Bob Iger and I are on different schedules.
This morning, at about 4:30a.m.(!!), Bob Iger called me while hanging from his gravity bar. (He said he likes to hang upside down about two hours in the morning to get the blood flowing into his head.)
This was exposition I really didn’t need as I was completely hungover this morning after another bizarre night of carousing (different story) in Hollywood with Sumner Redstone (who is still staying at my house because he is afraid to be alone).
Bob said he was calling because I was the only person in town that would tell him the truth. “Even Ike Perlmutter is being a total pussy and won’t tell me what’s what…” – (he said off the record).
It seems Bob has been completely racked with guilt due to the glowing puff piece written about him by Brooks Barnes in the New York Times. He said he is having doubts and doesn’t feel worthy for such praise.
“How do you do it, Khan?”, Bob said. “People write horrible things about you all the time – never giving you any praise – and it doesn’t bother you a bit.”
A single tear formed in one of my eyes. I don’t think he could hear the emotion in my voice.
“Hell no, it’s doesn’t bother me, Bob. Manka Bros., while still the world’s largest media company, has had challenging economics for the past 30 years. You have to keep living your life, Bob – your perfect little freakin’ life with your beautiful little freakin’ wife – and not let work get in the way. We’re all doomed to fail.”
At this point, I had to immediately slam a hair-of-the-dog shot of whiskey before I blew last night’s steak and shrimp from Mastro’s all over the bathroom floor.
I continued: “Fuck the press. Fuck them all. If they like you – fine. If you they hate you – better. You don’t want those people propping you up. They’re only propping you up to, eventually, take you down! The fact that you feel unworthy for this praise proves that you are unworthy of this praise. You need to go climb a mountain – get your head straight.”
“Funny you should say that, Khan, I’m climbing K2 next weekend.”
“Fuck you, Bob.”
I hung up and went back to bed. While I do genuinely like Bob Iger (we met in a hippie drum circle on Venice Beach in the 1970s) – I am now hoping he fails at everything he does. Or falls off K2.
Khan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company
Khan Manka, Jr. assumed the title of Chairman & CEO of 
Loading tweets...
4 comments
9 pings
Fred says:
October 7, 2011 at 5:34 pm (UTC -7 )
Mr. Iger was quick with the Steve Jobs tribute yesterday. Makes you think he was planning it for a few days.
Molly Glover says:
October 7, 2011 at 5:38 pm (UTC -7 )
Talk about giving notice
Disney Board Member says:
October 7, 2011 at 5:41 pm (UTC -7 )
He hangs from that gravity bar during board meetings as well. It’s so annoying.
Jill Kennedy says:
November 15, 2011 at 6:01 pm (UTC -7 )
He definitely looks great for his age. so whatever he’s doing, it’s working. A smart addition to the Apple board.
Oren Aviv – Manka Bros. Would Like To Offer You A Job » Chairman's Blog says:
May 6, 2011 at 3:16 pm (UTC -7 )
[...] I say, good luck to him. All I can hope is that my good friend Bob Iger has Mr. Ross on a short leash. I get a creepy feeling whenever I drive past the Disney Studios as [...]
Happy Holidays From Chairman & CEO Khan Manka, Jr. » Chairman's Blog says:
May 11, 2011 at 5:04 pm (UTC -7 )
[...] would tell you the names of those here, but Bob Iger and Sumner Redstone said not to say a word – that Wall Street would read something into it [...]
Social Networks Are Dead » Chairman's Blog says:
May 19, 2011 at 11:02 am (UTC -7 )
[...] every message ever sent to me filtered by three people. It’s rare that even someone like Bob Iger gets through. I just can’t be bothered – I’M RUNNING THE WORLD’S LARGEST [...]
Rupert Murdoch’s Special Charity » Chairman's Blog says:
May 24, 2011 at 11:12 am (UTC -7 )
[...] waited for silence. Bob Iger was getting pretty drunk on the two bottles of 1997 Opus One that he brought [he didn't share] and [...]
Mogulympics – Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference – Day 2 » Chairman's Blog says:
July 6, 2011 at 11:51 am (UTC -7 )
[...] won’t do a blow-by-blow account of all the competitions as I am due to serve on a panel with Bob Iger and Chase Carey on how best to preserve our core businesses while growing new [...]
Khan Manka, Jr. Speech – Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Conference 2011 – Day 3 » Chairman's Blog says:
July 7, 2011 at 5:34 pm (UTC -7 )
[...] Manka, Jr.: No, I’m sorry, Bob – Bob Iger everybody – it’s true. I look around this room – half are not even looking at [...]
Hollywood Is Out Of Visionaries » Chairman's Blog says:
October 7, 2011 at 11:07 am (UTC -7 )
[...] And now we can add Bob Iger to the list below. The coward couldn’t [...]
The Future Is Last Year – CES 2011 Keynote – Khan Manka, Jr. » Chairman's Blog says:
January 6, 2012 at 12:48 pm (UTC -7 )
[...] you, Bob Iger! [Bob Iger, in the front row, howls like a wolf.] Last night, we were at Caesar’s drinking [...]
CES After Dark » Chairman's Blog says:
January 10, 2012 at 3:01 pm (UTC -7 )
[...] Bob Iger freaking me out with his sleight of hand magic tricks. [...]