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johnsmith · 03-04-2004, 10:05 AM

I am surprised at how many people are pissed at Eisner at think he did a horrible job when the company cleared $500 million last year. Last I heard, Comcast had given up for now. I personally wish that they had maintained the relationship with Pixar, but what Pixar was asking for was ridiculous and it would have cost Disney hundreds of millions of dollars. In the end, it will turn out poorly for both Disney and Pixar. Disney seems to be struggling with their own animated features as of late, and Pixar will soon discover that the unstoppable juggernaut that is Disney and its distribution and marketing departments is unrivaled in the world. Will Pixar still be successful? Yes. Will their next non-Disney film gross over $300 million w/o Disney promoting it with all of their merchandising, media outlet partners, and the largest distribution of any entertainment company(not to mention probably the most recognized and respected brand name for family entertainment in the U.S. if not the world)? I seriously doubt it.
As for Eisner, he is a victim of his own success. Go back and look at what Disney was when the same Roy Disney was in charge. The company was floundering and in serious trouble, having just barely survived several takeover attempts. Eisner came aboard and created the monolith that Disney is today, or more properly, was 5 years ago. The heyday of their motion pictures: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the Lion King were all made after Eisner came aboard. The dramatic expansion of the theme parks was after Eisner took control. The aquisition of ESPN and ABC, after Eisner was hired. The problem is that Eisner did too well for so long, it is almost impossible that he will be able to equal that success, so the people who remember that peak level of performance are dissatisfied and are forgetting who was in charge when they were there.
It's like trying to take over for Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls, after 6 championships in 8 years, will the fans be impressed by a deep playoff run or even a single championship? I doubt it.

03-04-2004, 10:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
johnsmith Tilted Location: the Midwest	I am surprised at how many people are pissed at Eisner at think he did a horrible job when the company cleared $500 million last year. Last I heard, Comcast had given up for now. I personally wish that they had maintained the relationship with Pixar, but what Pixar was asking for was ridiculous and it would have cost Disney hundreds of millions of dollars. In the end, it will turn out poorly for both Disney and Pixar. Disney seems to be struggling with their own animated features as of late, and Pixar will soon discover that the unstoppable juggernaut that is Disney and its distribution and marketing departments is unrivaled in the world. Will Pixar still be successful? Yes. Will their next non-Disney film gross over $300 million w/o Disney promoting it with all of their merchandising, media outlet partners, and the largest distribution of any entertainment company(not to mention probably the most recognized and respected brand name for family entertainment in the U.S. if not the world)? I seriously doubt it. As for Eisner, he is a victim of his own success. Go back and look at what Disney was when the same Roy Disney was in charge. The company was floundering and in serious trouble, having just barely survived several takeover attempts. Eisner came aboard and created the monolith that Disney is today, or more properly, was 5 years ago. The heyday of their motion pictures: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the Lion King were all made after Eisner came aboard. The dramatic expansion of the theme parks was after Eisner took control. The aquisition of ESPN and ABC, after Eisner was hired. The problem is that Eisner did too well for so long, it is almost impossible that he will be able to equal that success, so the people who remember that peak level of performance are dissatisfied and are forgetting who was in charge when they were there. It's like trying to take over for Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls, after 6 championships in 8 years, will the fans be impressed by a deep playoff run or even a single championship? I doubt it.