Am I the only one who dislikes Bob Iger?

[DuckTalesFan32]

I have disliked Bog Iger for years. I can't stand him. Why do I dislike him? Let me count the ways.

1. Killing off traditional hand-drawn animated movies. These were the heart and soul of Disney. From Snow White to Emperor's New Groove, there was a beauty to these animated films. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast were like fairy-tale books, in some regards, something that Frozen lost a bit of by going to 3D. I don't know how to totally express the special feeling 2D animation gives. Now Disney doesn't seem to want anything to do with beautiful hand-drawn animated movies. This leads to...

2. Remaking there hand-drawn animated films into live-action remakes. Absolutely sloppy. This is a creative void. I don't see the point in Disney doing this.... except to cash on nostalgia.

3. Turning Disney more corporate. Seriously, I can understand them buying the IP for Star Wars. But all of Fox? They now have the Simpsons under the Disney banner by putting them on Disney Plus. It feels so out of place. Also, Bog Iger's Disney banner on his Twitter has Deadpool on it. This is also strange, considering Deadpool is a very R-rated character. It's weird then to promote the Simpsons as though they are family-friendly and to especially have Deadpool on a banner with Disney princesses. The fact is, I now see movies on Disney Plus, such as X-Men films, Adventures in Babysitting, and Avatar that, though good movies (except for Avatar which sucks) don't feel very Disney to me. It feels like Disney has become a common Hollywood company that isn't any different than their competitors.

4. Every attraction has to be based on an IP. Why? There were tons of successful rides that weren't based on IPs. Thunder Mountain, Expedition Everest, It's a Small World, Enchanted Tiki Room, Space Mountain, and for a while Haunted Mansion and Pirates, though to be fair Haunted Mansion is still looked at as an original IP. And many people think of Splash Mountain as an original IP, not associating it with Song of the South. I feel like latching every new attraction onto an IP stifles creativity.

5. Giving in to cancel culture. Say what you wish. Disney is changing Splash Mountain because of a small group of people, and by a small group, I don't mean a race. I mean those who find offense with it, regardless of skin color. There are plenty of whites, blacks, Asians, Latinos, etc, etc. who want Splash Mountain to stay. Anything problematic from the film was removed, letting Splash Mountain be its own story based on African-American folk-tales. Many polls have it a 70 to 81 percent of those who want the original theme. Now because Disney has a few people who have complained, people are emboldened, making petitions to remove the hanging corpse from The Haunted Mansion and to remove the Dumbo ride, only because the Dumbo film had a few problematic elements. I kid you not. It doesn't stop. And while Disney has always censored some things, it has increased under Iger.

6. I wish Universal, instead of Disney, had bought Marvel. Marvel feels extremely out of place with Disney. Some of Marvel's graphic novels are way too adult. With the gritty crime dramas full of murder and corruption in Daredevil, to Punisher gunning people down, to the X-Men with their sometimes graphic stories of genocide and Wolverine slicing people up, it just feels weird to go to a Disney park and see Marvel merchandise for sale. But I don't feel like superheroes fit in with Disney, anyway. No. I'm not going to start a petition to ban Marvel from Disney. I don't do that. I don't believe that just because I don't like something that other people can't. But Marvel under Disney does feel out of place and I hate it. I wish Disney would treat it separately, much like Eisner treated Miramax as such.

Out of all of these, what kills me the most is the death of hand-drawn animated movies. I have some hope they may come back because of the new Mickey Mouse cartoons. I hope they come back.

So, yeah, I'm not an Iger fan. I really feel like he has lost Walt's vision. Eisner wasn't perfect but at least he knew the importance of making Disney feel somewhat like Disney. I can't say the same for Iger. I feel Chapek will be just as bad as Iger, if not worse. So, am I the only one who can't stand what Bob Iger has to Disney? I think he's the Emperor Palpatine of CEOs, putting on a friendly face, but in truth is destructive and self-aggrandizing. I also feel like, though he had flaws, Eisner will be looked at much more kindly in the future than Iger will be. Anyone feel similar?

