Censorship in Disneyland

[lynn]

This is what we get when there are only a handful of companies that own everything.
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Disney Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush
By JIM RUTENBERG
NY Times
May 5, 2004

WASHINGTON, May 4 — The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday.

The film, "Fahrenheit 911," links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Disney, which bought Miramax more than a decade ago, has a contractual agreement with the Miramax principals, Bob and Harvey Weinstein, allowing it to prevent the company from distributing films under certain circumstances, like an excessive budget or an NC-17 rating.

Executives at Miramax, who became principal investors in Mr. Moore's project last spring, do not believe that this is one of those cases, people involved in the production of the film said. If a compromise is not reached, these people said, the matter could go to mediation, though neither side is said to want to travel that route.

In a statement, Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Miramax, said: "We're discussing the issue with Disney. We're looking at all of our options and look forward to resolving this amicably."

But Disney executives indicated that they would not budge from their position forbidding Miramax to be the distributor of the film in North America. Overseas rights have been sold to a number of companies, executives said.

"We advised both the agent and Miramax in May of 2003 that the film would not be distributed by Miramax," said Zenia Mucha, a company spokeswoman, referring to Mr. Moore's agent. "That decision stands."

Disney came under heavy criticism from conservatives last May after the disclosure that Miramax had agreed to finance the film when Icon Productions, Mel Gibson's company, backed out.

Mr. Moore's agent, Ari Emanuel, said Michael D. Eisner, Disney's chief executive, asked him last spring to pull out of the deal with Miramax. Mr. Emanuel said Mr. Eisner expressed particular concern that it would endanger tax breaks Disney receives for its theme park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where Mr. Bush's brother, Jeb, is governor.

"Michael Eisner asked me not to sell this movie to Harvey Weinstein; that doesn't mean I listened to him," Mr. Emanuel said. "He definitely indicated there were tax incentives he was getting for the Disney corporation and that's why he didn't want me to sell it to Miramax. He didn't want a Disney company involved."

Disney executives deny that accusation, though they said their displeasure over the deal was made clear to Miramax and Mr. Emanuel.

A senior Disney executive elaborated that the company had the right to quash Miramax's distribution of films if it deemed their distribution to be against the interests of the company. The executive said Mr. Moore's film is deemed to be against Disney's interests not because of the company's business dealings with the government but because Disney caters to families of all political stripes and believes Mr. Moore's film, which does not have a release date, could alienate many.

"It's not in the interest of any major corporation to be dragged into a highly charged partisan political battle," this executive said.

Miramax is free to seek another distributor in North America, but such a deal would force it to share profits and be a blow to Harvey Weinstein, a big donor to Democrats.

Mr. Moore, who will present the film at the Cannes film festival this month, criticized Disney's decision in an interview on Tuesday, saying, "At some point the question has to be asked, `Should this be happening in a free and open society where the monied interests essentially call the shots regarding the information that the public is allowed to see?' "

Mr. Moore's films, like "Roger and Me" and "Bowling for Columbine," are often a political lightning rod, as Mr. Moore sets out to skewer what he says are the misguided priorities of conservatives and big business. They have also often performed well at the box office. His most recent movie, "Bowling for Columbine," took in about $22 million in North America for United Artists. His books, like "Stupid White Men," a jeremiad against the Bush administration that has sold more than a million copies, have also been lucrative.

Mr. Moore does not disagree that "Fahrenheit 911" is highly charged, but he took issue with the description of it as partisan. "If this is partisan in any way it is partisan on the side of the poor and working people in this country who provide fodder for this war machine," he said.

Mr. Moore said the film describes financial connections between the Bush family and its associates and prominent Saudi Arabian families that go back three decades. He said it closely explores the government's role in the evacuation of relatives of Mr. bin Laden from the United States immediately after the 2001 attacks. The film includes comments from American soldiers on the ground in Iraq expressing disillusionment with the war, he said.

Mr. Moore once planned to produce the film with Mr. Gibson's company, but "the project wasn't right for Icon," said Alan Nierob, an Icon spokesman, adding that the decision had nothing to do with politics.

Miramax stepped in immediately. The company had distributed Mr. Moore's 1997 film, "The Big One." In return for providing most of the new film's $6 million budget, Miramax was positioned to distribute it.

