A woke Disney chairman who voiced his opposition for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ anti-grooming bill has been kicked from the company.
Disney’s TV chairman of Disney General Entertainment Content (DGE), Peter Rice said that he saw the Parental Rights In Education Bill as “a violation of fundamental human rights.”
Rice joined Disney during the acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s television and film assets in 2019. He previously served as president of 21st Century Fox and chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group. Rice began his career in the marketing department at Twentieth Century Fox in 1989.
Variety describes Rice’s ousting as a “shocking turn of events.” Deadline reports that CEO Bob Chapek removed Rice and replaced Dana Walden, the Chairman of Entertainment. “The move marks a high profile restructuring shift made by Disney CEO Bob Chapek, as he continues to put his mark on the studio post Bob Iger,” they write.
Although no official reason has been given for the replacement, many speculate that it has to do with Rice’s response to governor DeSantis’s Parental Rights in Education Bill.
Rice has been responsible for the increased ‘wokeness’ and ‘sexuality’ present in Disney’s TV lineup for kids.
100 Percent Fedup commented further:
The Woke “children’s company,” Disney, used to maintain a family-friendly image before going fully woke and slamming concerned parents and their advocates in Florida over the Parental Rights in Education Bill, while also pushing LGBT and sexualized content into children’s entertainment.
However, the man at Disney who led the charge on these fronts has been axed.
Naturally, then, it makes sense that he opposed Florida’s anti-groomer bill passed by Governor DeSantis… Even when Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek himself was fumbling to come up with a response.
“The law is a new and painful iteration of a history of discrimination against an already vulnerable group,” Rice stated while Chapek was still walking on eggshells.
“Personally, I see this law as a violation of fundamental human rights, and I condemn any attempt to marginalize individuals on the basis of their identity,” he continued.
This of course contributed to the full-blown war between Disney and DeSantis’s Florida Administration. And this does not mean that Disney will ever become a family-friendly corporation again, however. It just means that the snake has one less head spewing venom.
Disney’s stock has fallen more than 30% year to date.
Sources: 100percentfedup, Variety, Deadline