.....And it's not just Walt Disney in his grave.
Over the past few days, a lot of Pro Disney, planted articles are showing up all over the media. Seems the Walt Disney Company's massive PR Department is ramping up to do damage control and counteract the many articles that have recently begun to shed light on what is really going on behind the seven giant dwarf columns on the facade of the Team Disney building in Burbank.
I see this current trend of the Walt Disney Company as a total sham. It is akin to their production of poor quality sequels and prequels to beloved Disney classics such as "Lady and the Tramp", "Peter Pan" or "The Little Mermaid" and then trying to pawn them off on the unsuspecting general public as a real Walt Disney Picture. In reality they are nothing more than cut rate, TV quality, foreign produced, rip-offs of the original classic animated features. Just another underhanded way for the current leaders of the company to capitalize and exploit, (if only in name) the impeccable work of the world renown Disney Feature Animation Department
That said, I strongly urge everyone who reads the obvious ploys, which are being concocted and planted in the media by the WDC, to consider them nothing more than a smattering of artificial pixie dust. They are meant to smoke screen the recent rash of articles that lean towards the unveiling of the truth about the stagnant and floundering Entertainment Company. Then take a good hard look at the "content", (a word I have heard inappropriately used to describe Disney's vacuous product of late) being offered by that same company. Examine what is going on at Feature Animation and WDI and the other unique divisions of the company as the current management continues to make headway with it's plans to reduce the staff of artists and creative people while retaining useless management and highly questionable leadership. I see this as a clear, albeit short-sighted, effort to bring quick profits back to a company deep in the throws of the negative results brought upon by a long and agonizing stint of "creative" management interference in the creative process. I ask you to consider the actions of the company and not to just accept their words as fact. What they say and what they do are two different things.
The Walt Disney Company of today does not stand for quality, or value or excellence as did Walt Disney's beloved studio of our youth. We need to get that through our heads once and for all. The good name of Disney has been reduced to little more than a trademark and marketing tool. The Walt Disney Company of today is interested in only one thing, The Bottom Line, and it is becoming more obvious every day that they will cut every corner until they achieve that goal. To me, there is no more Disney except in name, which the current leadership is quickly running into the ground so please don't confuse what the Disney of our childhood was with what The Walt Disney Company has become. That will only lead to disappointment.
Don't be fooled by the hollow words of executives that have helped only to bring The Walt Disney Company to this sorry place. These words are as shallow as the "content" that the executives commission and then try to shove down the public's throat. Beware Disney executives! The public is not stupid and no matter how you package an inferior product, it's still inferior and people eventually find out and turn away from the purveyors of such. in fact, that is what is happening now. It's interesting to note that in this the 100th Anniversary of Walt Disney's birth, the wonderful company he built is now so obviously struggling to find itself simply because the current management has chosen to completely turn away from the solid foundation of value and excellence that Walt Disney so clearly and strongly laid and adhered to during his lifetime of stellar achievement.
Now, I know there are many out there that don't want to hear the kinds of things I address in this commentary and I am sorry that the truth is so troubling. Of course, those bothered by this are welcome to go to Fantasyland and stick their heads in the sand. But I say to those who want to see the truth, take your head out of the sand and watch the paint peeling off the Technicolor facades. Of course, I don't think it needs to be this way. People who care can make a difference. Disney is not dead, it is just in a state of suspended animation and all that is needed is to go back to what was good and right about Walt's Magic Kingdom and put it back on track once more.
What The Walt Disney Company needs right now is to rediscover and to recommit to the past achievements of a group of devoted, talented, creative people who dedicated their professional lives towards helping Walt Disney, an extraordinary story teller and gifted entrepreneur, to bring his dreams to reality. All Walt seemed to need was a vision and a dream and the respect and support of a talented team of artists and dreamers who could actually produce something. And what they produced was a world of wonder and lasting quality. This was the foundation that served Walt Disney all through his life and with just that simple commitment to quality and imagination and value, the people, (and ultimately the profits) came running to him.
The Walt Disney Company of today should forget the hype and the spin doctoring, the shortsighted cut backs and the marketing to death of sub standard product. They need to start taking risks again. Setting trends and not following them. They need to allow the incredibly creative people they already have within their walls to explore and imagine and create in a stimulating, challenging and supportive environment. They need to provide this wonderful creative machine with projects and especially leadership worthy of their great strengths. They need to focus on quality and value and bring back the believers (people like you and me) to the parks and the theaters and the stores.
Sincerely,
Dave Pruiksma
Recently Retired 20 Year Disney Animator
