John Lasseter Takes Leave Of Absence From Pixar Following ‘Unwanted Hugs’ And ‘Other Gestures’

[Fone Bone]

Honestly, I'm disillusioned. I was the guy in the thread who was stupidly saying they didn't just hire Jennifer Lee just because she was a woman, and now I learn it was probably a public safety issue. I'm done giving this company the benefit of the doubt. It never deserved it. It is not the studio about wistful childhood, and magic, and believing in yourself, and never was. I find it telling that the person who wrote the article says she never had any of these problems at the Walt Disney Animation Studio or the place she went to work at after either. I am now cynical. Those heartwarming tales of wonder and family were all made by a bunch of fratboy buttholes. I can never take a single moment of heartfelt drama in one of those movies seriously ever again.

I could have looked past it if it was just Lasseter. I never much liked him to be honest. Anyone who is a fan of Larry the Cable Guy is automatically suspect towards my b.s. detector, especially one who puts that mean-spirited oaf to work to give voice to a supposedly innocent character like Mater. And his Cars obsession and delivering bad movie after bad movie in that canon meant I was not the fan many Pixar fans were.

But if it's the entire company, Dory's "When I look at you, I'm HOME" is now hogwash. And I'm disgusted to learn it always was.

 

[TsWade2]

Honestly, I'm disillusioned. I was the guy in the thread who was stupidly saying they didn't just hire Jennifer Lee just because she was a woman, and now I learn it was probably a public safety issue. I'm done giving this company the benefit of the doubt. It never deserved it. It is not the studio about wistful childhood, and magic, and believing in yourself, and never was. I find it telling that the person who wrote the article says she never had any of these problems at the Walt Disney Animation Studio or the place she went to work at after either. I am now cynical. Those heartwarming tales of wonder and family were all made by a bunch of fratboy buttholes. I can never take a single moment of heartfelt drama in one of those movies seriously ever again.

I could have looked past it if it was just Lasseter. I never much liked him to be honest. Anyone who is a fan of Larry the Cable Guy is automatically suspect towards my b.s. detector, especially one who puts that mean-spirited oaf to work to give voice to a supposedly innocent character like Mater. And his Cars obsession and delivering bad movie after bad movie in that canon meant I was not the fan many Pixar fans were.

But if it's the entire company, Dory's "When I look at you, I'm HOME" is now hogwash. And I'm disgusted to learn it always was.

Geez. I'm glad I wasn't in a tirade. No offense.

 

[TsWade2]

Look, John Lasseter will be leaving the studio in the end of the year. And will see how well Jennifer Lee will do at WDAS.

 

[Light Lucario]

Even with this new information in mind, I still don't think that they hired Jennifer Lee just because she's a woman. She is managing the Disney position instead of managing Pixar. That is still part of what Lasseter used to do, but I think that he was more involved with Pixar than Disney. I still hope that both she and Pete Docter can provide a safer environment for their employees and reduce the amount of sexual harassment at least, but companies don't normally hire women for high positions just because they're women. It does probably look good in a PR kind of way, but I don't think that was the entire reasoning behind their decision.

 

[Lock n' Stock]

As disgraceful as all this is, I really don't think it's fair at all to let this scandal discredit Pixar's entire legacy, especially with the hundreds of talented animators and artists who put their heart and soul into these projects.

That said, it does sadden me to see how much of a sleazebag Lasseter was, and how much of a toll it took on the company's attitudes towards women. If I had my way, any workers engaging in inappropiate conduct would have been fired on the spot.

I mean, is it really that hard to NOT feel your co-workers feel uncomfortable?

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

Even with this new information in mind, I still don't think that they hired Jennifer Lee just because she's a woman. She is managing the Disney position instead of managing Pixar. That is still part of what Lasseter used to do, but I think that he was more involved with Pixar than Disney. I still hope that both she and Pete Docter can provide a safer environment for their employees and reduce the amount of sexual harassment at least, but companies don't normally hire women for high positions just because they're women. It does probably look good in a PR kind of way, but I don't think that was the entire reasoning behind their decision.

