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Credit: Disney ParksThe Walt Disney Company has been in the hot seat of entertainment for a few months now as CEO Bob Iger has slowly lost favor with fans and the company experiences a string of disappointing releases and delayed projects.
Recent Issues From the Walt Disney Company
As Walt Disney World prepares to host not only the Disney100 celebrations at EPCOT starting this month but also the Destination D23 event, there’s been complaints that EPCOT is still under a lot of construction as timelines and openings are being pushed back. Over at Disneyland, reports of attractions consistently breaking down and rude guests are rampant online.
Related: Marvel Delays Could Spell Disaster for Studio’s Future
On the entertainment side, Disney has been ignoring complaints and criticisms about their unending live-action remakes, even as their latest, Snow White, has fans up in arms. Marvel has been dealt a crushing blow as Iger slammed the studio for its increased output and decreased quality over the last few years, resulting in a series of delay announcements even before the Hollywood strikes further halted every other project.
Above it all is Bob Iger, who quickly went from being praised as a savior for the Walt Disney Company when he took over from Bob Chapek to becoming one of the most hated leaders in the industry. He’s made derogatory comments about the writers and actors on strike, refusing to negotiate even as he announced his hold on Disney would last until 2026 (as would his multimillion-dollar salary). Now, it seems the hits keep coming, and Iger and The Walt Disney Company can sink even lower.
Disney Posts $300,000 PR Job Listing
While Disney and the other industry studios refuse to negotiate on wages and residual pay, Disney has apparently opened up a position for a senior executive to “lead crisis communications response efforts” in an effort to help “retain and motivate” employees. The job listing offers candidates over $330,000 and is reportedly “not new…[but is] a result of an internal move.”
It’s a harsh blow to the employees asking for more livable wages and comes just a few months after Iger called their demands “unrealistic.” He was also rumored to be the executive saying that they’re willing to wait until “union members start losing their apartments and houses,” which prompted some pointed criticism from actors like Ron Perlman and Sean Gunn. The comments from Iger created a maelstrom of outrage that forced the CEO to backtrack during the recent quarterly earnings call. The posting also comes after the company laid off over 7,000 employees earlier this year, just before the writers strike started.
Related: CEO Bob Iger “Stunned” People Blame Him for Disney Chaos
The job posting even inspired Abagail Disney to respond, taking to X/Twitter to share her thoughts on it. It’s no secret that Walt’s niece doesn’t approve of much of the company’s recent endeavors, as she’s been publicly outspoken about Iger and the ongoing strikes.
“How about instead of paying monstrous sums for better PR you just change your behavior?”
How about instead of paying monstrous sums for better PR you just change your behavior? https://t.co/7p9AqraINL
— Abigail Disney (@abigaildisney) September 1, 2023
It’s certainly not a good look for the company that seems to be heading on a downwards spiral: a $330,000 job listing for a public affairs and employee retention position when Disney’s own CEO won’t give in its creatives asking for a living wage and protections for streaming residuals and AI use. Clearly, Disney is trying to manage some form of damage control, but it’s possible that too much damage has already been done.
What do you think about the situation? Let us know in the comments below!