We, the undersigned, have a message to Disney: you bit off more than you can chew when you offended Catholics with the release of “Priest.” Your decision to defiantly stand behind Miramax is going to cost you dearly, both in terms of money and in terms of goodwill.
We will boycott Disney products, sell Disney stock, cancel subscriptions to the Disney channel and refuse to go to Disneyland and Disney World. Perhaps most damaging, we will pass the word that Disney is not what it used to be.
We grew up with Disney. Disney was synonymous with family values. We’ve always loved Disney. But no more. Disney has changed and what it has become is not a pretty sight.
You cannot have it both ways. You cannot put the Disney label on “The Lion King” and then give Miramax your blessings for releasing “Priest” and expect that your reputation will go unaffected. You have chosen to align yourself with the trendy types at Miramax, feeding their ability to make politically correct statements. In short, you are bankrolling an outfit that delights in challenging the traditional moral order.
The officials at Disney did not count on this kind of reaction. It is true that in the past Catholics were willing to ignore the kinds of insults that “Priest” delivers. But just as Disney has changed, so, too, have Catholics. We are prepared to defend our religion-which is too often portrayed unfairly-and we are prepared to register our outrage in a myriad of ways. We will see to it that Disney becomes a textbook case of expressing our outrage.
We hope that everyone at Disney thinks twice before offending Catholics again. Sadly, appeals to your goodwill mean nothing anymore. That is why we are hitting you in the pocketbook. And remember, the long-term damage to your Snow White image is something that no one can put a price tag on. The Catholic League has already tarnished your image and we have pledged to blacken it a little more.
