In the Age of Trump, Corporations Have Shown their Weakness. Let’s Exploit it.
This week, Disney owned ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel‘s show indefinitely for jokes surrounding the murder of rightwing martyr Charlie Kirk. The suspension came after Nexstar and Sinclair both said they would not air the show in protest and threats by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr of investigations. It is not only the latest example of government authoritarian overreach by the Trump administration, a clear violation of the first amendment, but further proof of the greed of US corporations who care only for further gain and further dollars. But, that also show’s their weaknesses. They are beholden to corporate profits. They don’t care about about causes, they care about how they can maximize their profits through those causes. We already generally knew this was the case, but it’s on full display and any pretense is gone.
Impact those profits with swift and deep boycotts and protests and change can happen.
The likelihood of deep nationwide work stoppages are unlikely, too many individuals live paycheck to paycheck, a reported 67%, and are beholden to their employers for benefits like healthcare. They don’t have vacation days to spend or the ability to take time off without putting themselves at risk. That is a “feature” of the current economic system, not a bug.
With the unlikelihood of sustained, multi-day, mass protests with economic impact, targeted boycotts are the next best option. Nexstar and Sinclair’s decision to “cancel” Jimmy Kimmel is performative outrage to gain favor with the Trump administration which they need to lift ownership restrictions when it comes to media. Nexstar wants to purchase Tegna which would increase its local TV ownership to more than 39% of US households, which is prohibited by law. They need the FCC to change this rule so they can have further control over the market, and thus, present a further danger to censorship. Nexstar’s actions are to curry favor by “punching libs” and do Trump’s dirty work for him. Trump has wanted to cancel Kimmel for some time. After the cancelation of Stephen Colbert, that reality became more into being. He said Jimmy Kimmel was next.
Nexstar, and Sinclair’s decision is about their dollars, their profits. Disney, the once champion of bullying others, has felt pressure in recent years, not just from Trump by also Governor Ron Desantis. Their decision was economic, Nexstar and Sinclair make up a large chunk of coverage, but also an attempt to bend the knee and appease MAGA.
This is about corporate mergers and increasing stock prices. It also is a further slide into fascism where corporate and government interests merge.
The economy is controlled by the state and used to serve the interests of the nation. Though claiming to help the common person, fascist regimes often align with powerful business interests.
So, how do we stop this? We make that stock go down. Disney, the owner of ABC, Nexstar, and Sinclair have shown their weakness by their worship of the dollar. By tanking revenue, we can directly effect change.
We’ve seen this in action.
Target announced their rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives which lead to a nationwide boycott. The company reported a 21% drop in net income in the second quarter this year which was exacerbated due to the boycott and an already shaky business where it saw flat or declining sales in eight of the past ten quarters. It’s stock is down from a high of $142.50 in January to around $88.35 today, that’s a 38% decrease. The CEO of Target is stepping down, being replaced as the company has said it expects further decreases in sales as the boycott continues.
How would that work here?
Nexstar and Sinclair
For those serviced by these companies.. If you purchase anything directly from them, cancel what you can and let them know why you are. For those who have channels owned by either, find out what companies are advertising on their channels, especially local news, and then boycott those advertisers. But, you need to let those advertisers know you’re doing that and why.
Disney
Disney is a megalith of a corporation whose boycott needs to run wide and deep with different strategies for each.
- ABC, ESPN, FX, Disney Channel – like Nexstar and Sinclair, stop watching the channel, find out who advertises on it and boycott the advertisers letting them know.
- Disney+ and Hulu – Cancel your subscription and let them know why.
- Marvel – Do not watch the films in theaters, on television, or purchase physical or digital releases. Do not purchase the comics. Don’t buy the toys and any licensed goods.
- Dynamite, Dark Horse, and other comic publishers – Disney licenses properties to numerous publishers, do not purchase any of it.
- Star Wars – Nothing related to the property should be purchased or consumed.
- Movies – Avoid Fox, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm.
- Disney Parks – Don’t go, this is pretty simple.
That’s just a small sample of the level and here’s a pretty thorough list of the Disney empire. Individuals, including those in Hollywood, are already putting pressure on the company.
By weakening corporate profits, and making it clear why, we can make investors angry, who will in turn force the internal change we so desire and desperately need.