Heck, I have good faith in both becoming the new head of Disney and Pixar, respectively.

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[Dudley]

The thing that saddens me the most is the fact that everyone is replaceable in the industry and how rough it is.
I was taught in art school, read in articles, and learned through this scandal, how rough it is to get in and how easy it is to get kicked out.

Due to how many art graduates are pumped out in various schools across the country, there’s an overabundance of talented trained artists, many of whom are willing to put up with anything so they can get their dream job, and studios take advantage of it. From unpaid internships, to various forms of harassment. Made worse because some studios, like Pixar, use their prestige to justify lower pay and putting up with abhorrent behavior. Not to mention manipulated by good PR.
“Gee, even though Dreamworks has been voted one of the best places to work, I love Pixar’s movies and would rather work there, even if it pays less!”

And as mentioned before, everyone is replaceable, which encourages this complacency and lack of room for slip-ups or “troublemakers”. Don’t feel the pay is fair? They’ll find someone who’ll do it for less. Don’t agree with the higher-ups concerning the direction the project is going, even if it started off as your own? You’ll be replaced with someone who’ll play ball. Fail to meet a deadline? They’ll fire you and let everyone else know so you’ll be blacklisted from the industry. Feeling harassed by co-workers or higher-ups? You better either put up and shut up, or leave.

TL,DR: Don’t believe what you’re told in those cutesy behind the scenes vids studios put out. The industry isn’t as “fun” or “magical” as they let on.


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[Rhaynebow]

The thing that saddens me the most is the fact that everyone is replaceable in the industry and how rough it is.
I was taught in art school, read in articles, and learned through this scandal, how rough it is to get in and how easy it is to get kicked out.

Due to how many art graduates are pumped out in various schools across the country, there’s an overabundance of talented trained artists, many of whom are willing to put up with anything so they can get their dream job, and studios take advantage of it. From unpaid internships, to various forms of harassment. Made worse because some studios, like Pixar, use their prestige to justify lower pay and putting up with abhorrent behavior. Not to mention manipulated by good PR.
“Gee, even though Dreamworks has been voted one of the best places to work, I love Pixar’s movies and would rather work there, even if it pays less!”

And as mentioned before, everyone is replaceable, which encourages this complacency and lack of room for slip-ups or “troublemakers”. Don’t feel the pay is fair? They’ll find someone who’ll do it for less. Don’t agree with the higher-ups concerning the direction the project is going, even if it started off as your own? You’ll be replaced with someone who’ll play ball. Fail to meet a deadline? They’ll fire you and let everyone else know so you’ll be blacklisted from the industry. Feeling harassed by co-workers or higher-ups? You better either put up and shut up, or leave.

TL,DR: Don’t believe what you’re told in those cutesy behind the scenes vids studios put out. The industry isn’t as “fun” or “magical” as they let on.


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Absolutely. It’s a real wake up call that Disney is just like so many places in the entertainment industry; taking advantage of budding artists’ depravity.

Shoot, it’s probably even WORSE for animation because they know the general public isn’t privy to the animation industry. To your average joe, animators are just ‘people who draw cartoons all day’, they don’t know who John K is or John Lasseter.


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[Classic Speedy]

The thing that saddens me the most is the fact that everyone is replaceable in the industry and how rough it is.
I was taught in art school, read in articles, and learned through this scandal, how rough it is to get in and how easy it is to get kicked out.

Due to how many art graduates are pumped out in various schools across the country, there’s an overabundance of talented trained artists, many of whom are willing to put up with anything so they can get their dream job, and studios take advantage of it. From unpaid internships, to various forms of harassment. Made worse because some studios, like Pixar, use their prestige to justify lower pay and putting up with abhorrent behavior. Not to mention manipulated by good PR.
“Gee, even though Dreamworks has been voted one of the best places to work, I love Pixar’s movies and would rather work there, even if it pays less!”

