Did you know these Disney fun facts?

You learn something new everyday, at least I do!  

Click on the following link to discover some Disney facts you might've never known: https://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-disney-parks?utm_term=.ltjk2Ny4OY#.liWpnjoe3K

I am most shocked by #2 and #30.  Disney is so clever for not selling gum at its parks (#2) in effort to maintain the cleanliness of the Disney experience.  It's such a simple solution to a problem that plagues most theme parks: the dreaded ABC gum found everywhere.  Also, I can't get over the irony that the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom is actually an old oil rig (#30).  Who would've ever thought that the symbol of nature and life at a Disney theme park would spring from a man-made structure intended to exploit nature for man's own benefit.

Which facts shocked you the most?

Education or a Joke?

Disney is usually filled with great ideas: new ways to entertain and create a fun environment for the whole family.  However, is their idea to portray the founding fathers and American history through J.J. and the Muppets the right move?  Although this new show sounds entertaining, it will probably become a controversial topic.  The public, especially historians and other history buffs, might feel that Disney is making a mockery of some of the most influential figures in American History.  Disney has the right concept by assuming social responsibility and creating more educational shows that children will watch and learn from.  But Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and The Great Gonzo seem to be risky choices...                                                                                                

http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/the-muppets-present…-great-moments-in-american-history/news/23sep2016-the-muppets-present-great-moments-in-american-history-opens-october-2-at-the-magic-kingdom.htm

My Response to Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen is passionate, direct, and without a doubt, a Disney-hater.  Yet, somehow, as a Disney supporter, I am on board with most of the ideas he presents in his non-fiction book, Team Rodent.  And in many ways, he has made me feel that Disney has assumed too much power and should be stopped.  We have read other scholarly articles from other Disney-haters, such as Henry A. Giroux, but Giroux’s pieces left me a loyal fan of Disney, defending the company.  With the amount of hardcore evidence, relevant facts and anecdotes Hiaasen incorporates, it was hard for me not to see the evil behind “Team Rodent.”

Team Rodent was a wake-up call for me, to realize the corruption behind the seemingly innocent Disney empire.  It’s a miracle how Disney could be involved in many scandals, ranging from unauthorized high-speed car chases by Disney security to poor construction practices and face minor repercussions.  Somehow, this corporation is able to evade most if not all negative publicity that comes its way, which only adds to its “perfect” reputation.  Even during the trial regarding Disney’s poor construction in homes, “jurors would never hear the word Disney mentioned in open court.” (55)  These acts and inside deals just demonstrate the immaturity of Disney and its inability to claim responsibility for their wrong actions – instead of owning up to its faults, it hides them from the public.

I used to believe that Disney was right in creating a dream world, without the blemishes of reality.  But Hiaasen has made me see the obscenity of trying to create such a perfect world.  It’s one thing to create a safe, enjoyable environment for tourists, where war, danger, and poverty do not exist.  However, to “[promote] a universe in which raw Nature doesn’t fit because it doesn’t measure up” (18), seems wrong.  We shouldn’t have to “constantly [fine-tune] God’s work” (18), but Disney thinks that we should.  Disney has disrupted nature time and time again, changing the environment of lakes to make the water bluer, and acquiring more land to build and expand its empire.  As a consumer and a Disney visitor, I definitely see the appeal of the bluish waters and the imported sand, and if I were Disney, I would probably make the same executive decision.  However, besides just the decisions themselves, I believe that Disney has the wrong mindset in pursuing these goals.  This company is under the idea that it can control everything because of its widespread power in the corporate world – and we, consumers, are responsible for letting Disney continue to “devour our world.”

