Over the past few months, a Catholic League petition demanding that Disney dump Miramax secured approximately 300,000 signatures. Last April, the Catholic League was delighted when Disney told Miramax not to release the Catholic-bashing movie, “Dogma,” but we were disconcerted when Miramax chiefs Bob and Harvey Weinstein decided to invest $14 million of their own money to keep the film alive. Accordingly, the league embarked on a petition drive asking Disney to sever all relationships with Miramax.
Catholic League president William Donohue offered the following comment today:
“Today we are sending Disney head Michael Eisner boxes full of petitions asking that he drop all association with Miramax. In 1995, in response to the Miramax-released movie, ‘Priest,’ we were the first organization in the nation to call for a boycott of Disney. Four years later, we note with pride that the original family-friendly industry repaired to its moorings by dissociating itself from another anti-Catholic film, ‘Dogma.’ Now it is time to cut the chord with Miramax once and for all.
“Eisner has nothing to gain by allowing the Weinsteins to abuse their relationship with Disney. They have proven to be morally bankrupt and represent the very antithesis of what Walt Disney worked so hard to accomplish. The time has come for Disney to distinguish itself again and that is why we appeal to Michael Eisner to recapture the Snow White image of his company by giving Miramax the heave-ho. The Weinsteins have certainly shown no loyalty to him.”
