Aug
24th
2019
Before anyone else keeps defending Disney's posture over Spider-Man rights... · 2:16am Aug 24th, 2019
...please, have in consideration this; are you seriously rooting for a monopoly in exchange of entertainment? Are we, as a fandom, so dulled out for our need of material? Are we gladly supporting a company that holds a kilometric list of abuse to take over an entire genre of the industry?
What are we? What are we doing?
Do we even care anymore?
Or is it getting another piece of entertainment so important?
Source: Joan Lee, Stan Lee's daughter
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Magenta Cat · 154 views
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In case my opinion isn't clear there, FVCK Disney and their monopolic arses. FVCK them all to the deepest and darkest holes of hell.
5110632
TBF, Sony is standing up to them, at least Spidey is still in the MCU, and apparently Stan's daughter abused him. Also Holland and Downey took a hike
The truly pathetic thing is that if the character were allowed to fall into public domain both companies could easily make obnoxious amounts of money off his existence with even less politics and back biting.
5110637
First of all, Sony's stock nearly died just for the announce of the agreement not being renewed. So, it's less of "standing up to" and more "stepping in front of a train". It's a foregone conclusion that Disney will win this. Either by the communications campaign it already launched, or just throwing money at the problem.
Secondly, the abuse story got refuted by The Man himself (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/stan-lee-sets-record-straight-relationship-daughter-jc-friend-keya-morgan-1101155), so there's that. But even then, the point of the quote is how careless Disney is for a story beyond its moneymaking potential, and how stagnating is for everything to be under a single editorial line. Specially Disney's one, famous for simplified narratives.
Finally, I just want for there to be some diversity. I'm not denying the MCU Spider-Man movies are good, or the MCU at large. But the superhero genre is way bigger than the MCU's general style, and thing like The Boys or Venom are proof that there are different ways to tell a story about super powered heroes and villains.
And with Spider-Man in particular, he's one of comics' most complex characters. I think it would be a severe disservice to nearly six decades of different stories to enclose them all in a single narrative without any other interpretation. So, really, my problem is less "Disney vs Sony" and more "please don't turn the whole genre into a monopoly".
5110643
I'm honestly lost at your phrasing. I get your meaning over public domain being changed in favor of corporate interest is the root of the whole situation. Ironically, because Disney itself lobbied for the copyright laws to end up like this. But what do politics have to do with this?
I get all art is political, but how do they factor in this situation in particular?
I wish I could give your main post a like. You are so right on this and it baffles me how many people are siding with Disney either for blind fanaticism or because they aren't willing to research more on the issue.
5110647
Not Washington politics, corporate politics. The politics of the deal that allows both companies to make products with the character at the same time.
5110646
Fair point. I hope Venom 2 does get made. Also, i am saddened, with Krypton's cancellation, the Lobo show isnt coming
I am never spending any money on another Disney or Marvel product again. Whether it’s this, or telling the family of a young boy who passed from a serious genetic disease — who only wanted permission to put Spider-Man on their son’s headstone — to eat Mickey’s dick when Stan Lee not only would have given given permission but would have attended the funeral, they have demonstrated that the soul that Walt had instilled in the company has evaporated; only the machine is left.
I understand that will be ineffectual and maybe even impossible, but it’s something I must try to do.
5110651
As always, the problem is less "people are stupid" and more "people are unaware". It's more or less the same mentality behind "both sides" or "what about this, then". Because siding with anything is a choice to make, it's mentally easier to just pretend it's not an issue, or just follow with the lowest common denominator. In this particular case, root for the ones who make the entertaining movies (which is a moot point anyways, because Sony also made good Spider-Man movies that easily compete with the MCU ones).
5110654
I think the word you're looking for is ethics. Anyways, it's my bad. So long dealing with people thinking politics means electoral politics, I tend to forget that's not the case myself.
5110685
Eh, at least kudos to DC for experimenting with their IP's a little instead of going "everything is Batman" over and over again.