 

[BrianL]

Your points do make some sense, but they're not all at Iger's feet. Hand Drawn animation went away because it is too expensive. Granted they could still do 2-D animation but it would still be computer drafted, not hand-drawn (there is still a lot of this on TV). The economics for it just don't work and audiences have rejected hand-drawn feature films. I'm not a big fan of the remakes either, but they always make a billion dollars. This is just reacting to what the audience wants. They have also made alot of cool, original movies too under Iger's tenure, but some didn't gain traction. Tomorrowland failed, which is a total shame, but why make something like that when a remake of a 90's animated film will rake in the dough?

The Marvel thing is complicated. The comics themselves haven't been very good for a long time and have gotten darker and darker, and more adult. That's not to say that Disney can't make adult porgramming and movies - they have. They used to own Miramax. That said, the tone of the MCU, which seems to be the only Marvel that Disney cares about, is spot-on and fits right into the Star Wars/Pirates of the Caribbean vibe. They contain what Stan Lee called "Action" as opposed to "Violence." I wish Disney would take an interest in the actual comics publishing and reign them in - the things they publish are terrible!

 

[DuckTalesFan32]

Your points do make some sense, but they're not all at Iger's feet. Hand Drawn animation went away because it is too expensive. Granted they could still do 2-D animation but it would still be computer drafted, not hand-drawn (there is still a lot of this on TV). The economics for it just don't work and audiences have rejected hand-drawn feature films.

Can't they do it hand-drawn, scan it into the compute, and then digitally ink it? That's what they did through much of the Disney Renaissance starting with Beauty and the Beast. If they have to do it computer drafted, I guess so be it as long as they simulate the hand-drawn effect. As for audiences rejecting it, I don't believe that. I just think a lot of people weren't interested in the idea of the Princess and the Frog because it took place in the bayou instead of Europe or Asia, which is a darn shame because it's a beautiful movie, being one of my top 5 favorite (not counting Pixar) Disney animated movies. But there are some hand-drawn animated films from Japan that have been very successful. So, I do believe there is still a market for it. Bob Iger has no vision, though.

I just don't think Disney has been that great under Iger. What I'm going to say next is unpopular but I'm going to say it. I thought the MCU started out fantastic and then took a nosedive. It has become so stale and boring. I just don't know why people praise Iger like he is the 2nd coming of Walt Disney.

On a side note, BrianL, I don't think the Marvel comics have gotten any darker or more violent since the 1980s. It was the 80s that really introduced their darker and more violent tones, especially Frank Miller's run on Daredevil. In the 70s, the rules were being loosened.

 

[BrianL]

Can't they do it hand-drawn, scan it into the compute, and then digitally ink it? That's what they did through much of the Disney Renaissance starting with Beauty and the Beast. If they have to do it computer drafted, I guess so be it as long as they simulate the hand-drawn effect. As for audiences rejecting it, I don't believe that. I just think a lot of people weren't interested in the idea of the Princess and the Frog because it took place in the bayou instead of Europe or Asia, which is a darn shame because it's a beautiful movie, being one of my top 5 favorite (not counting Pixar) Disney animated movies. But there are some hand-drawn animated films from Japan that have been very successful. So, I do believe there is still a market for it. Bob Iger has no vision, though.

I just don't think Disney has been that great under Iger. What I'm going to say next is unpopular but I'm going to say it. I thought the MCU started out fantastic and then took a nosedive. It has become so stale and boring. I just don't know why people praise Iger like he is the 2nd coming of Walt Disney.

On a side note, BrianL, I don't think the Marvel comics have gotten any darker or more violent since the 1980s. It was the 80s that really introduced their darker and more violent tones, especially Frank Miller's run on Daredevil. In the 70s, the rules were being loosened.

