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Disney's largest shareholder, Nelson Peltz, is waging a massive fight against Disney for mismanagement and lack of accountability. Not only is he right to do so, but he has the support of millions of “Disney Kids” like me who are shocked by what far-left leaders have done to the iconic company.
As for me, in some real and lasting way, the “Wonderful World of Disney” and Disney movies helped keep me sane by providing moments of escape and happiness during a childhood that saw me evicted from 34 homes by the time I was 17. . old.
Aside from the seemingly endless evictions, my older brother Jay, younger sister Janice, and I were also frequently left without power. Just one of the many bills our highly dysfunctional, alcoholic parents never seemed to pay.
KURT RUSSELL CROSSED WITH OJ SIMPSON, TED BUNDY AND THE MANSON FAMILY
Since evictions, the lack of electricity, and the sadness and humiliation that accompanied them were common and predictable, I came up with something to distract our minds in the midst of darkness and literal despair.
Longtime star Kurt Russell has been part of the Disney family since he was a child actor. (Mark Davis/Getty Images)
It involved using the battery-powered recorder that my grandmother had given me to record the audio of Disney programs on television (when we had electricity), as well as occasionally introducing it into a movie theater to record the audio of a Disney movie. . .
The idea was that when our electricity was cut off or when we were living in the back of a car, I would play Disney movies on my recorder to distract us from the constant misery while also providing us with much-needed entertainment.
The first Disney movie I recorded (after a few Disney shows on television) was “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes,” starring Kurt Russell as “Dexter Riley.” Since I was in the minor leagues at the time and knew Russell was an excellent baseball player, I gravitated toward him as an actor and as an outlet.
I literally lost count of how many times my brother, sister and I listened to “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” or “The Barefoot Executive” in the dark. Russell may never know it, but in a very real way, we will always be in his debt.
Now, let's fast forward to today. In my opinion, and certainly in the opinion of tens of millions of Americans, the Disney of today is a far cry from the company imagined, created and fostered by Walt Disney 100 years ago.
The company took a left political turn years ago and has progressively moved from the liberal lane to the far-left lane to the woke lane while scaring away those tens of millions of former fans.
In a way, I was the “model” of a Disney child. His programming in the late 60's gave me the escape needed to decompress my mind and fight another day. I loved Disney then and I love the idea of that Disney now.
Except today's Disney apparently wants to politicize every single thing it creates or controls. His leadership is deeply political and now continually pushes the Democratic Party's agenda as well as divisive “identity politics.”
October 1966: American actor Kurt Russell (center) smiles at the Spotlighter Teen Awards dinner with his parents, Bing and Louise Russell. (Max B. Miller/Photos International/Getty Images)
As someone who tries to advocate for common sense and pragmatic thinking and solutions, I don't want any politics from any party in Disney entertainment. I would argue it just as strongly if Disney was trying to insert conservative dogma into its programming and films while attacking those who align with the Democratic Party.
As someone who grew up in extreme poverty, I am here to remind current Disney CEO Bob Iger and his leadership team that tens of millions of Americans are struggling every day of their lives to overcome the worst of life. has to offer. A nightmare that is often imposed on them by partisan politics.
These deeply wounded and continually frightened Americans don't want to be lectured or belittled by “entertainment” companies. They want (and desperately need) to be entertained. Unless you've walked in the shoes of some of these people, you have no idea the mental struggle it takes to simply get to the next day.
Now, let's fast forward to today. In my opinion, and certainly in the opinion of tens of millions of Americans, the Disney of today is a far cry from the company imagined, created and fostered by Walt Disney 100 years ago.
According to media reports, Iger, already worth hundreds of millions of dollars, received nearly $32 million in total compensation from Disney in 2023. Good for him.
But as you think about all the ways you can spend that money, you have to remember that for much of your core customer base, $3,000 can be a life-changing or life-saving amount. For decades, Disney was in the business of serving that customer base. It may be again.
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I'm very serious when I say this, but if he were ever open to it, I think Russell could not only save Disney, but also restore it to its core mission of entertaining children and adults.
For years, Russell's name was synonymous with the Disney brand. He was only 15 years old when Walt Disney passed away at the age of 65. Before that time, the two had numerous conversations as Disney felt his young star had a real future. And, as has become an urban myth, two of the last words Disney wrote in his notebook before he died were, in fact: Kurt Russell.
Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Chris Pratt, Kurt Russell, Pom Klentieff, James Gunn and Michael Rooker attend the “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” European Gala at Eventim Apollo on April 24, 2017 in London. (Rune Hellestad – Corbis/Contributor)
All this to say that, in many ways, Russell knew (and knows) Walt Disney's mentality, as well as his values. More than that, Russell is a libertarian who would bring common sense, pragmatic and apolitical thinking, and creativity back to Disney.
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If there was ever a time for baseball-loving Kurt Russell to step up to the plate and swing for the fences to save Disney, it's now. I really think he could do it.
*** Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: The 56 – Lessons in Freedom from Those Who Risked Everything to Sign the Declaration of Independence.
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