While Disney's objections were made clear early on, one executive said the Miramax leadership hoped it would be able to prevail upon Disney to sign off on distribution, which would ideally happen this summer, before the election and when political interest is high.

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[Root Doctor]

This is interesting, coming as it does on the heels of this news item:

The big hit at Disney World this week? Legendary porn star Ron Jeremy, who
got a VIP pass to jump the lines at the Florida themepark. Newly known by
the masses for appearing in "The Surreal Life," Jeremy was mobbed by
autograph hounds. "Clean-cut dads and moms and their kids took turns
snapping pictures with him all day -- that was surreal," said one witness.
(Page Six)

[RBS]

This is a true story:

I used to play "Popeye" for King Features -- the Thanksgiving Day Parade, baseball games, etc. I was in a full body-- costume, head, body, arms and legs. Twenty-five pounds of plastic covering a latex body suit. This inhuman costume would often get to 110 degrees in midsummer.

There was a story that made the rounds among the costume characters.

In Disneyworld, the employees aren't treated well, to say the least. There was one guy in a full body costume who passed out in mid-July -- right there, in the middle of Disneyworld, he lay flat on his back, gasping for air, the temperature probably reaching 120 degrees inside the costume.

Disney has extremely strict rules about the person in costume not being seen with his "head" off. So, some supervisor made sure that as he lay flat on his back in the scorching 100 degree heat, gasping for air, his chest heaving up and down, that another costume character sat on him, making sure he didn't take his head off.

[Pete C]

I wonder if the film will be shown in Canada. I assume samizdat copies will be available soon.

[moneyp]

Having worked for Disney myself, I'll eat my Ducks cap if this isn't a planted controversy.

[Gentle Giant]

Well, Michael Moore broke the story himself on his website, so it sounds more like the launch of a publicity blitz.

[Pete C]

Wednesday, May 5th, 2004
Disney Has Blocked the Distribution of My New Film... by Michael Moore


Friends,

I would have hoped by now that I would be able to put my work out to the public without having to experience the profound censorship obstacles I often seem to encounter.

Yesterday I was told that Disney, the studio that owns Miramax, has officially decided to prohibit our producer, Miramax, from distributing my new film, "Fahrenheit 9/11." The reason? According to today's (May 5) New York Times, it might "endanger" millions of dollars of tax breaks Disney receives from the state of Florida because the film will "anger" the Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush. The story is on page one of the Times and you can read it here (Disney Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush).

The whole story behind this (and other attempts) to kill our movie will be told in more detail as the days and weeks go on. For nearly a year, this struggle has been a lesson in just how difficult it is in this country to create a piece of art that might upset those in charge (well, OK, sorry -- it WILL upset them...big time. Did I mention it's a comedy?). All I can say is, thank God for Harvey Weinstein and Miramax who have stood by me during the entire production of this movie.

There is much more to tell, but right now I am in the lab working on the print to take to the Cannes Film Festival next week (we have been chosen as one of the 18 films in competition). I will tell you this: Some people may be afraid of this movie because of what it will show. But there's nothing they can do about it now because it's done, it's awesome, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll see it this summer -- because, after all, it is a free country.

Yours,

Michael Moore
mmflint@aol.com
www.michaelmoore.com

[moneyp]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

Well, Michael Moore broke the story himself on his website, so it sounds more like the launch of a publicity blitz.

Same thing!

[graypencil]

Originally Posted by RBS

This is a true story:


There was a story that made the rounds among the costume characters.

In Disneyworld, the employees aren't treated well, to say the least. There was one guy in a full body costume who passed out in mid-July -- right there, in the middle of Disneyworld, he lay flat on his back, gasping for air, the temperature probably reaching 120 degrees inside the costume.

Disney has extremely strict rules about the person in costume not being seen with his "head" off. So, some supervisor made sure that as he lay flat on his back in the scorching 100 degree heat, gasping for air, his chest heaving up and down, that another costume character sat on him, making sure he didn't take his head off.

This is similar to some stories I've heard from college musicians who have been granted "playing jobs" at the various Disney parks via a yearly "college audition" tour ..

They cannot be members of the AFM ..and the jobs ( often very long hours per day ) are compensated at far less than what professionals would cost to do the same jobs ..

The Mouse is not known for being benevolent to the worker bees ..

