Disney Can’t Hide From Politics
The Walt Disney Company has a big problem. It wants to be loved by everybody: Massachusetts liberals and Mississippi conservatives, Muslims in Saudi Arabia and atheists in China.
It therefore prefers to minimize the number of times it takes stands on hot-button social issues. But it keeps getting dragged into politics, often by employees who tend to be liberal and want the company to reflect their values.
This isn’t just a Disney issue. It’s one that’s bedeviling chief executives of prominent companies such as Google (Alphabet) and Nike.
In some cases the restive employees are conservatives, not liberals. The tensions seem to be intensifying. I can imagine one possible resolution: Companies openly embrace one side or another in the culture wars.