Beyond its attempt to regulate nature, Disney oversteps and places restrictions on individuals as well.  When Disney created its suburban community called Celebration, the “new residents [received] a book of detailed rules governing many aspects of life, from the color of one’s house to the pattern of one’s shrubbery to acceptable parking practices.” (52)  Resembling a dictatorship, Disney goes beyond the scope of influencing daily life and tries outright controlling it instead.  The problem with our society is that same individuals do not care – they trust that Disney will always make the right decision and don’t mind relinquishing their freedoms, uniqueness, or creativity to the hands of a large, successful and “innocent” corporation.  In fact, “Control has been the signature ingredient of all the company’s phenomenally successful theme parks” (69).  The main problem with trying to control nature, people, animals, and freak accidents is that you simply can’t.  I wonder when Disney will discover that there exists greater forces than its self-proclaimed power…

The Best Kind of Roommate

When your college roommate is also taking Decoding Disney and knows exactly what kind of Easy Mac you'd prefer :)

Thanks Sydney!! decodingdisneywithsydney.blogspot.com

Reflection - The Pixar Theory

Caution: If you read further, you will probably not think of Pixar movies the same ever again.

What if someone told you that all the Pixar movies you have watched throughout your childhood are intertwined, all a part of the same timeline?  Well, I’d be just as shocked as you; in fact, I was reluctant to face the truth.  But be open to new, revolutionary ideas because there is evidence that will blow your mind.

After watching a YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0OTZo3-K5s) that opened up my eyes to the hidden evidence tying in all the Pixar movies, the two movies that I found were the most interestingly connected were Brave and Monsters, Inc. How could Brave, the story of a teenage girl in ancient Scotland, be so closely connected to Monsters, Inc., a futuristic story about a world of monsters?  According to the Pixar Theory, adorable, little Boo is the witch in Brave, and Boo got to the Dark Ages of Scotland by time traveling to try to find Sully.  Although this may sound far-fetched, it’s hard not to believe once you see the witch carving the pizza truck from Monsters, Inc. or the engraving resembling Sully in her workshop (seen in the picture to the right)!

BnL featured in Up

Evidence of other movies exists in many more Pixar films, but the connections between the most recent movies is what I want to focus on – in fact, I believe it’s what Pixar wants us to focus on as well.  Disney acquired Pixar on January 25, 2006 and shortly after the acquisition, there was the appearance of a fictional company called “BnL” or “Buy n Large” in multiple Pixar films, such as Wall-E (2008), Up (2009), and Toy Story 3 (2010).  In Wall-E, BnL is the company that owns pretty much everything, from the spaceship and robots to the food and drinks depicted in the film.  Although BnL is the company who is trying to save Earth and protect the humans, there are hints throughout the movie that blame BnL for the problems that the world is facing.  In Up, BnL is the construction company that is building new buildings around Carl’s property and tries to make him move.  After Carl has a fight with a construction worker, BnL is what ultimately forces Carl to move off of his property and into a retirement home.  In Toy Story 3, BnL batteries are used to power Buzz LightYear.  Not only does Buy n Large exert its presence within certain storylines, but is represented across a multitude of Pixar films as the dominating, monopolistic company. 

BnL batteries in Toy Story 3

If only BnL was a real-life company, then we could understand its tactics and how it got to be such a powerful, overarching corporation, with its hands in every aspect of life…

Wait, but this sounds a lot like Disney, who just so happened to take over Pixar before Wall-E, Up, and Toy Story 3 were created.  It could be possible that Pixar is trying to send us, the consumers, a warning about the power of corporations, specifically Disney, to infiltrate all aspects of life.  And Disney accurately represents this idea in real life.  Not only does Disney own Pixar, but it owns ABC, ESPN, History, and Hollywood Records.  Therefore, Disney has control over a wide variety of entertainment, ranging from music to history documentaries, which influences society.  Wilson states in his article, “13 Brands You Didn’t Know Were Owned by Disney,” “The Walt Disney Company is everywhere. If anything, that might actually be an understatement. And over the years they’ve crept into more and more places, thanks in large part to billions of dollars of acquisitions of already famous brands.”  Therefore, Disney is still continuing to grow as a successful company, and we, the consumers, and companies already acquired by Disney have fueled this powerhouse - we let Disney conquer and spread its influence.

