Move over, Mickey. Beat it, Minnie.
After last-night's boffo performance on ESPN's ESPY Award program, Caitlyn Jenner is the new face of Walt Disney Co. What would Uncle Walter think?
The Disney empire rolled out the red carpet for the former Bruce Jenner, who received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, during her prime of prime-time appearance on the three-hour show on ABC and ESPN.
Media reports today say Jenner's reps arranged the total synergy package for the Magic Kingdom with a "take it or leave it" proposition.
Team Jenner reportedly asked for the Ashe award as tricky details were being ironed out for her "coming out" interview with ABC's 20/20's Diane Sawyer, who sat last night in one of the front rows of the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles beaming at Caitlyn, who--on cue--called her a dear friend.
Putting a nice bow on the PR package, Jenner's team promised to plug the ESPY Award during her upcoming reality show, "I Am Cait," penciled in for July 26 on cable TV's E!, which is owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal. The eight-part one-hour program will beam into 120 countries.
How did Disney, owner of ABC and ESPN, CEO Bob Iger miss out on I Am Cait?
There was pushback to Caitlyn being handed the Ashe Award. Some thought the late woman's college basketball player Lauren Hill was more deserving.
The Mount St. Joseph University player suffered from terminal brain cancer. After raising $1.5M for cancer research, she died April 10.
Hill was runner-up in the Associated Press 2014 Female Athlete of the Year award and received the ultimate American sports tribute, a picture on the Wheaties box.
Jenner's sports career peaked and effectively ended with his 1976 Olympic decathlon gold medal. Capitalizing on that achievement, he became product pitchman, motivational speaker and Kardashian family member/reality TV guest.
My understanding is the ESPYs honor individual and team achievement or other sports-related peformance during the previous calendar year.
Yet Jenner aced Hill, who was honored with a "Best Moment" award, for the top award. That's a testament to Hollywood and the power of Big Media.
What's next? Will Caitlyn become Disney pitchwoman for its $5.5B Shanghai Disney Resort slated to open next spring? Will Disney open the Transgender Express thrill ride to honor Jenner?
Stay tuned.
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