Rob Schneider Sends Message to Disney

Once known for his comedy, in recent years Rob Schneider has earned a reputation for himself for blasting other public figures online and has now taken aim at Disney.

Never one to shy away from a political debate, the 60-year-old Saturday Night Live star has hit out at everyone from President Joe Biden to actor Susan Sarandon to football star Travis Kelce.

Now Schneider—who describes himself as "conservative" and an "independent"—has slammed Disney after the company reported a difficult fiscal year.

"Disney got financially spanked by American families who don't want their children indoctrinated by idiotic Woke lunacy," the comedian posted to X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.

"Now they will return once again to being the great entertainment company for ALL Americans. Thank YOU, America!"

Newsweek has reached out to Schneider for comment via email.

Schneider's post has received over 395,000 views, with many of his 1.7 million followers agreeing with his statement.

"Disney is dead to me and my family," said Stan Hill.

"There's a growing list of companies that are going DOWN with that ship by playing partisan politics and ideological war...good riddance," wrote Daniel.

"I believed it impossible for Disney to fully destroy the trust parents had given them, they clearly thought so too," said Mondo.

"Until we hear that all the senior leadership responsible has been fired we can just assume that they'll be a little more stealthy about indoctrination," commented John Cotis.

"I truly miss the Disney before woke," said Doggie Mom. "Hoping this really does change the mission."

The company has had a tough year financially, with a series of box office flops in 2023. Its newest animated movie Wish fell short of expectations upon its Thanksgiving weekend release, earning $31.7 million compared to the anticipated $45-$55 million, CNBC reported.

Other Disney and Pixar films that underperformed this year include Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and the remake of Haunted Mansion.

Although Disney's Q4 report was better than expected, the company will still be implementing a further $2 billion in cost-cutting measures—a total of $7.5 billion in 2023.

During the summer, CEO Bob Iger said Disney may sell some of its assets, describing some of the business' financial woes as "self-inflicted."

"After coming back, I realized the company is facing a lot of challenges," Iger said at Allen & Co.'s annual conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, in July.

Although Disney isn't the only entertainment conglomerate to struggle in the streaming era, its theme parks have also seen a decline in visitors due to the rising cost of living.

However, conservative public figures have suggested that the studio's attempts to tell more diverse stories have alienated audiences. In recent years, Disney has aimed to feature more LGBTQ+ and minority characters in its roster, while also changing the stories of its remakes—such as Snow White—to be more feminist.

After the company reported a $900 million loss due to box office flops in July, conservative commentator Megyn Kelly said she hoped Disney had "learned its lesson."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sparked a feud with the company in 2022, after Disney paused its political donations to the state in response to the "Don't Say Gay Bill."

However, an exclusive poll by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, conducted on behalf of Newsweek, found that Disney's slew of live-action remakes may also be putting viewers off.

Polling 1,500 eligible U.S. voters, 36 percent of respondents wanted Disney to focus on new stories, while 28 percent wanted to see a mixture of new films and revamped classics.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 45 percent of those surveyed felt that Disney films contained outdated or offensive content and were happy for storylines to be updated to reflect modern times—with only 24 percent against making changes.