And as mentioned before, everyone is replaceable, which encourages this complacency and lack of room for slip-ups or “troublemakers”. Don’t feel the pay is fair? They’ll find someone who’ll do it for less. Don’t agree with the higher-ups concerning the direction the project is going, even if it started off as your own? You’ll be replaced with someone who’ll play ball. Fail to meet a deadline? They’ll fire you and let everyone else know so you’ll be blacklisted from the industry. Feeling harassed by co-workers or higher-ups? You better either put up and shut up, or leave.

TL,DR: Don’t believe what you’re told in those cutesy behind the scenes vids studios put out. The industry isn’t as “fun” or “magical” as they let on.


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At the risk of getting too political, all of this is why unions are SO important. Left to their own devices, large companies/corporations will treat their employees poorly if there isn't a system in place to keep that power in check.

Unfortunately, unions (and by extension, workers' rights) are currently under threat on a national scale.

 

[Mr.O]

A lot of these expository articles on Pixar Ive been reading the past few weeks keep referring to the company as a "boys" or "gentlemens" club. But most of these articles and commenters passingly lumps minorities with women on the victim side. Does anyone know how men who are parts of a minority group are generally treated at Pixar? I'm just noticing I know nothing about this.

 

[Dudley]

A lot of these expository articles on Pixar Ive been reading the past few weeks keep referring to the company as a "boys" or "gentlemens" club. But most of these articles and commenters passingly lumps minorities with women on the victim side. Does anyone know how men who are parts of a minority group are generally treated at Pixar? I'm just noticing I know nothing about this.

I’ve been wondering the same thing. I wish someone in the minority would speak up and tell their story. I’m sure many worried about their jobs if they do.


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[Mr.O]

I’ve been wondering the same thing. I wish someone in the minority would speak up and tell their story. I’m sure many worried about their jobs if they do.


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Wouldn't this be the time to speak up though? Pixar seems to be in too deep to risk more controversy by firing a minority employee for speaking up. Are there employees of any minority in a high position there?

 

[Lock n' Stock]

To be honest, I myself feel fairly disillusioned by all this, having adoring Pixar and their work for as long as I can remember (from owning every single one of their films on home video to watching documentaries where their proud history is discussed in excessive detail), and now all this has come out in full force. Not just Lasseter (whom despite his fixation on Cars, I had a massive amount of admiration and respect for) being a womanising creeper, but the misconduct that went unpunished in the studio's workplace, and the fact that people just stood by and let it happen. Was this studio that I looked up to for so long really just a lie all this time? Were all their inspiring tales really just a load of BS in order to retain a positive image?

I really do apologise if I'm being over-emotional writing all this, but being as big of a fan of Pixar as you can imagine, this scandal has gotten to me a fair bit. Again, I don't think it's fair at all to discredit their entire filmography based on this. Heck, I can't even bring myself to hate Lasseter considering all the stuff he did for the studio and the industry in general (especially since Toy Story 2 remains one of my favourite Pixar efforts to date), but it's downright disgusting to me that he was get away with such misbehaviour (which more or less had a negative influence on the studio's workplace as well) for so long. I'm at least happy that other big talents at the studio (Stanton, Docter, Unkrich e.g) exist, assuming they had no involvement in or knowledge about the crap that was going on.

In short, I still love Pixar and very little can change that, but this scandal has took a major blow to their reputation. Things need to change, right NOW and for the better.

 

[Nick Mick]

I think it won't come as shocking to begin with the fact, I was really shocked. And how many others weren't?????? Well, ok, some people may already knew it, as fame and forune bring such things, and Lasseter is also responsible for the Cars franchise, which isn't anything that special. But the point is, how dirty can you be make you be surrounded with people that will try to hide whatever your terrible actions are, and still not being ashamed to put his name on timeless movies so popular, that even third-party companies tried to copy.

