John is not posting about sundaes and pretzels on some carefree vacation. John and Kevin are hosting and leading an ABD TRIP filled with clients. This is not a vacation, it’s literally their job.
I just want to respond to myself, lol (that's some ego right there) that I do feel a renewed sense of appreciation for Craig and Ryno specifically as they try to navigate this. And I don't say that (as I think some folks do on other blogs, etc) to be a slight against anyone else; I think the last podcast I watched was when Deni was still employed (and I probably watched an average of 2 a year or something). Enough to know it wasn't my cup of tea, particularly with one person at the center of this (I loved Off the Rails). Back to the staff - having read and really appreciated Erica's entries, I trust I'd like her work on the panel (I think they're the same person) and I trust that I support Corey's work, etc - I just am not familiar with any of it. But I do think it's hard to be (I know from experience) front-facing employees who do not have control over the elements getting the most attention (and knowing that people on the internet can be just rude, nasty, unkind, etc).To me, posting on Instagram about food seems more like the job of food reviewers, influencers, etc and not the CEO of a company going through what one would assume is the most significant issue it's faced (god, I hope). I would hope you'd see that there does seem to be a disconnect (I don't know Kevin's position with the company - perhaps he is more akin to an on-air reviewer and I'm wrong).
If this is about friends and family, I get circling the wagons and it seems like that's true for you (and I regret that I've not been able to make friends with the people involved - there definitely seems to be different circles). I trust that these folks have been very good to you and have the best of intentions. For others, it's about a professional company with employees, clients, etc and I think it's fair for those folks to want one thing from the company (and the company can say, "No, we're going to post pretzels and silly hats in the face of our CEO having used power over employees."). It just seems really weird (and a little unhealthy/dysfunctional) to say, "People can't expect more of this company - be quiet and don't talk about abuse." That is, in fact, how abuse gets to continue in systems.
For most of us, none of this is about you or your personal friends. If the company doesn't want to be taken seriously, it can just be a group of friends who talk to each other about food at Disney and help each other with vacation planning. No one is saying otherwise. But people have had interactions with people involved and have a very real right to feel concerned. People do have the right to reflect on whether they have contributed to one person misusing their power, and whether the others in the upper echelon of selected people have also contributed to that (intentionally, accidentally, implicitly, explicitly). I can't think of any company with which I do business where if there was 7 figure financial improprieties and sexual assault (let alone of employees by the CEO) where I'd be like, "Oh ok. No biggie." Those are pretty serious issues to many people and take a while to process (especially since people have personal experiences and a business like this, where people are sharing personal vulnerabilities vs. a company that makes a product that we put in a car but don't personally engage added to the very real concept of community being built in these very message boards, that has some serious emotional weight for people).
Not a legal expert. But - can share what (little) I know/am aware of/could guess given that (limited) knowledge.Does anyone know if this may result in jail time for Pete? I’d be curious to hear a legal expert weigh in on the possible consequences of his actions.
From what I understood this isn't lost on (at least) one person (maybe both). And, to be fair - sometimes, survivors (or those who support them) don't want to go to court. Some people want to move past this trauma (because they worked so hard to make it this far, because they deserve not to always need to deal with their perpetrator - court makes that hard and really inflames wounds of abuse, etc). Some feel ashamed/embarrassed, etc about the situation or are afraid others will make statements (true or false, or a little of both) that ends up harming the survivors. It's a hard thing to wrestle with.If you're aggrieved in the way the victims here have alleged, you would normally investigate if the jurisdictions the crimes occurred in have a statute of limitations. There are many more issues outside of that - cost, availability of witnesses, evidence, etc. - but to at least get off the ground and have standing, you have to be within the SOL in that jurisdiction.
Just because a criminal case is moot doesn't necessarily mean a civil trial can't be brought against both the direct perpetrator and the place of employment. I really hope in addition to getting emotional and mental counsel, that the victims are seeking legal representation.
To post the screenshot here as well:There is now at least one former employee (Tyler from the Disneyland show) who explicitly stated that he believes Dreams Unlimited Travel let Pete get away with his abuse.
You're back!?I haven’t posted in a very long time. I used to listen to The Dis a lot. I even tried to use DU to plan a vacation (but the agent took a long time to respond and didn’t seem all that engaged). I even applied to be an agent. I met Pete a couple times and was excited to thank him for all the content I’ve enjoyed.
So I’d hope I wouldn’t be considered a “hater”.
That being said…
I think John’s should have kept his statement to support of the victims, letting people know Pete isn’t going to be involved and that he can’t say much else due to legal actions.
Even if there have been threats or harassment he has had to endure, maybe let addressing that be for another day.
And webmaster Kathy… wow, maybe this shouldn’t be a role you should focus on right now as you don’t seem to helping at all. Maybe it’s all too close to home for you to respond appropriately.
I will say I stopped listening to the Dis sometime after JL left. When she was gone and literally no one said why and she wasn’t given an exit I had to consider what was going on behind the scenes.
And it’s this stuff people are questioning now. If people are getting fired unceremoniously, and the work place was so toxic, why did those who have kept going stay? And did staying to keep your jobs only enable the things? Things you knew, things you may have suspected and things you might not have known but still help contribute to the atmosphere that made it possible.
Pete is ultimately responsible for his various crimes. But as person who cared for who you guys are and what we thought you represented, I think we just wanted a bit more. Maybe how you understand the confusion and anger your fans must be feeling. That you’re taking time for reflection and that you want to find ways to assure your staff and viewers are heard and all victimized people are being given your full support. And that most importantly, what mistakes you now see and what you’ve learned and the opportunities for a better path forward.
Just my thoughts.
You're back!?
(lol - oops - clicked submit or whatever accidentally). Sooooo, I wanted to edit this to say:
So glad to see your presence here again! Been a while! And - thank you for some wise and measured words.