Even if “Buy n Large” is not supposed to represent the Disney company itself, it does depict the idea of mass consumption evident in today’s world.  The term “buy in large” says it all:  the whole culture of our society is to constantly consume and consume in large quantities.  As Giroux states in “How Disney Magic and the Corporate Media Shape Youth Identity in the Digital Age,” “Consumer culture in the United States and increasingly across the globe does more than undermine the ideals of a secure and happy childhood: it exhibits the bad faith of society.”  Like Giroux, maybe Wall-E, is trying to warn us not to let our world get to this point.  We must slow the rate of buying, marketing, and advertising, focus less on profit and focus more on the values of our society as a whole

The BnL advertisements displayed in Wall-E, promoting the idea of constant consumption

For a concise description of this earth-shattering theory, see this website: https://www.buzzfeed.com/spenceralthouse/this-theory-on-pixar-movies-will-blow-your-mind?utm_term=.mdl5JP0wla#.yvyx248Q09

13 Brands You Didn’t Know Were Owned by Disney: http://screenrant.com/disney-owned-brands-properties-trivia/?view=all

If I were a Disney Character...

Despite the fact that this semester's class revolves around the analysis of the Disney villains, I still would play the princess in a Disney movie...

Find out what character you would play in a Disney movie: https://www.buzzfeed.com/samstryker/the-most-magical-quiz-on-earth?utm_term=.sg1A52GBNW#.ga5z1AaL2r

My Response to Giroux

Have you ever read something that both appalled you, causing you to reject many of the ideas presented to you, and provided you with new insight, causing you to wonder why you never thought of such ideas on your own?  Henry A. Giroux’s article, “The Disneyfication of Children’s Culture,” was that something for me.

For starters, I was annoyed by Giroux‘s fixation on performing critical analysis of Disney and its influences on children.  He claims that Disney spreads conservative and commercial values, while also affecting how America’s heritage is perceived.  Not only does Giroux repeat this notion throughout the entirety of the article, but he also suggested that “the shaping of children’s culture could be taken up as a matter of public policy” (75).  But how far would this public policy go?  Would it encroach on free speech?  If we were to create regulations for children’s films, it would stifle the creativity and dream-like quality of Disney movies.  Additionally, why is Giroux so quick to blame the corporations like Disney for children growing up with false ideals of the world?  It should be up to the parents or guardians to teach their children how they should act and what beliefs they should have, instead of relying on fictional stories to teach them.  The idea that children’s movies don’t “engender the critical analyses often rendered upon adult films” (68) bothers Giroux.  However, all of this analysis would ruin the fun and magic of Disney stories.  Since Disney’s main target market is young children, we should view the movies as children view them (not as adults view them), and take the stories for what they are at face-value.

However, the section of the article that bothered me the most was not even Giroux’s words, but Jon Weiner’s.  Weiner rejects Disney’s fictionalization of reality and points out that Disneyland’s Main Street portrays a world “without tenements or poverty or urban class conflict” (68).  Well Weiner, if you had your dream world, would you include poverty and conflict in it?  (I know I definitely wouldn’t!) Disneyland is supposed to be a magical place – an escape from the outside world.  I believe that it’s not Disney’s intention to portray the harsh realities.  In fact, the opposite is true: it’s Disney’s intention to portray the perfect, unrealistic dream world.

Despite my disagreements with some of Giroux’s ideas, he opened my eyes to the narrow gender roles and underlying racism depicted in Disney films.  I guess I was blinded by “Disney’s self-proclaimed innocence” (69) and failed to see the ugly truth behind the movies that embodied my childhood.  Keeping Giroux’s assertion that “all the female characters are ultimately subordinate to males” (71) in mind, I thought about the Disney princesses and realized that Giroux is right.  Each of the princesses rely on the prince to save them.  For example, Cinderella is not released from under her evil stepmother’s wing until Prince Charming falls in love with her and saves her.  Also, the underlying racism can be seen through the Disney movies that take place in areas with different cultures than in America, such as Aladdin.  In Aladdin, the protagonists are Americanized, in terms of their physical features and their accents, while the rest of the characters are more barbaric in their appearances and voices.  Therefore, although there are no direct racist remarks, “cultural differences that do not bear the imprint of white, middle-class ethnicity are [seen as] deviant, inferior, unintelligent, and threatening” (73).