5110700
More than a hopeless crusade, it's just a charge against the windmill. An approach I prefer is just keep buying whatever you feel like, as long as it doesn't hurt someone else or you find it morally contradicting. And when Disney or others really cross a line, go to the social media they do monitor and help raise the voice against it. They won't notice one ticket less, but a message going on does bother them.
Here is my take on this situation from a business person's viewpoint. Financially, Sony, even with Playstation, has not been doing that well for a while as seen in sales and stock. Sony really has only 2 things that are holding it together - The Spider Man franchise and Playstation; subtract those two and Sony is dead in the water.
Disney is a monster conglomerate who wants - just like Google, to be a part of every part of your life and who shrewdly keeps themselves just under the anti-trust radar by divesting just enough of who they eat (that word choice is intentional) - Fox, ESPN, Marvel, LucasFilm, Hulu, Pixar, ABC . . . And I make no illusions, they are a business that is interested in one thing - raw profit. To achieve this, they have built themselves into something that artificially transcends the company itself. To the majority of the world, if you say Disney, people cannot - or will not believe anything negative said about them; its Disney, all praise the golden rat. Its their PR machine that is heart of this monster. But, they do live up to their name on what they deliver, so long as you have the $$$.
So here comes the end of the Disney/Sony agreement and time to re-negotiate. The original deal that Disney had with Sony for being able to add Spider Man back to the MCU was a 90 (Sony)-10 (Disney) profit split on the Spider Man solo movie revenue while Disney was given 100% marketing rights (and oh what a killing this was). So here comes the Golden Rat - we want to re-negotiate the deal to an even 50-50 split and we still keep 100% marketing rights. Of course Sony is going to say no given their financial condition, so Disney says okay, we take back Feige and Spider Man is no longer part of the MCU; cut and dry - right? Remember what I said about Disney wanting to be part of every aspect of your life?
Disney has expressed for a while an interest in a field of entertainment that they do not have a stranglehold on - video games. Besides wanting control of Spider-Man - the most beloved member of the Marvel Universe - back under their absolute control - what else does Sony have that could interest The Rat? Oh right, Playstation. So look at what has happened since the "amicable" breakdown of negotiation (at least from Disney's retelling). 10's of thousands of social media messages parroting #savespidermanfromsony, major celebrities calling for Sony to capitulate and Sony stock going down; my gosh evil Sony is trying to steal Spider Man from Marvel and fans everywhere. . . And the public, for the largest part is gobbling it up like its their last meal. Of course there is some who say otherwise and point out its Disney's actions, not Sony that has created this issue - but the masses are being lead willingly by the nose.
Here is my shot - this was in the works for a while at Disney and barring a total PR failure, they've engineered a win-win for themselves. Worst case assuming the public does not catch on - Sony takes so much Social Pressure and public hate, they buckle and give into the 50-50 split demanded by Marvel or perhaps a modified 70-30 or the such. Disney gets more money, more control over Spider-Man and the Golden Rat glows in the public eye for saving Tom Holland's Spider Man who is so beloved. Best case scenario for Disney - Sony does not cave in and re-negotiate in Disney's favor. Disney sits back, the public rages at Sony for "stealing" Spider Man from the MCU. Spider Man 3 releases without any tie to the MCU - and it bombs - horribly. Sony's stock plummets along with its public view. Disney, the beneficial family company it is, steps in. Guess what Sony, we're going to buy you and save you; and to be fair, we only want Sony Pictures (including rights to Spider Man) and Playstation. Once again, Disney stays under the DOJ's radar, money gets stuffed in the right pockets and the Golden Rat just gets bigger.
Dirty game? Hell yes. Smart and Calculated? I would expect nothing less from the Rat.
5111067
Let me start by saying this: that is one great analysis of the situation, and I'll add it to the main blogpost (or a new one) for more people to see. Of course, only with your explicit permission.
Also, I've come to really loathe how the Disney company has adopted the same cut-throat business tactics that Walt Disney struggled against in his time; he made Micky Mouse to begin with because he lost the rights of Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. Now, I look at the mouse and it's an amazingly fitting metaphor for this whole mess.
5111233
Feel free to use it as you see fit.
5111236
Thanks a lot.