So Johnny Depp, as I am sure you have heard, has inserted his entire foot into his mouth. After making a veiled threat against a sitting US president, an obvious visit from the secret service and a prompt carefully worded apology; there has been quite an outcry from people demanding that Disney take action against Depp.
Disney is dealing with a group of people, demanding that they “fire Depp”, and are withholding their movie, merchandise, and vacation dollars until Disney makes Depp walk the plank. I have found this very confusing as Depp is not an employee of Disney, and he continues to make movies for other studios. The other studios do not seem to have targeted as Disney has been. Disney is no stranger to protests, and their silent response is exactly what is needed in emotionally fueled disagreements such as these.
Disney is in a “Catch 22” with this situation, much like the pickle they find themselves in with the Hall of Presidents in the Magic Kingdom. No matter what they say or do, they will inevitably tick off about 49% of their fan base. They are working very hard to stay apolitical. Still with the domestic box office under-preforming, this is just another thing that the Studio does not need to deal with.
When a company, brand, or artist gets to be big, people love to see them fall, and Disney is a very big target right now. I don’t believe that the protests have affected the domestic box office to any measurable amount. Its a situation that I hope fades quietly, as I don’t believe there is anything the company can to to answer these demands, nor should they. Lets hope Disney can keep walking that tightrope, because if they dont, things could get very messy.
