Trouble in the court of King John
April 26, 2018 4:54 AM   Subscribe

"He Who Must Not Be Named": Can John Lasseter Ever Return to Disney? As the most powerful man in animation nears the end of a six-month "sabbatical" for personal "missteps," CEO Bob Iger must soon determine his fate. But a close look at the career and workplace behavior of the Pixar mogul reveals a man much darker, angrier and, at times, more abusive than "the happy-ass guy in the Hawaiian shirt," the purported Walt Disney of the digital age. posted by fearfulsymmetry (27 comments total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is especially disappointing, as Lasseter was someone I admired for what he brought to animation. I guess I was fooled by his "curated" image, too.
posted by Fleebnork at 5:00 AM on April 26, 2018 [2 favorites]


From some of what's come out since his "sabbatical" started, I think that Iger's working on a way to say "have a good life, John... somewhere else."

Sorry, John, but if it took down Harvey Weinstein, you're gone too. If he comes back, it's a signal to everyone at Disney that unless you're in his inner circle, you're not going anywhere. Look at what happened with Brave, where the woman who would have been the first director of a Disney/Pixar movie was unceremoniously yanked from a project she championed.

Nope. Got to go. Need to start cleaning house, and that's got to start with Mom and Dad's bedroom, as an example to the kids, to mangle a metaphor.
posted by mephron at 5:00 AM on April 26, 2018 [19 favorites]


There was a mini promotional documentary that's a 'day in the life of John Lasseter' that came out around the time of Cars 2... I happened to watch it a few weeks back on youtube as part of research for a thing. The serial hugging comes over way creepier now that it would have done at the time it was made.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:08 AM on April 26, 2018 [2 favorites]


The only way I could see Lassiter returning would be under permanent accompaniment by a minder who constantly murmurs “remember John, no touching”. In all seriousness, I’ve checked in with friends at Pixar . . . and it’s been horrible. I don’t know if there will ever be enough time passed for Lassiter to show his face at Emeryville.
posted by lemon_icing at 5:12 AM on April 26, 2018 [10 favorites]


I'm comfortable with this being a career-killing move at the level of creative control of two multi-billion dollar studios.
posted by GenderNullPointerException at 6:01 AM on April 26, 2018 [5 favorites]


I'm pretty sure that Lassiter has enough money to retire on and Pixar seems to be doing OK without him.
posted by octothorpe at 6:17 AM on April 26, 2018 [3 favorites]


This article makes me sad -- not because I have any sympathy for Lasseter, who sounds like a jerk -- but because I just don't understand why men seem incapable of dealing with success or authority without turning into raging, sexually aggressive assholes.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 6:17 AM on April 26, 2018 [11 favorites]


"The only person who could give John notes was Steve Jobs," says one, referring to Pixar's majority shareholder in that early era... By the mid-2000s, Jobs had become concerned about Lasseter, according to a former high-level associate. The Apple co-founder may not have been comfortable with one man wielding so much power at Pixar, but there was more. Lasseter could be "mean" and "vindictive" while drinking, this person says. "He had ballooned up. Steve was afraid he would have a heart attack." Jobs wanted Lasseter to cut back on drinking and lose weight. "Steve tried," the executive says. "But then Steve got sicker. He wasn't around anymore."
Wow. When Steve Jobs thought that you had an ego problem...
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:23 AM on April 26, 2018 [69 favorites]


Can’t these guys get that the social contract is that they go away to enjoy thier immense wealth and we ignore the fact that they’ve basically suffered no consequences so long as they stay out of public view?
posted by The Whelk at 6:39 AM on April 26, 2018 [22 favorites]


I'd be hugely surprised if Lasseter's fate at Disney wasn't already worked-out and agreed to before he left on the "sabbatical." I can't imagine Iger leaving an enormous loose string like that dangling for six months. At best, Lasseter will get a small "creative consultant" office at Disney, where no one visits and he can simply fade away.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:57 AM on April 26, 2018