[Tanager]

It's not a publicity plant, I think - it's a power struggle between the Weinsteins (who run Miramax and are, perhaps coincidentally, big backers of Dem candidates) and Disney, which enjoys substantial tax breaks and the like and doesn't wish to ruffle the feathers of Jeb Bush. Disney actually says that they don't feel the film is suitable, as it might offend some of their customers, and it is therefore subject to their decisions re: distro b/c of this, or something along those lines. It was in a lot of news outlets, I believe, in the business sections.

[moneyp]

Tan, there is no power struggle between Disney and the Weinsteins. Miramax is one of Disney's biggest cash cows, so they're given carte blanche to do whatever they want. If Disney truly had a problem with this, the film wouldn't have been financed by Miramax in the first place. This sort of thing doesn't suddenly stop when it gets to the point of distribution. It allows Disney to voice their disapporoval to the idea, allows Moore to rail against the system, and gives the film some free publicity.

Just watch, Disney will eventually cave on the deal and Miramax will be distributing it in the U.S.

And I would imagine that Jeb Bush actually has to appease Disney more than the other way around. That's how it works here in California.

This is a true story: - RBS

This is similar to some stories I've heard from...... - GP

Hey, my buddy told me a story about his friend going down to Mexico for spring break. Seems he met up with this hot chick outside one of the nightclubs and went back to her hotel room. Dude was screwin her and all, and when it was done he was so wasted that he passed out. So he wakes up the next morning and the broad is gone. So when he gets up to go take a piss, he sees scribbled on the mirror in red lipstick "welcome to the wonderful world of AIDS".

No kidding.

Back here in the real world, my brother worked at The Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center for 12 years. Those stories are a bunch of bull.

[Dr Dave]

Well, it certainly gives one pause to wonder whether Disney is more afraid of the Bushes than the Bushes are afraid of Disney.

That said, Mone's analysis seems most plausible. Let's have a little fun, make a little money.

[moneyp]

Yeah, I don't know about the costumed story, although Disney does have a rule that costumed members can't be seen with their heads off, I don't think they're willing to let someone die over that rule. Sounds apocryphal to me.

I do believe GP's story about low wages for musicans, though. Disney scrimps where they can.

They also don't allow facial hair at the park down in Orange County (probably Florida as well, but again, I'm not sure), which leads to the cleanest cut pirates you'll ever see in the Main Street parade. The facial hair policy isn't company wide, though.

The biggest controversy in Disney history was the cartoonist strike, where Walt played the Communism card to break it. Oh, and up until the late 60s, long-haired males were not allowed in the park.

My favorite story, which may or may not be true, was Walt calling in one of Disney's young male stars at the time who happened to be homosexual (I'm blanking on who it is) and telling him that he better start liking girls, quick. Walt's views on homosexuality were pretty well documented, so I have no trouble believing it.

[RBS]

Originally Posted by graypencil

The Mouse is not known for being benevolent to the worker bees ..

The Mouse also has a special deal with the Actors Equity union. What they do is pay like 500 bucks a week for something like 8-10 shows a DAY!

And when you audition for them, the union always posts a sign that says:

"Please be aware of the conditions and requirements for working when you sign a contract with Disney."

[Dr Dave]

I was going to say it seems likely that Scott's brother would have to be the one doing the sitting...

[Tanager]

Mone, you're probably right (I know from other threads you know much, much more about the movie industry than I do) - I guess I found this particular story believable b/c I've heard that Disney is not shy to rein in their properties if they don't toe the line.

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

I was going to say it seems likely that Scott's brother would have to be the one doing the sitting...

[RBS]

http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dyn...dco%2Fwdco.asp

This is a link to some of Disney's Urban Legends.

[Captain Hate]

Originally Posted by Root Doctor

This is interesting, coming as it does on the heels of this news item:

The big hit at Disney World this week? Legendary porn star Ron Jeremy, who
got a VIP pass to jump the lines at the Florida themepark. Newly known by
the masses for appearing in "The Surreal Life," Jeremy was mobbed by
autograph hounds. "Clean-cut dads and moms and their kids took turns
snapping pictures with him all day -- that was surreal," said one witness.
(Page Six)

They probably wanted their picture taken with the ugliest mook in the world.

Censurship