Disney Culture Analysis

Since the 1930’s, the Walt Disney Company is known for producing characters, images, as well as stories which have created happiness for audiences around the world. This corporation has grown from a small cartoon studio run by famous Walt and Roy Disney to a million dollar business and is a prime example of globalized American culture. In Janet Wasko’s book, “Understanding Disney”, Wasko explains Disney as corporation name it “The Disney Empire”. Throughout her book, Wasko argues that Disney is set up like a typical profit seeking corporation, as well as an industry that re-invents folk tales by “Americanising” them (Wasko 2001).
Rather than looking at Disney as a place of magic, Janet Wasko examines Disney as a corporation, which is known

Disney has control over many large radio stations, music studios, cable channels and networks, film studios, merchandising outlets, as well as theme parks. Disney has clearly organized and planned their business to become a known brand, and generate as much profit they can from each industry for their shareholders using techniques like corporate synergy. Disney participates in synergy by having cross ownership of many different media and entertainment outlets, and well as aggressively advertise their merchandise (Wasko

Using different opinions and perspectives in her analysis proved that she is not biased for or against Disney. While there were many aspects of the novel that I agreed with, there were also some that I did not. I did not fully agree with the chapter “Analyzing the World According to Disney”. Wasko talks about how Frances Clarke Sayers, children’s literature expert, claims that “ Disney falsifies life and is not really related to the greater truths of life” (Wasko 2011). I think that statement is being too harsh as Disney does teaches kids some good life lessons. Without a doubt, children deserve some fantasy and excitement in their lives. Regardless of what other people believe, I see Disney films as a way to escape and teach lessons to not only children, but also adults as well. Our society today is constantly being exposed to the harsh realities of life, and many can tell that the world of Disney is a utopia. In addition, Sayers explained that Disney’s adaptions of classic fairy tales make it so that there is nothing to make a child think or feel or imagine (Wasko 128). I completely disagree with this statement. After talking to many people, everyone claimed that after watching a Disney movie, they wanted to be one of the characters. Lastly, the criticisms towards The lion King in “Analyzing the World According to Disney” was something