Christ, what an asshole.
posted by DigDoug at 7:06 AM on April 26, 2018 [4 favorites]


I've no problem with him not returning. I'm sure there are plenty of other talented animators, artists, writers, directors, and producers who have been shut out. Let's give them a chance to shine.
posted by Fizz at 7:18 AM on April 26, 2018 [5 favorites]


I'm assuming they're giving, say, Brenda Chapman a chance to come back and shine through writing and directing films there without issue? No? So why does an abuser get another chance?
posted by xingcat at 7:21 AM on April 26, 2018 [18 favorites]


> Pixar seems to be doing OK without him

I think you mean "in the sense of day-to-day business and reports from staffers", and I hope that continues to be true. But in the sense of how Lasseter's absence will affect how Pixar's movies look and are received, that will take a long time to play out. The production cycle of a major Pixar film is on the order of five years so it's going to be the early 2020s before Pixar releases something that Lasseter was not involved with.
posted by ardgedee at 7:32 AM on April 26, 2018 [3 favorites]


Was Lasseter a creative consultant on Disney parks?
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:42 AM on April 26, 2018


Tinseltown, he's not young and hot, without a big deal locked he's not coming back.

Really sad he fell to the dark side of money and power, since Luxo Jr he really seemed like one of the good guys, telling smart stories with clean clear images, using the technology advances to say something rather than just glitz out.
posted by sammyo at 7:56 AM on April 26, 2018 [1 favorite]


I just don't understand why men seem incapable of dealing with success or authority without turning into raging, sexually aggressive assholes.

"turning into?"

Here's a hint: they always were raging, sexually aggressive assholes. Being in a passion of power just let them exert their nature freely.

I mean hell, in the tech field there's thousands of guys like Lasseter without power, and generally they still get away with whatever crap they pull.
posted by happyroach at 10:16 AM on April 26, 2018 [12 favorites]


I imagine inveterate Pixar-hater John Kricfalusi would have been having an absolute field day with the news of Lasseter's downfall, only... oops.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:20 AM on April 26, 2018 [3 favorites]


maybe Lassiter and Kricfalusi can use the same therapist!
posted by mephron at 10:28 AM on April 26, 2018


Here's a hint: they always were raging, sexually aggressive assholes. Being in a passion of power just let them exert their nature freely.

Fair point. In that case, it's sad that so many raging, sexually aggressive assholes find themselves in positions of power.
posted by Ben Trismegistus at 10:30 AM on April 26, 2018 [5 favorites]


I think that as much as Lasseter et al quietly pushed the narrative that he was a happy-go-lucky, Hawaiian-shirted creative Steve Jobs, Pixar was a creative community from early on. Dudes like Catmull, Stanton, Docter can carry on Pixar’s creative legacy just fine, especially if they get some new diverse people in the leadership with them.
posted by sleeping bear at 10:39 AM on April 26, 2018


Deserves its own thread, obviously, but Cosby has finally been found guilty.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:59 AM on April 26, 2018 [1 favorite]


This seems like it belongs in this thread:
Bill Cosby found guilty on all counts of indecent sexual assault in retrial

posted by Atom Eyes at 11:00 AM on April 26, 2018 [1 favorite]


Sounds like he's perfect for a new career in the off-world colonies politics!
posted by blue_beetle at 11:46 AM on April 26, 2018 [1 favorite]


...it's sad that so many raging, sexually aggressive assholes find themselves in positions of power

One tends to facillitate achieving the other, unfortunately.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:26 PM on April 26, 2018 [2 favorites]


Was Lasseter a creative consultant on Disney parks?

Yes, very enthusiastically.
posted by potrzebie at 1:43 PM on April 26, 2018


As a young adult he was a boat skipper on the Jungle Cruise for a few years.
posted by mmascolino at 2:10 PM on April 26, 2018


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