Podcast
Land of the Giants
Hosted by Vulture · EN
Big tech is transforming every aspect of our world. But how, and at what cost? This season of Land of the Giants – The Disney Dilemma – focuses on Disney’s ability to weather the ups and downs of the business cycle and changing tastes and explores what has kept it successful for over 100 years. The entertainment giant has leveraged nostalgia and its intellectual property to build a beloved brand, but after an acquisition spree that included Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox, can it sustain high quality and brand loyalty on a scale that keeps it growing? Who is Disney now, and can it compete against the tech giants in a battle for our attention and dollars?
From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network. New episodes drop every Wednesday.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Disney is a Tech Company?
Aug 14, 202400:36:09Tap to summarizeStreaming didn’t just change the way consumers watched movies and TV shows, it reconfigured how media giants operated, and how they saw themselves. If tech companies were disrupting old business models, perhaps Disney’s best move was to join the crowd.In our final episode, we look at how streaming has fundamentally changed Disney and prepared the company for the next 100 years of entertainment. Hosted by Joe Adalian (@TVMoJoe) From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Disney is Bob Iger's Company
Aug 7, 202400:38:55Tap to summarizeThe Walt Disney Company has been led by eight different men in its century of existence. But few would object to the idea that only three have really mattered. Walt Disney, Michael Eisner, and Bob Iger have all made lasting impacts on the company, but how these executives went out also left an important impression. Why has Disney repeatedly struggled to get succession right – for one leader to pass the torch to a new one? And what do Bob Iger’s latest missteps tell us about why it’s so hard to let it go? Hosted by Joe Adalian (@TVMoJoe) From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Disney is a Cinematic Universe Company
Jul 31, 202400:39:37Tap to summarizeMarvel and Star Wars are the crown jewels of Disney’s empire. They’re the highest-grossing movie franchises in history, with devoted fan bases and expansive IP universes, but right now, both are in a bit of a slump. As Disney asked for more and more content to satisfy its business needs, the creative process suffered, and these once mighty hit-making engines have slowed down. There hasn’t been a Star Wars movie in 5 years and this year, Disney’s only releasing a single Marvel movie - ‘Deadpool and Wolverine.’ How did Disney get here? What will it take to rediscover the mojo? And how can Baby Yoda and a foul-mouthed, fourth-wall breaking Marvel character help get Disney’s IP machine pumping at the box-office again? This episode hosted by Chris Lee (@__ChrisLee) From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this episode incorrectly stated that Disney acquired the Power Rangers franchise when it bought 21st Century Fox. Hasbro is the current owner of the franchise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Disney is an Animation Company
Jul 24, 202400:45:08Tap to summarizeDisney’s soul is arguably its animation studio, which has a 100-year track record of creating iconic characters and stories, and a distinct brand centered around “once upon a time.” Not so long ago, Disney produced films like "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King," catapulting animation into the mainstream while burnishing Disney's own brand as the premier animated film studio. But lately, those movies have felt lost and often, distinctly, "un-Disney." Recent box office flops like “Wish” are costly missteps that have a huge impact on Disney’s bottom line.With more studios producing animated films, and Disney having acquired Pixar, it’s not always clear what’s a Disney film anymore. So what makes a film a Disney film today, and why does it matter? This episode hosted by Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Disney is a Theme Parks Company
Jul 17, 202400:44:01Tap to summarizeThese days the Walt Disney Company is mostly a theme parks company. About 70 percent of its operating income comes from its parks and other experiences like Disney Cruises. But the parks do something else: they help the company attach itself to our emotions, memories, and identities. How can Disney continue to strengthen this relationship in an era where data - not whimsy, fantasy, or even original IP - shapes so much of how we experience the world? This episode hosted by Rebecca Alter (@ralter) From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Disney is a TV Company
Jul 10, 202400:39:34Tap to summarizeWhen you think about Disney, your first thought isn’t “cable television giant.” But Disney’s broadcast and cable television holdings, especially ESPN, helped turbocharge Disney’s growth over the last 30 years. It was a formula that worked extremely well – until now. As more and more consumers cut the cable cord, Disney must reckon with declining assets and the hit to its bottom line. Hosted by Joe Adalian (@TVMoJoe) From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →The Disney Dilemma
Jun 26, 202400:02:52Tap to summarizeOver the past 100 years, the Walt Disney Company has grown from a small animation studio to become one of the largest companies in the world, with an enviable history of creative and financial success. But as it's grown and acquired companies like Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm, can its winning streak continue? What has Disney lost in the process of getting so big, and can it sustain its high quality and brand loyalty at this enormous scale? From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Episodes drop every Wednesday beginning July 10th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Elon Saves Humanity
Nov 15, 202300:46:21Tap to summarizeIn October 2022, Elon Musk made the world’s most expensive impulse purchase. His reasons for buying Twitter were murky at best, but in the story he tells now, he’s saving civilization. In the final episode of this season, we look at Twitter today, inside Elon’s fantasy. What happens when the world’s richest man buys the global town square - and announces that we are doing it all wrong? Hosted by Peter Kafka (@pkafka) Follow Land of the Giants on your favorite podcast app to get future seasons Follow @voxdotcom for more coverage of X/Twitter and Big Tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Havoc On the Platform, and Off
Nov 8, 202300:49:35Tap to summarizeTwitter employees had always imagined the platform would be used for social good. Their idea was that free expression on the internet would lead to good things. But after the 2016 U.S. election, that notion would be put under stress. And Twitter would have to grapple with the question: what happens when its powerful superuser - who also happens to be the most powerful person in the world - creates havoc on the platform? Hosted by Peter Kafka (@pkafka) Be the first to hear next week's episode by following Land of the Giants on your favorite podcast app Follow @voxdotcom for more coverage of X/Twitter and Big Tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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A Million Different Twitters
Nov 1, 202300:49:00Tap to summarizeTwitter was created by its users, who invented features like the retweet and hashtag. These features helped create vibrant communities like Black Twitter and Comedy Twitter, but eventually, some groups exploited Twitter’s virality in order to intimidate and harass others online. In this episode: how Twitter became the best and worst place on the internet.EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode contains descriptions of sexual harassment and of graphic threats of violence. This section begins 9 minutes after the midroll break and lasts for about 5 minutes, or approximately 35:30 through 41:20. This episode hosted by Peter Kafka (@pkafka) and Lauren Goode (@laurengoode) Be the first to hear next week's episode by following Land of the Giants on your favorite podcast app Follow @voxdotcom for more coverage of X/Twitter and Big Tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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