One of Disney’s own stars could return company to its former glory

Disney’s major shareholder Nelson Peltz is waging a major proxy fight against Disney, citing mismanagement and lack of accountability. Not only is his decision correct, but it has the support of millions of Disney kids like me who are shocked by what the far-left leadership has done to this iconic company.

For me, The Wonderful World of Disney and Disney movies provided a moment of escape and happiness during a childhood in which I was kicked out of 34 homes by the age of 17 in a real and lasting way. It helped me stay sane. of age.

In addition to the endless evictions, my brother Jay, sister Janice, and I also frequently found ourselves without electricity. His is just one of many bills his alcoholic and highly dysfunctional parents likely never paid.

Crossroads with Kurt Russell, O.J. Simpson, Ted Bundy, and the Manson Family

Evictions, power outages, and the accompanying grief and humiliation were regular and predictable occurrences, so I came up with something to distract our minds in the midst of literal darkness and despair.

That means using the battery-operated tape recorder my grandmother gave me to record the audio of Disney shows on TV when I had electricity, and occasionally sneaking into movie theaters to record the audio of Disney movies. was. .

The idea is to play Disney movies on a tape recorder when the lights are off, or when you’re living in the back seat of your car, to distract yourself from the constant misery, while also being very The idea was to provide much-needed entertainment.

After several Disney shows on TV, the first Disney movie I recorded was “The Computer Weared Tennis Shoes,” starring Kurt Russell as “Dexter Riley.” I was in Little League at the time and knew Russell was a good baseball player, so I was drawn to him as an actor and as an escape.

I literally lost count of how many times my brother, sister, and I listened to “The Computer Weared Tennis Shoes” or “Barefoot Executive” in the dark. Russell will probably never know it, but in a very real sense we will always be in his debt.

Now, remember today. In my heart, and no doubt in the hearts of tens of millions of Americans, today’s Disney is a far cry from the company Walt Disney envisioned, created, and nurtured 100 years ago. .

The company took a political left several years ago, displacing tens of millions of former fans while gradually moving from liberal to far-left to woke.

In a sense, I was the poster child for Disney kids. This program in the late 60’s gave me the escape I needed to decompress and fight another day. I loved Disney then and I still love the idea of ​​Disney now.

However, today Disney seems to want to politicize everything it creates or controls. Its leadership is highly political and currently continues to push not just the Democratic Party agenda, but divisive “identity politics.”

October 1966: American actor Kurt Russell (C) smiles with his parents Bing Russell and Louise Russell at the Spotlighter Teen Awards dinner. (Max B. Miller/Photos International/Getty Images)

As someone who seeks to support common sense and practical ideas and solutions, I do not want political interference by any political party in Disney Entertainment. If Disney were trying to inject conservative doctrine into their shows and movies while bashing Democrats, I would be just as vocal in my objections.

As someone who grew up in extreme poverty, I am here to thank current Disney CEO Bob Iger and his leadership team for helping tens of millions of Americans fight every day to overcome life’s worst circumstances. I would like to remind you that you are there. Partisan politics often imposes nightmares on them.

Deeply hurt and fearful Americans don’t want to be lectured or talked down to by “entertainment” companies. They want to be entertained, and they desperately need it. Unless you’ve been in these people’s shoes, you can’t imagine the mental struggle it takes just to survive the next day.

Now, remember today. In my heart, and no doubt in the hearts of tens of millions of Americans, today’s Disney is a far cry from the company Walt Disney envisioned, created, and nurtured 100 years ago. .

Iger, who is already worth hundreds of millions of dollars, was paid a total of about $32 million by Disney in 2023, according to news reports. Good for him.

But as we think about all the ways we can spend that money, we must remember that for many of our core customer base, $3,000 can be a life-changing or even life-saving amount. Disney has been in the business of serving its customer base for decades. It could happen again.

For more FOX News opinions, click here

I’m saying this quite seriously, but I believe that if he were to accept it, Russell could not only save Disney, but restore its core mission of entertaining children and adults alike. I am.

For years, Russell’s name has been synonymous with the Disney brand. Walt Disney was only 15 years old when he died at the age of 65. The two had numerous conversations prior to that moment, as Disney felt there was a real future for his young star. And, in what has become a bit of an urban legend, two of the last words Disney wrote in his notebook before he died were actually “Kurt Russell.”

Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Chris Pratt, Kurt Russell, Pom Klentief, James Gunn and Michael Rooker at the Eventim Apollo in London on April 24, 2017 Attended the European gala screening of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2”. (Rune Hellestad – Corbis/Contributor)

All of this shows that in many ways, Russell knew, and still knows, Walt Disney’s ideas and values. More than that, Russell is a liberal who brings common sense, pragmatic, apolitical thinking and creativity to Disney.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

If ever there was 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 truly believe he can do it.

*** Douglas McKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of The 56 – Liberty Lessons from people who do do all to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Click here to read more articles by Douglas MacKinnon