Walt Disney AND Jim Henson

[frogboy4]

Most companies in this country don't like their employees to form or join unions. It isn't just Disney. In fact, the Walt Disney Company gives its workers great competitive programs. Not that I'm defending them. You just brought up and issue that I have a connection to. Unions can be both a good and a bad thing. Good that it gives some employees rights that they wouldn't otherwise have. Bad that some states require you to form a union to work at certain places (thought this was a free country). They have also brought down companies with their demonstrations - not their intention because everybody ultimately loses their job when all the strikers wanted was a bigger paycheck than the company can manage.

So, you can't fault an employer for not liking unions. They can't prevent a person from getting a job because of union ties or even ask about it in most cases.

Now, about Russia - there were many companies that blacklisted people who were even suspected of having communist beliefs. It was a different time in America and every entertainment company was doing the same thing. I'm surprised Walt didn't fire the guy. It was wrong, but the world was a much different place then.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I had like a 4th cousin who was hired to work as an animator by Walt Disney himself, and when he was about to go out to work for him, he called because he hand pneumonia and was told that Walt said if he couldn't come out to work by the date agreed upon to not even bother, so this cousin guy of mine took an overdose of his medication and died.

I obviously didn't know the guy, and only heard about this at a lame family reunion of folks on my dad's side of the family, with whom I'm very UNCLOSE to anyhow, so I don't know his name.

I think it was his neice that told me about it, though.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Actually, Disney does OFFER competitive benefits to its employees, but the most gigantic portion of its employees are all hired as part-time so that they do not have to pay benefits to their employees. Managers, directors, actors (motion picture and tv), and upper-management style people are the only full-timers that get paid bene's.

This is one thing I definitely learned in my 4+ years at the Disney store and talking to folks who worked at the parks, studios, etc.

 

[Drtooth]

Originally posted by frogboy4
Most companies in this country don't like their employees to form or join unions. It isn't just Disney. In fact, the Walt Disney Company gives its workers great competitive programs. Not that I'm defending them. You just brought up and issue that I have a connection to. Unions can be both a good and a bad thing. Good that it gives some employees rights that they wouldn't otherwise have. Bad that some states require you to form a union to work at certain places (thought this was a free country). They have also brought down companies with their demonstrations - not their intention because everybody ultimately loses their job when all the strikers wanted was a bigger paycheck than the company can manage.

Of course, there is more stuff that I won't get into. He was decidedly anti-communist, and I wouldn't be surprised if he DID name names in the 50's.

Plus, he didn't even create any of his own characters. Ub Iwerks did. Diz just stole all the credit. Even then, Mickey (and Oswald the rabbit) were just copies of Felix the cat. Though it is hard to say, since Felix looked like all the other cartoon cats at the time. Of coruse, there is another thing Diz stole from Felix, MERCHANDISING! Felix was the first cartoon character to be USED for Merchndising potentiaL!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Seems all cartoons of that era look the same, but Walt did create the look of Mickey as a character, his wife named the character "Mickey." I don't think you can really say that the idea of merchandising is something that can be stolen, as otherwise you have JHC, WB, and any comic strip/book publisher is guilty of that.

Heck, I'M guilty of that, because I have "Muley Merchandise" for sale.

Walt was an innovator, but he was dirty behind the scenes (and as far as naming Commies, then that's fine as long as the folks he named were guilty).

Then, there's a LOT we don't know about Jim that we prefer NOT to know; however, I don't think he was a dirty player behind the scenes and I DO believe it was his talent, and the talent of those around him, that got him where he wanted to go.

 

[JamieDenny]

"Naming some Commies" The land of freedom as long as you have the same views as McCarthy and Hoover? here's a list,
Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Clarke Gable amongst others, they weren't investiagted but they saw the harm that the witch hunt was doing.
America wan't acting rationally when it came to anything they didn't understand in the 50's.
People had their children taken away from them, gave names just so they could get away from the ordeal, commited suicide, were never able to work again anywhere let alone Hollywood. A few of the luckier ones were able to work abroad.
The reason Hoover and McCarthy got away with it for so long was because the studio heads were scared about what would happen if McCarthy ever got round to them.
It goes alot deeper than just 'naming some commies'

Jamie

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I wasn't supporting 'naming commies' as much as supporting that if they were guilty then okay--and in order to be guilty it must be proven, right? That's what I'm saying, just without saying it.

Besides, what was the big deal anyhow? Were they going to overthrow the government or something? I never studied that history.

However, the Witch Trials I've studied, and I know that at least one-half of one person was slightly possessed by the devil himself. I think it was a man's middle finger, but I'm not sure.

At any rate, his finger was burned at the stake.

 

[JamieDenny]

Okay I apolgise for losing my temper. They were never going to overthrow the government, I think thats what the people in charge wanted the citizens of the usa to belive
Jamie

 

[Fozzie Bear]

You lost your temper?



I didn't realise you were fussing at me.

I'm going to go sit in the dark and cry now.

 

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Originally posted by Drtooth
Plus, he didn't even create any of his own characters. Ub Iwerks did. Diz just stole all the credit. Even then, Mickey (and Oswald the rabbit) were just copies of Felix the cat. Though it is hard to say, since Felix looked like all the other cartoon cats at the time. Of coruse, there is another thing Diz stole from Felix, MERCHANDISING! Felix was the first cartoon character to be USED for Merchndising potentiaL!

Okay, bein' one of the biggest lovers and studiers of Disney around here, I just can't let that go by un-noticed.

Kev is right, Walt DID create Mickey, Lilian named him, Ub had nothin' to do with Mickey's creation, and Walt didn't steal anything.



I'm tired of people pickin' on Walt and Disney, all cause it's such a good image. I know he had his flaws---and I have rare resources which have VERY limited accessibility---but no one is perfect, and Walt was certainly not an "uncreative thief".