The success of our businesses depends on our ability to consistently create compelling content," and "Generally, our revenues and profitability are adversely impacted when our entertainment offerings and products, as well as our methods to make our offerings and products available to consumers, do not achieve sufficient consumer acceptance."

And it warned about the future, with, "Consumers’ perceptions of our position on matters of public interest, including our efforts to achieve certain of our environmental and social goals, often differ widely and present risks to our reputation and brands."

Turley noted, "Disney has reportedly lost a billion dollars just on four of its recent 'woke' movie flops, productions denounced by critics as pushing political agendas or storylines. Yet until now, the company has continued to roll out underperforming movies as revenue has dropped. What’s more, Disney stars persist in bad-mouthing its fabled storylines and undermining its new productions. The company admits that it has suffered a continued slide in 'impressions' (that is, viewership) by 14 percent."

He speculated how shareholders, those whose money Disney uses to advance its ideologies, may think it "counterintuitive" to trade profits for social agendas.

He explained, "Disney’s products are now viewed by many conservatives as empty virtue signaling and endless attempts to indoctrinate children. Moreover, when the company publicly declares its opposition to a popular parental rights bill in Florida, it is moving away from a commercial to a political focus."

He explained, "You can bring movies to the public, but you cannot make them sell. Once an unassailable and uniting brand, Disney brand is now negatively associated with activism by a significant number of consumers. The company is now even reporting a decline in licensing revenue from products associated with Star Wars, Frozen, Toy Story and Mickey and Friends — iconic and once-unassailable corporate images."

He pointedly noted, "The question is how long Disney (or its shareholders) can tolerate falling revenues tied to its 'misalignment with the public.' It is a massive corporation and it can lose billions before facing any truly dire decisions. Yet even Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, now appears to be seeking to 'quiet things down' after years of culture wars."

A report at Fox News noted the Disney headwinds, explaining, "Turley, a George Washington University law professor and Fox News contributor, used the 300th birthday of famed economist Adam Smith, whose 'invisible hand' metaphor explained how people could exercise their choice between particular products, to put a spotlight on Disney's struggles.

"'Disney appears to acknowledge that Smith’s invisible hand is giving the 'House of Mouse' the middle finger. In a new corporate disclosure, Disney acknowledges that its controversial political and social agenda is costing the company and shareholders,' Turley wrote," the report said.