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Chapter 4 – Analysis In this chapter, I analyze the cultural texts created by Disney, as discussed in chapter 3. In reading its corporate literature and viewing its promotional materials and animated films, I have found three major themes that recur throughout Disney’s world and serve to reinforce and transmit dominant ideologies. First, I address the call to adventure, versus the reinforcement of family values, and include its relationship to traditional gender divisions. Second, I look at the concept of an "other" world, and include an analysis of its inhabitants. This discussion will include an analysis of Disney’s construction of race. Third, I discuss the construction of a hierarchical class system, and its relationship to capitalist/individualist ideologies. While elements of these themes have been uncovered by previous scholars, I have attempted to draw upon themes and examples that are unique to this analysis. The Call to Adventure vs. Reinforcement of Family Values Disney’s world is full of adventure and excitement waiting for us "just around the riverbend" (Pocahontas). The narratives of its animated films all include a call to adventure. Likewise, its promotional materials play upon our need to explore new worlds. Even its corporate literature makes the expansion of Disney operations worldwide appear exciting (and profitable).5 The call to adventure is a common element in the creation of myth. Furthermore, the tension created between adventure and home is common in the dominant ideologies: while adventure is a sign of individualism and manifest destiny, its binary opposition is the traditional settled family. When the characters in Disney’s films follow their callings, we are taught what happens when we "seek adventure in the great wide somewhere" (Beauty). Furthermore, we see how the obligatory heterosexual marriage is the natural antidote to those untamed desires. The lessons we learn from those who seek adventure not only tell us who may be daring and explore, but also make the safe "adventure" of a Disney family vacation desirable. Ariel, The Little Mermaid, seeks adventure in exploring the human world. Her first warning to "get [her] head out of the clouds and back under water where it belongs" comes by way of shark attack when she is taking treasures from a sunken ship. As the film progresses, the warnings become stronger. Because she succumbs to the temptations of the human world and falls in love with Prince Eric (at first sight, no less), she gives her voice to the sea witch in return for legs. For her freedom, her father must sacrifice his title as king of the merpeople to the sea witch. In true Disney-style, everything works out in the end, i.e., the villain is killed and the spell is broken, but Ariel certainly learns a "lesson" about choosing adventure. In the end, she is able to become a human and marry Prince Eric. Leaving her father and sisters is a sacrifice she makes naturally. For "bright young women / Sick o’ swimmin’ / Ready to stand," we are to assume that standing at the alter will satisfy their need "to explore that shore above." Both the plot and subplot of The Rescuers Down Under touch upon the tension between adventure and family. Cody, an Australian boy, frees an eagle from a poacher’s trap and becomes trapped himself. Though the eagle doesn’t speak, Cody understands that she is a mother (she has three eggs) and "the daddy eagle," like his own father, is gone. The poacher, McLeash (aptly named), kidnaps Cody and is relentless in his efforts to trap the eagle as well. Two interesting things have happened here. First, Cody’s own mother is ineffectual in rescuing her son (she speaks twice in the film, but is never seen from the shoulders up). Second, Cody becomes responsible for rescuing the eagle and her eggs, as the "daddy" eagle is gone. The subplot features "the rescuers," Bernard and Miss Bianca, from the Rescue Aid Society (the rodent version of the UN). Before they are summoned to save Cody, Bernard wants to propose to Miss Bianca. He never gets the words out until the end. After he has saved Cody and become "the hero of the day," Miss Bianca accepts his proposal. Like Ariel, Bernard and Miss Bianca’s adventures will end in marriage. In just these two films, not only have we seen that marriage is the end of adventure, but more so, adventure should be left to men, and the home to women. In Little Mermaid, Ariel’s fascination with the human world is signified by her collection of china and silverware. Furthermore, Prince Eric isn’t the type of royalty prone to "lay around the castle" all day (Beauty). He is a sailor, fighting storms at sea and rescuing men who fall