However, the hopeful spirit in of me likes to think that Disney is as unflawed and innocent as it wants us to think it is.

Are the Disney princesses moving in a new direction?

I've never really kept up with current Disney news, but since I started this decoding disney writing course, anything related to Disney tends to catch my eye.  So, as I was mindlessly looking at my snapchat, scrolling through people's stories, I saw that Refinery 29 posted "The Problem With The New Disney Princess" as their leading story (shown in the picture below).  Immediately, I clicked on the story to find out more!

After reading this short article, I learned that through Moana, Disney is trying to portray a type of princess, different from the dependent princesses depicted in past films like Cinderella.  Moana is supposed to be a character "capable of action" and "unaccompanied by a love interest" with a different body type than the past princesses - but how different?  In her article, Horan suggests that although Moana appears more athletic than the previous, dainty princesses, she still has a very slim waist and does not have the accurate depiction of a muscular woman.  However, I think Disney is moving in a good direction, showing that a princess doesn't have to rely on prince to save her - she can stand on her own.

I guess we'll just have to wait until November 23rd to judge the new princess for ourselves!

To read more about this article, visit:
http://www.refinery29.com/2016/09/122460/moana-film-disney-princesses-body-type

Happily Ever After Exists

Are "happily ever afters" possible?  Before yesterday, I would've said "Only in my dreams," but after learning that the voice of Mickey Mouse and the voice of Minnie Mouse married in real life, I've realized that not all Disney endings are too fantastical or far-fetched.  (Maybe there's hope for me to have my own "happily ever after!!")

Disney's Influence on Me

Besides the fact that Disney has greatly influence the repertoire of songs I know and love today, Disney has always been the epitome of the dream – my fairytale ending.  As a little girl, I watched all of the Disney princess movies, hoping that one day I would wake up, find my prince charming, and live happily ever after.  (I’m still anxiously waiting for this to occur)

In my opinion, Disney’s stories are the children’s version of the American Dream.  Even as a child, I knew that the scenarios in the movies weren’t realistic – I wouldn’t miraculously discover that I am a princess or live in a giant castle, and I definitely wouldn’t stumble upon seven singing dwarves or suddenly grow a mermaid’s tail.  But these fairytale stories gave me hope, and sometimes hope is all you need in order to achieve more realistic goals.  For instance, I know that I’m not going to marry a prince (although miracles do happen) but the depiction of the “prince charming” demonstrates how individuals treat others and how they should be treated in return. 

Although some Disney plots are far-fetched, I find them to be very relatable.  Almost every Disney movie I’ve seen starts off with a tragic experience.  In Cinderella, Cinderella’s father dies and she is left with her evil step-mother and step-sisters.  Also, in Finding Nemo, the film starts off with the death of Nemo’s mother and continues with the abduction of Nemo.  Even in newer Disney movies such as Big Hero 6, Hero’s older brother, Tadashi, dies in a fire in a heroic attempt to save his professor.  Since my father died when I was just three years old, these incredibly sad additions to the plot made me feel like these characters were just like me.  They weren’t invincible, yet they persevered and eventually reached a higher ground. 

Although not everyone can actually attain a fairytale ending, its these stories that teach young kids one of the most essential principles in life: Never give up and always continue striving towards your dreams.  Don't worry, Disney doesn’t let you forget this message either:

“No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true.” – Cinderella

“Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.” – Finding Nemo

“I am on my way, I can go the distance. I don’t care how far, somehow I’ll be strong.” – Hercules