I would make some kind of commentary about how dirty this horrible human is, but I think it's his own obligation to change whatever his attitude was in the past, for the sake of animated features that with the help of all people at Pixar, did more than being eye-candy for the children.

 

[doomrider7]

"Diversity's sake" is not a particularly good reason to put someone in charge of a large division that generates much of a parent company's business and reputation. However, co-directing a ridiculously successful cash cow like Frozen probably is.


Don't get your hopes up. We now live in a world where the average person thinks two-dimensional animation is "outdated" or "inferior" and belongs on the small screen. I would love more than anything for Walt Disney Animation Studios to completely go back to 2D and leave 3D to the masters at Pixar, but it just isn't a realistic expectation.

Those people need to watch Makoto Shinkai's work.

Read the article. That was just depressing and disillusioning and just so...vulgar in a creative way similar to the Savino and John K stuff in that it makes me wonder how many great female artists, writers, producers, and general creators along with so many great ideas and concepts from a completely different gender angle we lost because someone decided to make their work place into their own little Frat Boy Fiefdom. Add on the whole betrayal aspect of the fact that so many of these women likely GREW UP on their movies and DREAMED of working in these companies with these people and these guys EXPLOITED them, their trust, and their dreams. Yeah screw these guys, good riddance to bad rubbish, and I hope God we see a MASSIVE culling of people like this from the ENTIRE creative industry, not just animation.

Mod note: Double posts merged. Please use the edit button.

 

[19MagiswordLane]

Bob Iger has finally spoken out about the matter.....kinda:

Any time that you change leadership there is an inevitable cultural shift. There was a cultural shift at Disney when I took over for Michel Eisner after 21 years. John Lasseter was in his role for a long time, had an enormous influence on both the culture and the creativity of Pixar, and so of course in John leaving there is inevitable and was an inevitable cultural shift. To get into the details, I’d prefer not to.

Bob Iger Talks Disney's Streaming Service, 'Roseanne,' James Gunn and a Coming 'Star Wars' "Slowdown"

 

[TsWade2]

Bob Iger has finally spoken out about the matter.....kinda:

Any time that you change leadership there is an inevitable cultural shift. There was a cultural shift at Disney when I took over for Michel Eisner after 21 years. John Lasseter was in his role for a long time, had an enormous influence on both the culture and the creativity of Pixar, and so of course in John leaving there is inevitable and was an inevitable cultural shift. To get into the details, I’d prefer not to.

Bob Iger Talks Disney's Streaming Service, 'Roseanne,' James Gunn and a Coming 'Star Wars' "Slowdown"

Kind of speechless, isn't he?

 

[Rhaynebow]

It's still genuinely surprising how much Disney is keeping this under wraps. Iger's talking like Lasseter leaving was something they were planning for and the company is just "going through the growing pains". Yeah, no, the big man in charge got called out for being a creep and you're doing damage control. Lasseter would INEVITABLY have to step down, yes, but certainly not this soon under these circumstances.

 

[Fone Bone]

Iger came off like an incredible ass during that interview, not just for his statements on Lasseter, but for how badly he addressed the James Gunn controversy. It is super ironic that article claims he is a titan of industry or sorts, which means it is clearly a puff piece designed to sell him to the public. Because most people don't look like ginormous tools in puff pieces designed to do that. They can actually answer any softballs correctly. This guy is starting to make Michael Eisner look good.

 

[TsWade2]

Iger came off like an incredible ass during that interview, not just for his statements on Lasseter, but for how badly he addressed the James Gunn controversy. It is super ironic that article claims he is a titan of industry or sorts, which means it is clearly a puff piece designed to sell him to the public. Because most people don't look like ginormous tools in puff pieces designed to do that. They can actually answer any softballs correctly. This guy is starting to make Michael Eisner look good.

Yeah, that CEO needs serious help. I say we find a new ceo to make Disney a better company.