overboard. However, even Eric’s adventures may end with marriage, as he is told, "the entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right girl." In Rescuers, Cody’s mother left home to think that her child has been eaten by crocodiles, and Miss Bianca and the mother eagle play no role in either the rescue of Cody or the eggs. At one point, Wilbur, the albatross that flew the rescuers to Australia, tells Bernard that his job is done and he’s going down to the beach to find some "chicks" to rescue. When Bernard tells him that there are "some chicks right here that need your help," i.e., the mother eagle’s eggs, Wilbur replies, "I will never sit on those eggs!" He may as well say, "that’s women’s work!" Cody’s adventure was not punished, except by his own imprisonment. Actually, his adventure saved the eagles and other animals trapped by McLeash, and got rid of McLeash himself. Often though, the Disney narratives follow the example of The Little Mermaid, wherein the adventuresome hero must pay the price for her own adventure with the sacrifice of another (i.e., Ariel’s father had to sacrifice his throne for her freedom). For example, when Jasmine (Aladdin) ventures out of the castle and into "Agrabah," she steals an apple from a vendor; when she is later caught with Aladdin, he is sentenced to "death by beheading." Beheading is a popular punishment in Disney narratives, as Captain John Smith (Pocahontas) and Captain Phoebus (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) are also sentenced to beheading as a result of the adventures of Pocahontas and Quasimodo, respectively. Those close to Pocahontas are harshly punished for her quest to find "what’s around the riverbend." In this film, Pocahontas agonizes as to whether she should marry Kocoum, who could "build her a house and keep her safe," or follow her dream which points her down another path. Her father, Chief Powhatan, suggests that she take her place among her people: "even the river is tame." But, when Captain John Smith and his men land on the shores of Virginia, she falls in love with the blond-haired, blue-eyed Smith. When Kocoum finds her kissing Smith, he attacks him and is killed by one of Smith’s men. According to Powhatan, her "foolishness" caused Kocoum’s death and Smith’s death sentence. Popular legend and Disney film have Pocahontas save Smith in the end; interestingly, the Disney version does not end in marriage. This may have been in an attempt to maintain some semblance of historical accuracy, though the entire plot is filled with inaccuracies. One wonders if Disney may have been attempting to avoid "what you get when races mix" (said by Governor Radcliffe in the film), as signified in the film by the war between the "settlers" and the "savages." Pochontas’ trouble comes when she enters the "other" world of the white men. In The Lion King, Simba enters the world of the "other" when he seeks adventure. He and a female playmate leave "the pride lands" for an elephant graveyard, knowing they "could get in big trouble" and are "in very grave danger," but Simba "laugh[s] in the face of danger." They enter a decrepit bad neighborhood where elephant bones, and not abandoned cars, line the landscape. This land is inhabited by hyenas who speak with Black and Latino accents. They surround the cubs and taunt them as our popular conceptions of a street gang would have them do. The cubs are saved by Simba’s father, Mufasa, who tells Simba, "Being brave doesn’t mean you go deliberately looking for trouble." Simba’s adventure doesn’t end until adulthood and I will return to his journey elsewhere. I will also discuss a theme brought up by Pocahontas — "what you get when races mix" — in relation to The Lion King. But, I will note here that Simba does eventually settle down to take his place as king of the jungle, with his playmate, Nala, as his wife. These narratives tell tales of what happens when we choose to explore our worlds, and especially what happens when we seek adventure in "other" worlds. They forward the idea that adventure should be left in the hands of men, and furthermore, adventure ends with heterosexual marriage and family. Pocahontas nicely summarizes our lesson: "We all must pay a price / To be safe, we lose our chance of ever knowing / What’s around the riverbend." The question becomes, can we be "safe" and still choose adventure? What if adventure could be controlled and we were assured a happy ending? What if we could explore "other" worlds and never leave our own? There is precedence for this in Disney narratives. For example, Belle, the heroine of Beauty and the Beast, seeks adventure through reading. When she becomes immersed in a book she can discover "far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise." As it stands, we know that if we seek adventure, we must pay the price. As Pocahontas says, we must give up adventure to be safe. But, by way of Belle’s example, there is a way to seek adventure, if its boundaries are limited and confined. Through its theme parks, Disney has structured a world where we may face "hundreds of dangers," yet remain safe (Pocahontas). "Walt Disney Attractions" tells of how we may "enter a large house filled with enticing candy, refuse the temptation to eat a sugared apple offered by the wicked witch from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and participate in the marriage of Sleeping Beauty and her handsome prince." When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens in 1998, we’ll have the opportunity to partake in "thrill rides, exotic landscapes and carefully crafted stories [that] demonstrate the beauty and wonder of the animal kingdom — and the perils animals face in today’s world" ("Disney Design"). There’s a list of impressive adventures we may indulge in, thanks to the imagineers of Disney. Their "carefully crafted stories" construct and confine our adventure so we may remain secure ("Disney Design"). What’s more, we can seek adventure with our families: Disney’s promotional videos posit its theme parks as the natural source for adventure when you’re married with children. A World of Magic for the Whole Family opens with two blond-haired, blue-eyed children wishing that they were at Walt Disney World. We are assured by the announcer that this "world of excitement" is open to all and are shown plenty of white, middle class families enjoying the pools, horseback riding, and visiting "the Magic Kingdom." There’s adventure for everyone, we’re told that Disney has constructed the "wildest town of Africa" and the "rowdiest Caribbean island" for our enjoyment. The studio tour will take us from "home town America," i.e., a movie set of suburban, two-story houses, to the big city of New York. EPCOT center features inventions "that will change our lives" and allows for "hands-on adventures." We’ll be delighted with "happy, healthy fun." And, when we stay at a Disney resort we may choose a "wilderness" home: fully equipped and complete with maid-service (World). What if you don’t have children, you wonder? No worry, ABC television star Drew Carey assures you, "This is the partying-ist place" and, "There’s all these things you can do as a grown-up" (WDW: 25). Walt Disney World: It’s Not Just for Kids! is actually much the same as A World of Magic, but emphasizes, as Drew Carey says, "the adult side" (WDW: 25). We are lured by coming "face-to-face with [our] worst nightmare — an alien encounter" and are assured of having "the most magical, once-upon-a-time day" of our lives. Adults may also enjoy "an exciting world" of recreation, including 40 tennis courts. And, Pleasure Island is "devoted to every aspect of grown-up nighttime fun"; it features all you can eat buffets and "red-hot" Polynesian dancers (WDW: It’s). Like Walt Disney World for adults, The Disney Institute emphasizes adult adventure. You are encouraged to explore "different sides of you." Here, like its parks, all stories are told "from a Disney point-of-view." The "adventures" featured include rock-climbing, golf, tennis, acting, and culinary arts (Disney). Throughout Disney’s world we are told when and how adventure may be sought. Because we give up our call for adventure for safety, in Disney’s own words, we must be content to experience "adventure" as Disney has crafted it for us. Furthermore, we don’t have to deal with the tension between adventure and home: we may explore "new worlds" without leaving Orlando. The Disney company and Eisner are granted a broader reach when seeking new (ad)ventures as is evident in their plans for worldwide expansion. Yet in Eisner’s "Letter from the Chairman," he assures us that he and the Disney company are able to balance work and family. He writes this letter (with his wife by his side) coming home from Thanksgiving in Vermont. He tells us:
