John Oliver: Bob Chapek’s Explanation For Disney Donations Insulting

“When we donate money to different political candidates, we have no idea how they’re going to vote going forward into the future,” said Disney CEO Bob Chapek at a shareholders meeting this past week.

“That is such bullsh*t,” said John Oliver on HBO’s Last Week Tonight Sunday. “It is actively insulting, because it’s just not how donating works. When you donate money, you generally know what the recipient is going to do with it. That is why people donate to ‘Feeding America’ and not ‘Feeding America Or Maybe Taking Food Away From America.’ “

Chapek made his statement in response to criticism that Disney had donated to Florida State Sen. Dennis Baxley, one of the chief sponsors of the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would effectively ban discussion of the LGBTQ+ community and “sexual orientation or gender identity” in the state’s public schools from kindergarten to third grade. The bill will likely be signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Disney should absolutely have had a pretty good idea how Dennis Baxley would vote when they gave him money, given that he’s not been shy about sharing his views on a host of topics.”

Oliver brought the receipts to prove his point, highlighting that, according to the Florida Sun Sentinel, Baxley once suggested that “abortion is causing Europeans to be replaced by immigrants and [is] paving the way for the end of Western civilization.

“And as recently as 2020, he joined others in supporting bills to repeal protections of LGBTQ workers and legalize gay conversion therapy,” said Oliver citing a piece from NBC News.

The host then played video of Baxley meeting with a few constituents and warning them, “I know some districts where there’s a big infestation of homosexuals that are pushing their agenda.”

Oliver pointed out Baxley’s use of the dehumanizing word “infestation,” calling it “disgusting.”

At several points in his justification for Disney’s donations Chapek maintained, “I believe the best way for our company to bring about lasting change is through the inspiring content we produce.”

He rattled off a list of the diverse content which he maintained demonstrated the cultural change the company was creating: Encanto, Black Panther, Pose, Reservation Dogs, Coco, Soul, Modern Family, Shang-Chi, Summer of Soul, Love, Victor.

“These and all of our diverse stories are our corporate statements — and they are more powerful than any tweet or lobbying effort,” said Chapek.

Oliver said that assertion rang hollow.

“For all Chapek’s self congratulation about how movies like Black Panther can instigate change, that change clearly has its limits given that just this week the movie’s director, Ryan Coogler, had been handcuffed by police while trying to withdraw money from his own bank account.”

“Marginalized creators have made billions of dollars for Disney,” continued Oliver. “Should it embarrass them that it took them until this week to realize that they shouldn’t take that money and use it to actively undermine those creators’ interests? Who’s to say?

“I’ll tell you,” he said, “me.”

You can watch Oliver’s deconstruction of Chapek’s statements below.