Well, it's that hand-drawing part that costs so much. They paid thousands of people to sit there and churn out drawings (24 per second), then ink them, paint them, photograph them - it was labor intensive. The Princess an the Frog didn't use a lot of actual hand-drawn animation anyway. They definitely used digital processes on it. The fact is 2D animation was getting shelacked at the box-office by 3D stuff. They simply do what the market dictates. There may be a niche market for it, but it won't recoup the costs. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is.

I think Iger had a lot of strong wins, especially in animation. WDAS underwent a second renaissance under Lasseter (for better or worse he was the guy) and mad a string of hits, starting with The Princess and the Frog. Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, BH6, Frozen, Zootopia - they were knocking it out of the park! I guess if you don't like 3D animation then they may not be your cup of tea, but they are all excellent both in quality and they all did very well too.

Yeah, comics did start getting darker in the 80s, but many of those stories, like Frank Miller's, were sort of on their own. Your average issue of The Avengers or X-Men weren't that violent or adult-themed. That sort of leeched in over time. To me, it's one thing if Daredevil is on the darker side, but it shouldn't be the case for Captain America or Iron Man. There can be levels to it, and I'm okay with that. The problem these dyas is that the comics are all dark and twisted. Have you seen X-Men lately? Ugh!

 

[DuckTalesFan32]

Well, it's that hand-drawing part that costs so much. They paid thousands of people to sit there and churn out drawings (24 per second), then ink them, paint them, photograph them - it was labor intensive. The Princess an the Frog didn't use a lot of actual hand-drawn animation anyway. They definitely used digital processes on it. The fact is 2D animation was getting shelacked at the box-office by 3D stuff. They simply do what the market dictates. There may be a niche market for it, but it won't recoup the costs. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is.

I think Iger had a lot of strong wins, especially in animation. WDAS underwent a second renaissance under Lasseter (for better or worse he was the guy) and mad a string of hits, starting with The Princess and the Frog. Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, BH6, Frozen, Zootopia - they were knocking it out of the park! I guess if you don't like 3D animation then they may not be your cup of tea, but they are all excellent both in quality and they all did very well too.

Yeah, comics did start getting darker in the 80s, but many of those stories, like Frank Miller's, were sort of on their own. Your average issue of The Avengers or X-Men weren't that violent or adult-themed. That sort of leeched in over time. To me, it's one thing if Daredevil is on the darker side, but it shouldn't be the case for Captain America or Iron Man. There can be levels to it, and I'm okay with that. The problem these dyas is that the comics are all dark and twisted. Have you seen X-Men lately? Ugh!

You mention that if you don't like 3D animation it might not be ones cup of tea. Just to clarify, I love 3D animation. I love Pixar movies. But I want diversity. I don't know why Disney Animation and Pixar have to do the same style of animation. You mentioned Princess and the Frog not being that hand-drawn. So be it! It still has the spirit of hand-drawn movies. Let's bring that style back.

As I said before, I don't think 2D animation is dead to people. Disney had a failure with Princess and the Frog and gave up on it. In fact, anime that has a 2D hand-drawn animation style is growing more and more popular in the States. Here's a link. And we aren't the only country that matters when it comes to Disney raking up revenue. While I am not a big fan of China because of how the country treats Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists, it can't be denied they help the market. And they prefer hand-drawn (or at least the style of) animation. Traditional animation, or at least the style of it, isn't dead. Not at all.

Also, could you please send me a private message. I'm curious about how dark and twisted X-Men is now. Is it more than the Grant Morrison issues I read in the early 2000s?

 

[BrianL]

You mention that if you don't like 3D animation it might not be ones cup of tea. Just to clarify, I love 3D animation. I love Pixar movies. But I want diversity. I don't know why Disney Animation and Pixar have to do the same style of animation. You mentioned Princess and the Frog not being that hand-drawn. So be it! It still has the spirit of hand-drawn movies. Let's bring that style back.