This is typical of Eisner’s rhetoric: every (ad)venture of the Disney company is balanced by the (re)assurance of family values. And, it isn’t just "family values" that Eisner is pushing — there’s plenty of the "good-old-fashioned" American values as well (WDW: It’s; World). For example, he uses football metaphors to describe the construction of Disney’s new management team, saying that Disney’s new chief of corporate operations rounds out its "corporate ‘backfield’" (Eisner). When speaking about the stage production of Beauty and the Beast, Eisner tell us that the show opened "Thanksgiving day in Tokyo." Does he realize that the Japanese don’t celebrate American holidays? The attempted balance between Disney corporate (ad)ventures and the (re)assurance of settled family values is the most contrived construction in Eisner’s letter. There are several examples of this and I will outline the most prominent. Speaking again of the stage version of Beauty and the Beast, he says, "I have seen it at least 30 times. You would think one of my kids wrote it!" We are also told that his sons’ "interests are frankly more directed to the recently announced engagement of their cousin Amy than anything at Disney. Even the record-breaking early box office grosses of Toy Story cannot compete with wedding plans." When speaking of the corporate merger of Disney with ABC/Cap Cities, Eisner says, "When the arrangement finally happened, it was done quickly, effortlessly, and happily. The families of the bride and groom had known each other for years." (Which one is Prince Charming?) Finally, he speaks of the teamwork necessary to maintain such a large company worldwide. Though each division is independently run, they come together once a year for a brainstorming session (Eisner). It sounds like a great idea, but what happens at these meetings? Eisner says, "What happens is amazing!! Like Father’s Day at a grade school, all the homework miraculously gets done in advance." One can’t help asking, what is he talking about? In Eisner’s letter, and in the narratives of Disney’s films and theme parks, we see the tension between the ideological components of adventure and family. There are similar ideological tensions evidenced throughout Disney’s world. Before I move on to the "worlds" constructed by Disney, I’d like to address another aspect of the adventure/home dichotomy. As I’ve mentioned, marriage is the antidote to the adventuresome spirit. More likely, in Disney’s construction, marriage is the antidote the adventuresome female spirit. I’d like to explore that further by examining the way Disney addresses gender divisions in relation to its female characters. Because aspects of Disney’s gender constructions in its animated films have been addressed in chapter 2, I will focus on examples that have yet to be explored. A Woman’s Place Each of the Disney "princesses" in my analysis seeks more than society has to offer them: Ariel wants to "explore that shore above," Belle wants "adventure in the great wide somewhere," Jasmine wants "a whole new world," and Pocahontas wants to know "what’s around the riverbend." They are called "headstrong" for having minds of their own.6 Belle is perhaps most notably ostracized: she is called strange, odd, funny and peculiar for resisting marriage to Gaston, and for reading. As Gaston tells her: "The whole town’s talking about it — it’s not right for a woman to read — soon she starts getting ideas and thinking." It has been said that these "princesses" are different from their Disney predecessors, e.g., Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty (Bell; Jeffords; Sells; White). The former heroines waited patiently for their princes to come, and as noted in chapter 2, were models of passivity and victimage (Bell; Lieberman). The new Disney heroines have been called "active, intelligent young women in pursuit of their dreams against the wishes of the parent figures in the films" (Bell 114; Jeffords; Sells; White). However, Lieberman’s analysis of the fairy tale heroine still rings true: "the girl in tears is invariably the heroine . . . The child who dreams of being a Cinderella dreams perforce not only of being elevated by a prince, but also of being a glamorous sufferer or victim" (390). Belle, Jasmine and Pocahontas all have suitors lined up by their fathers. Ariel doesn’t, but her father disapproves of her choice. They all mope and sing and cry and know that if they chose the path laid out by their fathers, their "dreaming" will end. Ariel cries when her father destroys her relics of the human world. In her anger, she makes a deal with the sea witch. When thinking about marrying Gaston, Belle sings, " No sir! Not me! / I guarantee it / I want much more than this provincial life." She cries thinking she’s lost her dreams and her father when imprisoned by the Beast. Jasmine is upset when she finds her father and a suitor planning her marriage: "How dare you! Standing around trying to decide my future — I’m not a prize to be won!" Pocahontas knows that her dream (literally), points not to Kocoum, but to John Smith. She cries when Smith is imprisoned, thinking she will not be able to see him. For these heroines, pursuing their dreams is nothing more than choosing whom they will marry. When Aladdin ends, Jasmine’s father (the Sultan) declares a new law that seems to follow with the recent Disney narratives: "The princess may marry whomever she deems worthy." If that makes them "active, intelligent young women in pursuit of their dreams," then so be it. I tend to think that limiting their dreams to being able to choose whom they marry is rather confining. They’ll never find "adventure in the great wide somewhere" or know "what’s around the riverbend": they’ll be at home. The newest Disney heroine has not been mentioned. