Abigail Disney Criticizes Bob Iger’s Negative Strike Comments
Recently, Disney CEO Bob Iger found himself in some hot water following comments he made regarding the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes during an interview.
Iger described the strikes critically, referring to them as “disturbing” and “disruptive,” and said that the writers and actors seeking higher compensation were being “unrealistic.” Now, a member of the Disney family has commented on Iger’s words.
Abigail Disney Tweets
Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney (who co-founded The Walt Disney Company with her great-uncle Walt Disney), tweeted critically about the words of Iger.
She wrote, “You can only call your workers and partners ‘unrealistic’ if you cannot see beyond the confines of the very narrow and morally bankrupt business ideology that has set your company on this long track toward exploitation and injustice.”
You can only call your workers and partners "unrealistic" if you cannot see beyond the confines of the very narrow and morally bankrupt business ideology that has set your company on this long track toward exploitation and injustice. #Disney #Iger #WritersStrike #SAGAFTRA https://t.co/SDtrLzflB8
— Abigail Disney (@abigaildisney) July 13, 2023
Abigail Disney is a documentary producer, philanthropist, and social activist known for speaking out against wealth inequality, specifically of Bob Iger’s compensation as Disney CEO and the pay rates of Cast Members working for Disney Parks.
Iger has an estimated net worth of $690 million and reportedly has the opportunity to earn up to $27 million in 2023, and his negative comments about the strikes were not received well by Hollywood.
Considering Disney announced that they were extending his contract as CEO for a further few years just the day prior to this interview, this was bad timing indeed.
The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are less about the small percentage of writers and actors making millions in Hollywood, but about the larger percentage of writers and actors struggling to make a liveable wage in the industry.
Their concerns largely lie with the streaming industry and how it has affected residuals, or pay that a writer/actor would otherwise earn for reruns of content.
The use of artificial intelligence could also have major ramifications for the industry should it be used unchecked and without consent. (Think Salma Hayek in the “Joan is Awful” episode of Black Mirror.)
We’ll be watching this developing situation closely. Keep following MickeyBlog for more Disney news!