As I said before, I don't think 2D animation is dead to people. Disney had a failure with Princess and the Frog and gave up on it. In fact, anime that has a 2D hand-drawn animation style is growing more and more popular in the States. Here's a link. And we aren't the only country that matters when it comes to Disney raking up revenue. While I am not a big fan of China because of how the country treats Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists, it can't be denied they help the market. And they prefer hand-drawn (or at least the style of) animation. Traditional animation, or at least the style of it, isn't dead. Not at all.

Also, could you please send me a private message. I'm curious about how dark and twisted X-Men is now. Is it more than the Grant Morrison issues I read in the early 2000s?

I hear you, I was just trying to point out that Iger had some wins too. I don't agree with everything he did, but he was a pretty good CEO as far as the company was concerned. Certianly I think that 2D animation could eventually make a comeback, but now isn't the time. Even if there is enough of a market, would you rather make a 2D animated movie that costs $100M (digital) and makes $400M or a 3D animated movie that costs $100M and makes $1.5B? The answer is easy for Disney and that is why. It's not that 2D would necessarily be a flob, but it would almost certainly make less thant 3D counterpart.

On X-Men, it's nothing we can't talk about here. I mean, the violence is about standard for today's comic books (i.e. semi-graphic) but it's more of the tone of what's happening. The Xavier and the mutants formed their own nation that specifically hates humans - ALL of them do. Only mutants are welcome (picture somethign like Apartheid era South Africa) and they consider humans to be less than them. I don't just mean Magneto, but Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, etc. all talk about humans in hateful terms. They are now friends with Apocalypes and Mister Sinister and they use plots like extortion and assassinations to keep their nation "safe" from humans. The book is grossly cynical, dark, and twisted. with all of them walking around spouting jingoistic nonsense while indulging in a very hedonistic lifestyle (and this gets...ahem, you know) because they are untouchable and can't even die (any character can be resurrected in a new body at will). Quite frankly, I find it disgusting, and it's a bit of a sore spot for me. Supposedly there may be some deep, underlying evil somewhere in the story, but after a year all they've done is double down on the "all humans are bad" philosophy.

 

[TsWade2]

I used to like Bob Iger, but after he's gone and what he did to the studios (According to your list), I'm starting not to like him and I pretend he got punished in the Medieval Times way. Why he even say hand drawn animation is no longer relevant, which he is wrong. Thank God Jennifer Lee and Eric Goldberg are bringing back hand drawn animation.

 

[BrokeMack]

I'll take Iger over Bobby Cheap@$$ any day.

 

[GAN]

Iger was a true leader, and an honest business man. I think he would admit his primary focus wasn’t on the details like parks, animation, etc. -he had others that had much more experience in those areas handling those aspects. Sure, he had the final say but ultimately allowed them determine the direction of things like hand-drawn animation …honestly, while it’s a beautiful art it needs to be financially viable at the same time .

The deals he brokered(whether we like the results or not) with Pixar, LucasFilm, Marvel, and Fox have set Disney up for an extremely bright future. The magnitude of those deals is mind boggling -Iger makes Jack Welch look like a grade schooler. I suggest anyone not really caring for Iger give his book a shot …it’s an amazing look into his life and career(if not slightly self-serving). If not interested -do yourselves a favor and just read the chapter on the opening of Shanghai ….

 

[BrianL]

Iger was a true leader, and an honest business man. I think he would admit his primary focus wasn’t on the details like parks, animation, etc. -he had others that had much more experience in those areas handling those aspects. Sure, he had the final say but ultimately allowed them determine the direction of things like hand-drawn animation …honestly, while it’s a beautiful art it needs to be financially viable at the same time .

The deals he brokered(whether we like the results or not) with Pixar, LucasFilm, Marvel, and Fox have set Disney up for an extremely bright future. The magnitude of those deals is mind boggling -Iger makes Jack Welch look like a grade schooler. I suggest anyone not really caring for Iger give his book a shot …it’s an amazing look into his life and career(if not slightly self-serving). If not interested -do yourselves a favor and just read the chapter on the opening of Shanghai ….

Yeah, I mean I certainly didn't like every decision Iger made, but I do respect the guy and what he accomplished a lot.