Jimmy Kimmel has been back for a while now, and things have never been better for the late-night show host and his supporters. ABC did the right thing by letting free speech prevail against Donald Trump‘s wishes and giving Kimmel back his job. However, Disney is facing heavy consequences. On top of all the backlash from both the general public, prominent figures, and celebrities, numerous people boycotted the mega corporation to express their disdain for Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension. As a result, Disney has lost over 1.7 million subscribers, according to journalist Marisa Kabas.
In numbers, that massive subscriber loss translates to billions in revenue for Disney, but you also have to consider how the company’s reputation is currently in the gutter due to this controversy. If that wasn’t bad enough, the conglomerate then decided to shoot itself in the foot again by announcing that it’s raising the pricing model for its subscriptions. Perhaps this was a decision made under pressure from its investors, but many collectively agree that Disney is making a joke of itself more than anything. Still, it’s not as if the corporation is going bankrupt anytime soon, as one person puts it: “they’ll unfortunately probably still net positive from milking their other 125M+ subscribers.”
Whatever the case, it’s clear the boycott made an impact, and that’s all that matters. It’s rather ironic, seeing how this whole situation turned out to be a win-win for both Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump. As the comedian put it, this entire controversy forced millions to watch and support someone they would otherwise not have cared much for. On the flip side, the Trump administration got a massive company to bend the knee to government threats and pressure. President Trump also spoke of suing ABC for putting Kimmel back on air, but ironically, Disney is already paying for its poor decision with this subscriber loss.
For the average American, Disney’s loss and Jimmy Kimmel’s win are certainly a spark of hope that free speech has not been done away with, considering the unreasonable actions of the current administration. “Maybe these businesses will realize that not everyone in this country is MAGA,” remarks a Reddit user. “GO WOKE GO BROKE!!! or Capitulate to fascists and lose 300 million in revenue,” jokes another. A third points out how it’s confusing that Disney has been typically branded as being progressive, yet didn’t hesitate to bend under the pressure of conservative President Trump.
The greatest takeaway from all this, though, as one commenter says, is most definitely that “Boycotts and peaceful protests work.”
