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http://www.fair.org/activism/disney-moore.html
ACTION ALERT:
Michael Moore Film Faces Disney Censorship
May 5, 2004
The Disney corporation is forbidding its subsidiary,
Miramax Films, to
distribute Michael Moore's new documentary, the New
York Times reported
today.
The film, Fahrenheit 911, explores the Bush family's
close personal and
financial ties to the Saudi royal family, and
describes how the current
Bush administration helped evacuate relatives of Osama
bin Laden from the
United States after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
A Disney executive
told the New York Times that it was blocking the
distribution of the film
in the United States and Canada because, in the
paper's words, "Disney
caters to families of all political stripes and
believes Mr. Moore's
film...could alienate many."
The executive is quoted: "It's not in the interest of
any major
corporation to be dragged into a highly charged
partisan political
battle."
Given that corporations like Disney control much of
the public discussion
in the U.S., this avowed unwillingness to air
controversial viewpoints
that might challenge the views of some customers is
chilling enough. But
Moore's agent, Ari Emanuel, charges that Disney has an
even more
disturbing reason for blocking the film. According to
Emanuel, he had a
conversation last spring with Disney chief executive
Michael Eisner, who
asked him to cancel his deal with Miramax and
"expressed particular
concern that it would endanger tax breaks Disney
receives for its theme
park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where Mr.
Bush's brother, Jeb,
is governor."
Disney may have another reason, not mentioned by the
Times, to reject a
film that might offend the Saudi royal family: A
powerful member of the
family, Al-Walid bin Talal, owns a major stake in
Eurodisney and has been
instrumental in the past in bailing out the
financially troubled amusement
park (AFP, 6/1/94). The project is facing a new cash
crunch, and Al-Walid
has been mentioned as a potential rescuer again (L.A.
Times, 1/26/04).
Whatever Disney's motivations for not wanting to
release the film, it's
not because there is no audience waiting to see it.
Moore's last film,
Bowling for Columbine, grossed $58 million worldwide.
Unfortunately, when
giant corporations are making the decisions, the fact
that millions of
people might want to see a film doesn't necessarily
mean that they'll be
able to-- if that film might conflict with the
corporation's other
interests.
ACTION: Please contact Disney and urge the company to
allow Miramax to
distribute Fahrenheit 911.
CONTACT:
George Mitchell
Chairman
The Walt Disney Company
mailto:[email protected]
Phone: 818-560-1000
ACTION ALERT:
Michael Moore Film Faces Disney Censorship
May 5, 2004
The Disney corporation is forbidding its subsidiary,
Miramax Films, to
distribute Michael Moore's new documentary, the New
York Times reported
today.
The film, Fahrenheit 911, explores the Bush family's
close personal and
financial ties to the Saudi royal family, and
describes how the current
Bush administration helped evacuate relatives of Osama
bin Laden from the
United States after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
A Disney executive
told the New York Times that it was blocking the
distribution of the film
in the United States and Canada because, in the
paper's words, "Disney
caters to families of all political stripes and
believes Mr. Moore's
film...could alienate many."
The executive is quoted: "It's not in the interest of
any major
corporation to be dragged into a highly charged
partisan political
battle."
Given that corporations like Disney control much of
the public discussion
in the U.S., this avowed unwillingness to air
controversial viewpoints
that might challenge the views of some customers is
chilling enough. But
Moore's agent, Ari Emanuel, charges that Disney has an
even more
disturbing reason for blocking the film. According to
Emanuel, he had a
conversation last spring with Disney chief executive
Michael Eisner, who
asked him to cancel his deal with Miramax and
"expressed particular
concern that it would endanger tax breaks Disney
receives for its theme
park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where Mr.
Bush's brother, Jeb,
is governor."
Disney may have another reason, not mentioned by the
Times, to reject a
film that might offend the Saudi royal family: A
powerful member of the
family, Al-Walid bin Talal, owns a major stake in
Eurodisney and has been
instrumental in the past in bailing out the
financially troubled amusement
park (AFP, 6/1/94). The project is facing a new cash
crunch, and Al-Walid
has been mentioned as a potential rescuer again (L.A.
Times, 1/26/04).
Whatever Disney's motivations for not wanting to
release the film, it's
not because there is no audience waiting to see it.
Moore's last film,
Bowling for Columbine, grossed $58 million worldwide.
Unfortunately, when
giant corporations are making the decisions, the fact
that millions of
people might want to see a film doesn't necessarily
mean that they'll be
able to-- if that film might conflict with the
corporation's other
interests.
ACTION: Please contact Disney and urge the company to
allow Miramax to
distribute Fahrenheit 911.
CONTACT:
George Mitchell
Chairman
The Walt Disney Company
mailto:[email protected]
Phone: 818-560-1000
