Last week in class we talked a
great amount about Disney which was especially intriguing to me since I had
literally just went to the park that weekend for “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary
Halloween Party.” Hahaha. Now I’m sure everyone is wondering why the hell I was
at this. I went with my parents and brother because we thought it would be nice
to get into the Halloween spirit and none of us had been to Disney in a
long time.
While I was there, I felt like I
was observing each individual tourist and couldn’t help but think about Disney
in such a critical way…the entire time. I kept thinking back to when I was a
child and what I thought about it. It was funny because my dad told me that my
mom was so ridiculous about my brother and I having EVERY single autograph from
each Disney character and I couldn’t help but die laughing…picturing my mom go
up to each of these characters. But this was interesting to me because it
definitely spoke volumes about how much kids look up to these individuals. This
especially freaked me out when Morgan was saying in class about how she made a trip to the
“Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Salon.”
I had previously never heard about
this, but holy cow…this is an actual thing. I’m still having a hard time
wrapping my head around the fact that this exists. The problematic messages
that this salon sends children is absurd. That you basically have to get all
dolled up to be beautiful. And then, the worse part is that of course the
second your child is finished, you have the parent saying “oh my goodness, look
how beautiful you look now you little princess!”…or something along those
lines. By doing so, Disney projects a totally false image of beauty. I
understand that it is something fun for young girls…but the deteriorating message
that it sends in the long run totally outweighs the brief happiness and
excitement after leaving the salon.
I was most interested in this, but
also just looking at Disney as a whole now is kind of crazy to me. I also never
thought to look around the Orlando airport at all of the people carrying around
Disney items, but when I go there this Thursday I’m going to remember to do so
haha. Maybe it’s so apparent that I’ve just been blind to it! Scary thought.
I agree. It is hard to look at Disney the same way after reading these essays! One of the hardest things for me was the insidious nature of the exit through the gift shop. It is impossible not to leave a ride or attraction without exiting through some semblance of a gift shop, and thus this organization is manipulative of the children and the parents. I admit, I have fallen victim to these consumerist traps. On a typical day I would not seek out a stuffed animal of my favorite Muppets character, but after walking through the Muppet attraction gift shop, I found myself buying a Rizzo the Rat. The Disney gift shops sell future nostalgia. They propose that this is the best day of your life, the day you go to Disneyworld/Disneyland, and so you must buy trinkets and memorabilia in order to remember such an amazing day with a sense of nostalgia. This thought process is bad enough to sell to teens and adults, but young children are being most targeted. All of the gift shops are meticulously designed to match the theme of the ride or attraction, as a means of extending the experience - the gift shop is part of the experience. In order to get the absolute full experience, you must also buy the memorabilia too. Particularly aimed at small children, these gift shops offer and extension of an experience with these children's favorite characters and stories. This set up then suggests that these children won't get the full experience unless they also buy the product, which is hard enough to turn down as an adult - it would be practically impossible to turn down as a child. The thought process that goes into the business and profit building aspect of Disney definitely killed part of the magic for me… but thankfully I prefer The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and I'm trying to stay blissfully ignorant on that account. haha
ReplyDeleteI can connect with your post on many levels, Morgan. As Kenzi said, the past few discussions in class have largely changed my view on Disney and has made me realize the major role it played in shaping my childhood. The countless hours and amounts of money my parents spent on this company and its many forms of product is sickening, but also shows the extent of its influence.
ReplyDeleteAfter Thursdays class, I made a point to reach out to both of my parents and get their opinion on the Disney thing (I figured that I've finally reached an age where they could speak negatively on the subject and not dread an objective tantrum). To my surprise, they were both relatively aware of the corruption found within Disney. My Dad was the first one to mention how extreme its outreach is, while halfheartedly cracking a joke about how much easier tuition costs could be had they saved all the money they spent at Walt Disney World and on Disney products. My mom, on the other hand, was quick to bring up the ideologies represented within Disney princesses. It fascinated me to see that, even though some parents are aware of the grip Disney has on American society, they still choose to indulge for the sake of their kid's childhood experiences. Disney, in one way or another, has become almost like a "right of passage" into the traditional American childhood, or as we discussed in class, a sort of "Mecca".
Disney is no longer limited to film, television, and theme parks; now you find clothing, food and even toiletries decorated in their beloved characters. What is more shocking, is that these products are no longer limited to children anymore. You will find adults buying Disney branded products for themselves, just as frequently as you would find them purchasing them for their children. Disney has now breached the limits of childhood, and has infiltrated the adult life as well. We truly live in a society where Disney is everywhere, whether we realize it or not.