Former Pixar worker says 'blatant culture of sexism' ruined her 'dream job'

A graphic designer who worked for Pixar has said that the ‘blatant sexist atmosphere’ at the animation studio ruined her ‘dream job’.

Cassandra Smolcic worked at the Disney-owned company in her 20s, and has said that she was physically groped by a male co-worker, continually passed over for work in favour of male colleagues, and that women at the firm were ‘open targets for disrespect and harassment’.

She also said that she was frequently warned about the sexually-charged behaviour of the company’s chief creative officer, John Lasseter, who helmed movies like Toy Story and the Cars series, but has now been ousted following numerous allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

“I was a graphic designer at Pixar during the second half of my 20s. I know people are saying that the climate there wasn’t ‘that bad.’ I’m here to tell you that it was, and more than likely still is,” she writes in an essay for Variety.

“At Pixar, my female-ness was an undeniable impediment to my value, professional mobility, and sense of security within the company. The stress of working amidst such a blatantly sexist atmosphere took its toll, and was a major factor in forcing me out of the industry.

“When I started at Pixar as an intern, I thought I’d landed my dream job. But my excitement was quickly tempered by a flood of warnings about Lasseter’s touchy-feely, boundary-crossing tendencies with female employees.

“It was devastating to learn, right from the start, that women were open targets for disrespect and harassment – even at a world-renowned workplace in the most liberal-leaning city in the country.”

She also accuses one of her immediate male superiors of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

“I had my first uncomfortable encounter with this department head in a company kitchen, just two weeks into my internship,” she continues.

“He cornered me with sexual comments while openly leering at my body. Over the next five years, I white-knuckled my way through many unwelcome, objectifying interactions with him, with Lasseter, and with other men; was physically groped by another male coworker; and was sidelined from projects by the unofficial boys’ club casting system.”

During one presentation in front of the office staff, she tells of a director describing his latest film as ‘a big-ti*ted blond who was difficult to nail down’, a remark which ushered gasps from the crowd, but behaviour which she says was emboldened by Lasseter’s actions.

One co-worker, she says, was reduced to a state of physical and emotional breakdown because of the working environment at the studio.

“Lasseter set the bar shamefully low for the overall treatment of women in his empire, which also signals troubling themes in the films he’s directed, produced, and overseen throughout the years. These projects, which reach millions of children and adults worldwide, have consistently failed to give women equal voice on screen and behind the scenes,” she says.

Following a sabbatical which came after the initial allegations, Lasseter has now been replaced by Jennifer Lee, co-director of Frozen and Pete Docter, who’s helmed Up, Inside Out and Monsters Inc.

However, Smolcic warns that it may take more than this personnel reshuffle to adjust the company’s culture.

“Dismantling John’s legacy will take more than just replacing a single executive, because such deeply ingrained biases require deliberate, conscientious effort to identify and dismantle,” she added.

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