Walt Disney acquires Marvel

[fpb]

I don't know whether to be happy or not. On the one hand, given Disney's current habits, this will do nothing to slow down Marvel's descent into unmitigated sleaze. (Find out how many Marvel characters are now said to have incestuous relationships, you'll be surprised.) On the other hand, it probably represents the final end to the old and bad tradition of Marvel being the cash cow for financial adventurers using it for their own purposes. (Two words: Ron Perelman. I think that using the company you are buying as collateral to have the money to buy it, and thus load it with debt the moment you bought it, ought to pass from the number of sharp financial practices into the register of criminal frauds.) Whatever else may be said about Disney, it is at least an entertainment company, and to that extent its goals are the same as Marvel.

Comments

[super-pan.livejournal.com]

I did read an article about one of the incestuous relationships (don't remember which). Call me a prude, but I can do without that. It's also a weird thing about fandom too, this thing with incest, such as Twincest in HP, Wincest in Supernatural. Personally, I don't get it.

I suppose we'll see how Disney's buying of Marvel will go.

[stigandnasty919.livejournal.com]

"using the company you are buying as collateral to have the money to buy it"

Is one of those strange sharp practices that used to be barred and came back in the age of "efficient use of capital". Whatever lender accepted that collateral needs their head felt.

I am currently reading a book on banking which should be sent to all senior executives of financial institutions as their bedtime reading.

The Country Banker by George Rae, first published in 1905, has sections warning of the dangers of lending without evidence of borrowers income (self-cert mortgages), lending based on land prices and on reducing your capital base.

It also points out that there is, and should be, a difference in the way in which Bankers and accountants think.

Interesting how many heads of our banks come from accountancy backgrounds.

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

I think the Marvel/Disney alliance could be a beautiful thing.