Bob Iger: Disney is not sexualizing children; the group disagrees: The CEO of Disney has refuted claims that Disney is sexualizing children. This came after many disgruntled individuals accused the company of embedding inappropriate content in their children’s programming. The CEO emphasized that Disney has always prioritized creating family-friendly content that is suitable for audiences of all ages. He also highlighted the rigorous content review processes in place to ensure that their shows and movies maintain high standards of appropriateness.
Iger disagreed, saying in a recent interview with CNBC that “the notion that Disney is in any way sexualizing children is quite frankly preposterous and inaccurate.” Iger’s remark came in response to host David Faber’s request for him to address Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ criticism of the corporation’s allegedly “sexualized content.”
In response to Disney CEO Bob Iger’s claim that the corporation does not sexualize youngsters, a media watchdog group is urging parents to look for alternate TV options for their kids.
The nonprofit, nonpartisan research and education organization advocating responsible entertainment that works to “protect children and families from graphic sex, violence, and profanity in the media,” The Parents Television and Media Council, has repeatedly voiced concerns about Disney’s programming in recent years.
Iger’s statement that Disney does not sexualize children was cited by Melissa Henson, vice president of the Parents Television and Media Council, in an interview with The Christian Post as evidence that he “obviously isn’t paying very close attention to” the content his company produces.
Although the problem has been around for a while, Henson told CP that Disney has recently been under fire from patrons and parents for content that is thought to be inappropriate for youngsters (see here, here, and here).
“Going back decades, programs on the Disney Channel that were targeted to preteens emphasized romantic relationships, even though the target audience was [children aged] 8, 9, 10, and 11,” she said.
Also, Henson lamented the efforts to introduce a “boyfriend/girlfriend element” to shows directed at preteens, noting that it is “not necessarily top of mind” for children in that age group.
Henson told CP that Disney produces material for other networks under its ownership, such as FX, in addition to the Disney Channel.
Henson stated “Little Demon,” a Disney-owned FXX series criticized by the advocacy group One Million Moms as a promotion of “demons, witches, and sorcery” featuring “graphic violence and nudity,” and “A Teacher,” an FX miniseries she summarized as depicting an “illicit relationship” between a teacher and a high school student, as more recent examples of programs that sexualize children. She cited the aforementioned shows as being among a “long list of content” created by Disney that is intended to sexualize kids.
She maintained that Bob Iger’s statements were flat-out false. Three months before to Iger’s presentation on CNBC, the Parents Television and Media Council launched a petition with more than 10,000 signatures asking Disney’s board of directors to prohibit the company from producing sexually explicit content.