#BoycottHulu began trending on Twitter Tuesday, after a group of Democratic Party-led campaign organizations looking to buy TV commercial time tied to November's midterm elections had their spots rebuffed by Disney-controlled Hulu.
The groups said that on July 15, they jointly attempted to buy time for commercial spots that pertained to hot-button issues including abortion, gun control and climate change. The ads had already been accepted by Facebook, YouTube and Roku Channel, but Disney -- which controls joint-venture streaming service Hulu -- rejected them.
In a joint statement, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Democratic Governors Association said, “Hulu’s censorship of the truth is outrageous, offensive, and another step down a dangerous path for our country.”
Here's a tweet from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee:
A Hulu rep reportedly said last week that the ad was rejected due to "content issues," but neither the JV or Disney has released any further explanation for the rejection.
Disney's stock is down more than 33% since January, and the media conglomerate is still licking its wounds after wading into the discussion over a highly controversial education law in Florida championed by the far right and Governor Ron DeSantis.
Disney's support of the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, which seeks to restrict discussion of LGBTQ topics in Florida classrooms, set off a flurry of activity from vengeful GOP state lawmakers, looking to make business tougher for the Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
Indeed, the culture wars are certainly not good for the bottom line of a theme parks operation still reeling from COVID. And with Hulu not obligated under the equal-time rules the FCC mandates for broadcasters, Disney could be using the negative publicity tied to its Hulu demure to offer a bone to DeSantis and the far right.
