In the past year, almost every walk of life has been
affected by revelations of sexual misconduct and exploitation, with numerous
prominent figures having been accused of a wide range of awful actions. One of
the most devastating scandals to occur during this time has been the set of revelations about the sordid and sleazy behaviour of John Lasseter, the chief creative officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios (AKA Disney Animation) and
Pixar. There is no underestimating Lasseter’s impact on animation (and American
cinema as a whole) since he co-founded Pixar in 1984, becoming its chief creative
officer. The studio have become one of
the most acclaimed and successful creative forces in Hollywood, with eight of
their films winning Best Animated Film at the Oscars and two (Up and Toy Story
3) even competing in the Best Film category. In 2006, Lasseter also become chief creative officer at Disney Animation and spearheaded the 'Disney Revival’ by producing films like Frozen
and Moana. However, this glittering career has ended in total disgrace, as the damage
caused by Lasseter’s misbehaviour and the outrage it generated meant that
dismissing him was the only acceptable option.
John Lasseter’s downfall has significantly tarnished the
Disney brand, and the company will need to change their internal culture
without disrupting the constant stream of animated classics which have made
them so powerful and influential. Earlier today, Disney announced Lasseter’s
two replacements. Pete Docter, the director of Up and Inside Out, will become
Pixar’s chief creative officer, whilst Jennifer Lee, the writer and co-director
of Frozen, will take over at Disney. Both are under enormous pressure to
continue providing hits whilst allowing their studios to move forward in new
directions…
The Lasseter
Scandal – A Brief Outline
During the autumn of 2017, the #MeToo campaign led to the exposure
of predators and perverts who had occupied powerful positions in almost every major
industry. Abuses of power at other animation studios had already came to light, so it was only a matter of time before Disney became implicated in a major sexual harassment scandal as well. Lasseter’s misconduct was revealed towards
the end of November, after a memo he circulated to Disney Animation and Pixar employees
was leaked to the press. In this document, Lasseter admitted to a range of ‘missteps’,
including ‘unwanted hugs’, and announced he was taking a six-month sabbatical to
reflect on his conduct. As soon as the statement was published, insiders quickly came forward with stories of Lasseter groping female staff members during
meetings and parties. These were followed by revelations that he had committed further
invasions of privacy, including forcibly kissing female subordinates and harassing
models who worked for the Disney Fairies product line. In addition, Lasseter
was revealed to be an alcoholic, drinking heavily during a variety of important
events. He was also accused of mistreating critics and perceived rivals at Disney and Pixar, and even falsely taking credit for the ideas of others.
In retrospect, it was
probably inevitable that Lasseter, who was widely known for his uninhibited personality (he
was once filmed hugging 48 people in a single day) would frequently cross the
line into inappropriate and offensive behaviour. However, the revelations were
still devastating for Disney Animation and Pixar’s numerous fans, as the seemingly affable
and enthusiastic face of these iconic studios was exposed as a lecherous bully. The
revelations also reflected badly on Disney as a whole, as it was revealed that
they had hired ‘minders’ to keep Lasseter in check during events but had not
taken any real action to stop him. Furthermore, a ‘Day of Listening’ aimed at addressing
discontent with Lasseter’s behaviour at Pixar had been held in 2011, but failed to generate any change.
During the six months after Lasseter announced his
sabbatical, Disney kept discussion of the case to a minimum, possibly in the
hope that the scandal would die down. However, it proved impossible to suppress
the bad publicity affecting the company. In May, as concern grew that other
wrongdoers exposed around the same time as Lasseter would return to their former
power, an article from Wall Street Journal implied that Lasseter could regain
his status as creative head, albeit with reduced managerial powers. This
misguided proposal attracted considerable condemnation, and protests against
Lasseter’s actions gained new potency. A #LoseLasseter hashtag was shared across social media, with numerous workers at Disney promoting petitions
opposing his return. These probably convinced the heads of Disney that it was no
longer possible for Lasseter to stay at the studio. Earlier this month, Disney
announced that Lasseter would leave Disney Animation and Pixar for good on
December 31st 2018, spending the period until then demoted to a consulting
role. Bob Iger, president of the Walt Disney Company, issued a sanitised statement in which he praised Lasseter’s success at Pixar and Disney Animation,
and expressed optimism about the future of the two studios. Lasseter also
issued a statement where he claimed that the end of 2018 was the right time to
leave and “begin focusing on new creative challenges”. In true Disney fashion,
the upbeat statements concealed an unpleasant and seedy reality, but the unspoken
implications were clear – the outrage at Lasseter’s misconduct had led to him
going into an early retirement.
