Senator Tells Disney to Lawyer up After Leaked Exec Video Claims Company Doesn’t Hire ‘White Men’

in Disney, Entertainment, Movies & TV

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There has been widespread outrage and condemnation from conservative media after Twentieth Century Television Senior Vice President Michael Giordano was caught on a hidden video saying that Disney explicitly does not hire “white men” for specific roles. Giordano was caught on a secret video explaining the hiring practices at The Walt Disney Company and openly admitted that, as a white man, he did not believe the company would promote him because of his race.

Related: Disney Executive Caught on Tape: ‘There’s No Way We’re Hiring a White Man.’

The Walt Disney Company is currently being sued by Stephen Miller, a former advisor to President Donald Trump, for discriminatory hiring practices.

Miller’s America First Legal claims The Walt Disney Company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act bans employment discrimination by prohibiting companies from using race, color, religion, sex, or national origin merely as motivating factors for hiring, training, or promotions.

However, Miller and American First Legal may have found a powerful ally in their fight against Disney. After news of the video broke, Senator Mike Lee of Utah released a statement on X saying that “Disney lawyers are going to be busy” and that Disney’s hiring practices are “against the law and have been for 60 years.”

Lee’s condemnation of Disney is incredibly impactful given that he sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Justice Department, which would be responsible for investigating Disney in this matter.

The Video

The video released by conservative media on Thursday shows Twentieth Century Television Senior Vice President Michael Giordano talking to an unknown person about the hiring practices at The Walt Disney Company.

A young woman with short dark hair, reminiscent of Rachel Zegler, dressed as Snow White in a colorful costume, is surrounded by seven dwarfs, each with distinct clothing and facial features. The setting appears to be a cozy, warmly-lit room.
Credit: Disney

Related: Florida Attorney General Coming for Disney World’s Starbucks Locations

Michael Giordano’s comments are only a few minutes in the video, with some intermittent reactions; however, Giordano says some damaging things about Disney’s hiring practices and inclusion policies.

Certainly, there have been times where, you know, there’s no way we’re hiring a white man for this…. There are times when it’s spoken. 

Reporter: How would they say it?

There’s no way we’re hiring a white man for this role. They’d be very careful how they’d message that to agents. 

Giordano says that Disney CEO Bob Iger “100 percent” has a say in ensuring diversity in casting on Disney’s shows and movies. While it is not a directive from Bob Iger, he says there should be “a certain amount of diversity” in each show.

Halle Bailey gazing upwards as Ariel in The Little Mermaid
Credit: Disney

He went on to say that when it comes to Disney’s hiring practices, there are “certain people that they won’t see.” He said:

When it comes to diversity, there is a belief that it’s just good for society. But there’s also a belief that it’s going to make more money if we appeal to a wider variety of people and it’s a good thing.

We have shareholders too. There are conservative people who don’t lean into it, but you can make the argument that we make more money if we appeal to a wider variety of people. 

The Fallout

The Walt Disney Company has become widely condemned across conservation social media and news outlets. Elon Musk, currently funding Gina Carano’s wrongful termination lawsuit against Disney, responded, “This is messed up.”

Others have called for a boycott of Disney, starting with the release of next month’s Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). There is no way of knowing if this boycott will affect the box office numbers for the highly anticipated Marvel film.

Disney has yet to publicly release a statement on the video or discuss its hiring practices. While Disney has not said anything, a leaked company document reportedly shows that Disney had a quota system for hiring and wanted to ensure that all groups were well-represented within the company.

However, with Senator Lee involved, it appears that the United States Congress will soon have its say on the matter.

Do you think Congress should get involved in Disney’s hiring practices and what was revealed in the leaked video? 

in Disney, Entertainment, Movies & TV

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