Why the Walt Disney Company is the Most Dangerous Company in the World

Yes, I know, you might be offended by the title of this article; well, because we tend to love Disney so much. And we tend to defend what we love. Me, too!

Therein lies the issue.

And no, this article has nothing to do, per se, with the feud between Governor DeSantis and Disney. I have not followed that apparently entertaining play-by-play. This article is simply an exposition about love, or perhaps better stated as the addiction to love. And therein lies the issue.

First things first: In full transparency, I directly or indirectly own or have owned stock in Disney, and I have vacationed with my family at Disney World and Disneyland, including the cruise, many times. For those who can afford to buy it without going into direct servitude, it tends to be a joyous magical experience. Disney offers entertainment media and theme parks that are unmatched in quality. And therein lies the issue.

In fact, the extent of Disney’s quality is so good, well, that it is sort of bad. Let me explain.

Socrates says, “Where there is reverence, there is also fear,” so it simply might be said that my deep admiration, reverence, and love of the general exceptional quality of Disney products and services causes me appurtenant concern.

This is because we all know that love can be dangerous. The emotion of love makes people do a lot of crazy things, hurt others, and even self-destruct. Therefore, whether it is better framed as “fear” (emotional), it is certainly wise to be “concerned” (thoughtful) regarding those things I love and that could influence me to do crazy things. That is, it is wise and rational to contemplate the power of my potential irrationality.

There are a lot of things people love that are dangerous. Some people love guns, money, alcohol, gambling, etc., which are not mutually exclusive, and each of which arguably has a valid social purpose to some degree. And, yet, they are all dangerous. And therein lies the issue.

Socrates also says that wisdom begins with a definition of terms, so let us define the term, “danger.” “Danger” is defined as “the possibility of suffering harm or adverse consequences.” Of course, even this definition begs the question, because it relies upon a determination of “adversity.”

I teach a master graduate course in adversity, and I’ve said it over and over: What is ‘good’ is in the eye of the beholder.” What is “good” or “bad” (adverse) depends upon context. Indeed, what is good for the Orc is not so good for the Hobbit. What’s good for the Wolf is not so good for the Lamb. And so on, vice versa. It’s much about relative perspective.

Therefore, the title of this article has a presupposition of what is dangerous; that is, what is bad, for a certain context, so I will tell you that context:

What is dangerous is my tendency, my emotional need or desireindeed, perhaps my addictionto be entertained. Voila, there it is.

There is a calculated reason and method to why the Roman Caesars gave the public the gladiatorial games to keep the public amused. Entertained people are happy and occupied people, and happy and occupied people don’t revolt. But, so much more, there was a method to the madness of Nazi Germany, such as there is a method to the madness of a lot of wars on a lot of things, known as media propaganda. That is, the ability to create a message where people are attracted to—that is, influenced by—the speaker or the message by virtue of the presentation itself, irrespective of whether or not the people are conscious of the psychological manipulation.

Propaganda by communicative rhetoric. It is not a little thing, it is a major thing. It is part of essential social interactive fabric, particularly in a free-thinking society, not to be underestimated. The brilliant Aristotle wrote the book, literally, and genius Shakespeare exposes the method magnificently.

I love my Disney…so much. In fact, Disney is so media socially pervasive that it’s difficult at this point for me to count the wheres and ways they are telling me things. But, what if, one day, Disney threatened to cut me off, cold turkey? I mean cruelly to imagine a world with no more Disney Amusement Parks, no more Marvel Superheroes, no more Star Wars, no more Disney Princesses, no more ABC News, no more A&E, no more 20th Century Fox, no more Pixar, no more premium entertainment, and no more ESPN!

I would be tortured and I would probably tend to turn against anyone preventing me from getting my entertainment, my reprieve.

That’s power, real power. And, power over me is dangerous. The key is that I know it, and that I am vigilant to it. Knowledge is not necessarily the happier condition, at least in the short term, but regrets to the poor unfortunate soul who gets blindsided.

Yes, Disney is dangerous, not because I hate Disney, but rather because I love Disney, perhaps too much. [1]

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[1] Boycotts, Crossing the Lie, and Connecting the Dots: Barbie, Disney, Bud Light, Tik Tok and the 9-Dash Lie…Oops, Typo! Not Lie, Line!

“Bonum vel malum est in oculis aspicientis.” (“Good or bad is in the eye of the beholder.”); “Periculum non est quia odi, sed quia amo.” (“The danger is not because I hate it, but rather because I love it.”) ~ grz


© 2023 Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-walt-disney-company-most-dangerous-world-gregg-zegarelli-esq-

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Stand for America® is a series of publications written by Gregg Zegarelli intersecting philosophy and traditional American values published by Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group. Printed or reprinted with permission.

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