It goes without saying that there are numerous problems with
the final settlement. Lasseter’s ‘Creative Consultant’ role is essentially the
proposed ‘creative lead’ role used as a temporary, stop-gap measure. The
six-month transition period is too long, and there is little clarity over how
he will contribute to the company during this time (he will not even have an office at their studios). The highlights the fact that Disney’s response has been focused on
trying to find compromises in a situation where this brand of diplomacy feels extremely
inadequate. One explanation for this is Iger’s fear that a tougher response
could cause Lasseter to become a major rival to Disney. This situation is
not without precedent (Jeffrey Katzenberg, Disney’s Head of Production during
their early 1990’s ‘Renaissance’, was fired in 1994 and responded by establishing the rival Dreamworks studio) but it feels insensitive to promote the prospect that Lasseter will find a way to remain a major power in the animation industry, given that so many people are disgusted by his conduct. Disney’s failure to deal quickly or decisively with
Lasseter has made the company seem weak and uncaring in the face of
the demands for change generated by #MeToo and the subsequent #TimesUp
movement. Nonetheless, the fact that he has finally been held to account for his awful behaviour is proof that
the #MeToo movement can succeed in forcing seismic change.
Disney's Future.
Whilst Lasseter’s dismissal is a notable victory for the
employees at Disney and the battle for a more diverse and progressive studio,
there will be numerous questions over the extent to which a change in
leadership will affect the quality of Disney Animation and Pixar’s output. The
Incredibles 2 was the first Disney/Pixar film to still be in production when
Lasseter went on leave, but the generally positive critical reception indicates
that it has survived the behind-the-scenes turmoil. However, there are three
more Disney/Pixar sequels deep in production. Wreck It Ralph 2 (AKA Ralph Breaks the
Internet), Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2 are under extra pressure to succeed, as
their critical and commercial reception will indicate how well Disney Animation and Pixar
have adjusted to the changes caused by the scandal. Disney Animation have often struggled
without a strong leader, with the death of Walt Disney and the firing of
Jeffrey Katzenberg leading to long wilderness periods that left Disney’s animation
wing in seriously poor health. If this situation repeats itself again, it could
lead to serious questions about their long-term future.
This article has often conflated Disney Animation and Pixar due to Lasseter’s leading role at both studios, but they have very different creative environments, with
different key figures. Although Lasseter has been in charge at Pixar for 34
years (compared to his 12 years as Disney Animation’s chief creative officer), they will
probably be less affected by his departure, due to the more experienced ‘brain
trust’ firmly established there. However, Disney Animation have a far younger and less experienced
set of creatives, and this could easily be a major problem. The difference in
experience at both studios is made clear when you look at the careers of their
new creative chiefs. Pete Docter has been working with Pixar for almost 30
years, and as Vice President of Creativity at Pixar, effectively became Lasseter’s
second-in-command there. With his reputation for writing and directing some of
Pixar’s best films, and a collaborative leadership style which has made him
popular in the animation community, Docter was probably the most obvious
choice to take over at Pixar. In contrast, Jennifer Lee has only been part of
Disney Animation’s writing team since 2011, and her inexperience has generated both
advantages and disadvantages. Frozen became such a successful film because it
took chances and subverted traditional Disney tropes in spectacular fashion
whilst still providing colourful family-friendly entertainment full of catchy
songs. A more experienced director would have provided a safer, more
conventional film which would not have captured the imagination of the public
in the same way. However, there were problems with Frozen’s story and
characterisation, which were placed into sharp focus by the sheer inescapable
popularity of the movie. Jennifer Lee is still at a relatively early stage in
her career, and needs training and assistance in order to transition from a raw
talent to a figure as acclaimed and respected as Pixar’s veteran directors (It
is worth noting that Lee’s co-director on Frozen was Chris Buck, who has been
with Disney Animation since 1978). Therefore, giving her such an important leadership role
so quickly is a tremendous risk.