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is that she doesn’t necessarily fit the mold created by her recent, or distant, female Disney predecessors. But she fits a mold, nonetheless. Esmerelda, the female lead in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is a dark-skinned gypsy who we first meet when she performs a seductive dance for the crowd at the "Festival of Fools." She ends her dance wrapped around a pole like a character from Showgirls. Throughout the film she is stalked by Judge Frollo, Quasimodo’s master, who is intent on destroying gypsies as they, "live outside the normal order" and "inflame the peoples’ lowest instincts." Secretly, he lusts after Esmerelda: "This burning desire is turning me to sin! / It’s not my fault! I’m not to blame! / It is the gypsy girl, the witch who sent this flame." Esmerelda is no innocent teen-aged heroine; she’s a sexual predator. Esmerelda’s power comes from her sexuality. She is able to resist arrest because Captain Phoebus — the blond-haired, blue-eyed hero — has fallen in love with her. She is also a gypsy, and because gypsies are witches, she is able to magically disappear to evade capture by Frollo’s cronies. While seeking sanctuary in Notre Dame, she becomes friends with Quasimodo and we discover her dream: she isn’t seeking adventure, but help from God for the outcasts of the world. Because she and the gypsies "live outside the normal order," we don’t expect her fate to fall within this order. For instance, she won’t be marrying a handsome prince. In the film’s climax, she is burned at the stake for witchcraft (she doesn’t die of course, she is saved in the nick-of-time by her friend Quasimodo). In the end, she presumably lives happily-ever-after with Phoebus, though Disney doesn’t add a shot of the wedding, as is typical from the other films discussed. Or again, Disney may be worried about "what happens when the races mix." I have used this phrase several times and the next section will examine Disney’s construction of race as it falls within the construction of the "other" and "other" worlds. Race, Ethnicity and "Other" Worlds In Beauty and the Beast, Gaston is able to rally a mob of townspeople to "kill the Beast." He tells them: "Save your children and your wives / We’ll save our village and our lives." They are easily persuaded, because, as they say, "We don’t like / What we don’t understand / In fact it scares us." This one scene, from one film, says a lot about the "other" in the Disney narrative. We will see this scene repeated a number of times. What’s interesting is that in this scene, and in similar scenes from Pocahontas and Hunchback, ignorance is seen as the root of racism. In these films we are encouraged to empathize with "the outcast." The lines dividing good and evil are clearly drawn and we are on the side of the underdog. The townspeople don’t like the Beast (or Quasimodo, or the Indians), but that’s only because they don’t really know him, right? And the moral is clearly stated in the beginning of that film: "Don’t be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found from within." But, in films such as Aladdin and The Lion King, we learn a different lesson. And, in the "real world" of Disney, we learn that the "other" is different from us, and "to be safe" we can enjoy their world as artificially constructed in our own, or at least as artificially constructed in Orlando (I will explain this at a later point). The example cited above (Gaston rallying the troops) is repeated in a scene from Pocahontas. After the capture of John Smith, the "natives" and the "settlers" are on the verge of war. There will be no discussion; heads will roll. Trying to rally his own troops, Governor Radcliffe sings about their opponent:
