Posted on 12/03/2023 6:24:39 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The recent decision by Disney to pull its advertising from X (Twitter) drew fire from Elon Musk. During a conference appearance, the billionaire used the far more explicit form of telling someone to go jump in a lake to respond to the move. Musk also called out Disney CEO Bob Iger by name, accusing him of trying to "blackmail" X with money to eliminate free speech on the social media platform.
What was the reason behind Disney's move? According to reports, the company was reacting to a manufactured Media Matters "study" in which they were able to produce some ads next to antisemitic content. As RedState noted, the far-left activist group did so by creating an account, heavily curating its timeline, and then hitting refresh over and over until they got a statistically minuscule result. That was then provided as part of a call to boycott X, one which Disney dutifully followed.
Was Disney's move sincere, though, or was it just an excuse for the beleaguered entertainment company to once again make a leftwing political statement? According to evidence provided by The Wall Street Journal, the answer appears to be the latter.
The article itself is paywalled, but the money quote is below.
'Companies whose ads appeared beside inappropriate content in the Journal’s tests include Disney, Walmart, online dating company Match Group, Hims, which sells erectile-dysfunction drugs, and The Wall Street Journal itself.'
https://t.co/WxnpJWVYxH— Phil Stripling (@civex) November 27, 2023
What is the inappropriate content? According to the Journal's reporting, it includes sexually explicit content involving children. In other words, Disney pulled its ads from X over a flawed conclusion put out by the discredited organization Media Matters but continues to advertise on Instagram despite its ads showing up next to child pornography.
Does that make Disney's motivations for pulling ads from X clear enough? If this were really about concern for the brand, why would Disney continue to advertise on Instagram? Why hasn't it immediately paused its advertising on the platform?
Then there's the specific idea of antisemitic content. According to a recent study, Chinese-controlled TikTok is, by far, the biggest purveyor of antisemitic content. It has become a home for pro-Hamas "influencers" who spew genocidal viewpoints daily. Guess where Disney still advertises? That would be TikTok.
Disney's disparate decision-making when it comes to advertising completely exposes the company as a political actor simply trying to punish free speech on a single platform. If any of this were really about inappropriate content, the entertainment company would have paused advertising across the board. It didn't because it sees no risk in spiting those who support Musk's quest for some semblance of a free public square. Perhaps conservatives should show them there is a financial risk.
I’d give anything to go back to a time before the internet existed. It was better.
Same here....
Damn Algore for inventi!ng the internet,
And damn these typos!
We would be watching CNN right now. So maybe its a good thing that the internet was invented.
Many, many moons before the Internet, we ceased watching or listening to many media creeps. Peter Jennings comes to mind. During the 1989 Kalifornia earthquake, he came in a limousine to the site of a San Francisco fire. The fire was actually a busted gas main, so the fire looked bad. As soon as Jennings was done scaring people, he returned to his limousine. The next thing Jennings did was the day I turned much of his ilk off. He introduced a story, and a few facts, and then turned to the ‘expert’ asking him ‘tell us what to think.’ Goodbye Peter, don’t go away mad, just go away.
“ Was Disney’s move sincere, though, or was it just an excuse for the beleaguered entertainment company to once again make a leftwing political statement?”
It’s part of the 2024 Presidential campaign and this is just the opening salvo. A test of the water.
It’s going to get crazy.
Cable news.
24 hour news cycle created the fill that lead to issues we face today
Why was I watching CNN? Car repair waiting room.
This all began in 2009 w Obama, Holder and Valerie Jarrett.
They are the ones driving it.
How they are manipulating the market is a really good question.
“I’d give anything to go back to a time before the internet existed. It was better.”
I think things were much the same only we were unaware. The internet and independent journalism have shed much light on the truth about the world. Growing up you had to believe Cronkite or Huntley/Brinkley. They were both propaganda. While there is much to despise about the Internet, it has exposed the dark underbelly that needs to be exposed.
That’s a fair point. I just don’t like how introverted society has become now that everyone is staring at their phones all day and social media is such a drain on society
Pocket computers (AKA smartphones) and antisocial media use the internet, but they aren't the internet. The internet is much bigger.
I agree that antisocial media and the pervasiveness of internet-connected pocket computers have had a corrosive effect on society. My job is such that I am not able to have my pocket computer on my person at all times; consequently I'm much more comfortable off the job without it. It gives me an 'outsider' perspective. FWIW.
“I’d give anything to go back to a time before the internet existed. It was better.”I think things were much the same only we were unaware. The internet and independent journalism have shed much light on the truth about the world. Growing up you had to believe Cronkite or Huntley/Brinkley. They were both propaganda. While there is much to despise about the Internet, it has exposed the dark underbelly that needs to be exposed.
The irony of using an internet web site to communicate with strangers about the internet has to be noted . . .
CNN in the late 80’s and early 90’s was right down the middle.
It wasnt until Ted Turner started dating Jane Fonda that it turned Left.
I had the opportunity to chat with Lynn Russell at a Veterans Day event a few years ago. I think it accurate to say she was horrified at what CNN has become.
dalywire.com-—snip
The financial audit of Disney’s “Reedy Creek Improvement District” appears to uncover areas where corruption may have existed, as well as potential tax fraud, according to the report.
William Jennings, a forensic accountant who is regularly hired by the federal government to conduct investigations, found that Disney treated the district employees that were supposed to be regulating it like employees.
Reedy Creek Improvement District employees were treated to benefits such as complimentary annual passes for themselves and family members, as well as steep discounts on products and related services, such as Disney cruises. The report states that “showering gifts and lavish spending on RCID employees” created the “impression that these employees worked to achieve the interests of Disney, not of the District or other property owners.”
The audit states that these “improper” payments were “akin to bribes of public officials” when they were coming from Disney. In recent years, the district has reimbursed Disney for the benefits, categorizing the perks as “financial and administrative services.”
The district also failed to include the benefits as taxable income to the IRS, even after employees brought the tax issue up to leadership. The district administrator, John Classe, said that the benefits — which included annual passes for each employee and three or more family members — were part of “employee training.” The report criticizes Classe’s statement as “not plausible,” noting “RCID employees received the tickets regardless of their job duties and for the use of their friends and family.”
Jennings found that the same administrator, Classe, in a 15-month span put $166,000 on the RCID’s American Express card for “celebrations, sports tickets, memberships, meetings, and other events,” including roughly $23,000 for “entertainment and golf.”
snip
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