The presence of a new creative head will hopefully provide
some benefits. During the 2010’s, Pixar have often been criticised for their over-reliance
on sequels, with Cars 2 receiving a particularly hostile reception. Disney Animation have
also been struggling to provide new and original movies, with Gigantic, a new
take on Jack and the Beanstalk, getting cancelled in favour of sequels to Wreck
It-Ralph and Frozen. There is also a risk that the winning formula used in most
recent Disney Animation and Pixar hits is wearing thin. Most of the movies produced under
Lasseter’s leadership at both studios have featured stories about an odd couple
going on an incredible journey, large helpings of self-deprecating humour, and surprise villains whose true nature is only revealed near the end of the film (the idea
of a seemingly friendly and likeable character turning out to be a horrible
person feels a lot more uncomfortable in hindsight, for obvious reasons). Although
their movies have still generally ranged from being very good to being
excellent, there has definitely been some stagnation at both Disney Animation and Pixar
in recent years, reminiscent of the overly prosaic approach which caused Disney Animation to fall from grace during the late 1990s. A new creative head could allow the
studios to become more innovative and exciting whilst avoiding the failures
which defined their previous eras of transition.
Practise What You Preach
Lasseter’s misdemeanours led to increased focus on the
diversity issues which have affected Pixar in particular. The studio has been
known as a ‘Boys Club’, with their movies excessively focusing on the journeys
of male protagonists. Recently, Pixar have sought to move away from its excessively
masculine image. Inside Out centred on two female leads, whilst Finding Dory and The
Incredibles 2 both upgraded the most prominent female characters from the
original movies into the primary protagonists. However, the greater levels of
female representation in the films has not done much to change the problematic
culture behind the scenes. In 2008, Brenda Chapman was hired to direct Brave,
the first Pixar film with a female protagonist. However, she was dismissed from
the project in 2011 and replaced with a male director. In a widely circulated
article, Chapman complained about the way in which she had continually been
ignored and dismissed by the Pixar elite. Unfortunately, the discontent generated
by this episode did not result in major change. Rashida Jones and her
husband Will McCormick were attached to write Toy Story 4, but withdrew from
the project. After rumours that Jones had been harassed by Lasseter, she
confirmed that her decision to quit the project was based on frustration with
the fact that Pixar did not give women or minority writers an “equal creative
voice”. This departure only confirmed the institutional inequalities at Disney
and Pixar, and Lasseter’s disrespect towards his female employees is only the
most extreme manifestation of this regressive culture.
(Note: Since Rashida Jones quit Toy Story 4, Pixar have made
steps in the right direction, hiring Stephany Folsom to replace her on that project
and appointing Dommee Shi– director of the acclaimed short Bao – to contribute
to the story team set up following Lasseter’s departure. They still have a long
way to go, but these changes are highly encouraging)
The need to provide a feminist environment is especially
important for Disney Animation, due to their focus on female-orientated output. The films
of the Disney Revival era, such The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Frozen,
Zootropolis and Moana, have ensured that Disney Animation’s female protagonists are more
popular and important than ever. Characters like Tiana, Rapunzel, Anna, Elsa
and Moana enjoy an appeal that goes far beyond the traditional ‘young girl’
demographic associated with Disney Princesses. Men and women of all ages have
become increasingly open in expressing their love for Disney Animation’s recent movies,
and the protagonists of these have become icons amongst those seeking to fight discrimination
and exclusion. Therefore, Disney are under considerable pressure to set a
positive example for this expanding audience. This is why the attempts to
downplay or excuse Lasseter’s actions by comparing him to more extreme
offenders are so misguided, as dismissing workplace harassment demonstrates a
complete disrespect towards those affected by it (many of the women mistreated
by Lasseter quit working for Disney as a result of his actions), and implies that they
should remain subservient. Before they can provide positive, forward-thinking movies,
Disney Animation need to provide a positive, forward-thinking workplace for their
employees. Therefore, Jennifer Lee is the ideal choice to replace Lasseter.
Animation is still dominated by males, so giving Jennifer Lee the opportunity to
take over will allow them to lead the way in terms of female
representation.
Conclusion
It goes without saying that John Lasseter’s misconduct, and
Disney’s failure to deal with it properly, have done considerable damage to the
studio and undermined its family-friendly reputation. However, now that he has
finally left, we need to start looking to the future, and it is worth being
highly optimistic about the evolution of Disney Animation and Pixar. The two studios have never
just been about one man, and the numerous talented creatives there should be able to flourish in a more positive and stable environment,
without the tension and animosity generated by Lasseter. I am hopeful that Disney can go on providing
appealing and inspirational animated films, and the new generation of writers
and directors headed by Docter and Lee will be able to create a new range of
animated classics which can be enjoyed for decades to come.