Radcliffe continues with this type of rhetoric, at one point, advocating the genocide that would ultimately be the fate of these "natives": "Destroy their evil race, until there’s not a trace." On the other side, these "savages," are singing similar lines about the white man: "The paleface is a demon / The only thing they feel at all is greed." These pale-faced demons have, in the film, landed on the shores of Virginia and begun to ravage the land. I will return to this again, but for now, it is interesting to note the relationship of Pocahontas and John Smith in terms of the intentions of the "settlers." Pocahontas falls easily in love with Smith. She even learns to speak his language. As they are sharing an afternoon by the river, he tells her what the "settlers" plan to do: "We’ll show your people how to use this land properly. We’ve improved the lives of savages all over the world." Here we may draw a clear connection to the portrayal of Latin American women and the ecofeminist approach noted in chapter 2. Smith can easily conquer the land and the woman, Pocahontas is after all, the "other’s other" (Burton-Carvajal 138). Though Pocahontas does not take his intent lightly, telling him, "You think the only people who are people are people who look and act like you." She goes on to tell him that he must learn to "paint with the colors of the wind." In other words, he must be in tune with nature. Because of their portrayal as "noble savages," closely associated to nature and innocent of the corruption of society, we empathize with Pocahontas and the "natives." This is defined by Hall as "primitivism" in chapter 2. The dignity portrayed by Chief Powhatan and the elder tribesman is an especially strong signifier of a "nostalgia for an innocence lost forever to the civilized" (Hall, "Whites" 22). The other side of primitivism is evidenced in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, i.e., the notion that civilization will be over-run by savagery or untamed sexuality (Hall, "Whites" 22). I’ve already discussed Esmerelda’s untamed sexuality. Through his words and actions, we also know that Frollo fears the gypsies will over-run Paris and he is relentless in his efforts to find and destroy them. Here again, we empathize with the "outcasts." Both the "half-formed" Quasimodo and gypsy Esmerelda "live outside the normal order." At the "Festival of Fools," Quasimodo is crowned "king of the fools" and the citizens of Paris taunt him until he is saved by Esmerelda. When Frollo orders Esmerelda to leave him alone, she defies him and he orders her arrested. She seeks sanctuary at Notre Dame, and the Archdeacon pleads with her, "Don’t act rashly, child." She defends her actions at the festival, saying, "You saw what he did out there, letting the crowd torture that poor boy. I thought if just one person could stand up to him, then . . . What do they have against people who are different, anyway?" The Archdeacon then teaches us a valuable lesson about resistance: "You can’t right all the wrongs in this world by yourself." Having heard this, Esmerelda enlists the help of God and prays to the Virgin Mary. See, she isn’t really a heathen. In The Lion King, we are not meant to identify with the "outcasts." I’ve mentioned the scene when Simba and Nala enter into the "other" world of the hyenas. Their presence in this film is interesting, not only in terms of their portrayal as an urban street-gang, but also in what happens when they are invited into the world of the lions. Simba’s uncle Scar is jealous of his brother’s power and bitter that Simba, and not himself, will inherit the throne (I discuss this further elsewhere). With the help of the hyenas, Scar kills his brother and makes Simba think that it was his fault, driving Simba from "the pride lands." When Scar takes over as king, he declares the beginning of "a new era in which lion and hyena come together in a great and glorious future." When Simba returns as an adult, we see what happens when savagery over-runs civilization: "the pride lands" themselves now look like the decrepit bad neighborhood. Furthermore, the hyenas have multiplied and there is no food or water; the hyenas can’t manage within the established order. In the film, the marginalization of the hyena culture is part of the natural order, as we learn that we all have a place in the "circle of life." Apparently their place is outside the circle. The marginal cultures of the "half-formed," the gypsies, the hyenas, and even the merpeople each lie outside the circle. But, these cultures may be useful to the dominant culture especially when you consider the relationship between production and consumption. In The Little Mermaid, we see that the dominant culture is responsible for producing goods wanted by the marginal peoples. When Ariel’s father says the humans are "barbarians," she wonders, "how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad." We know this "world" is productive, as Sebastian tells us, "up on shore they work all day." It is also true that the marginal cultures may produce items that may be co-opted by the dominant peoples. In "Agrabah" (Aladdin), the streets are full of vendors and you can even buy "Dead Sea Tupperware." The people of "Agrabah" are also quite entertaining: they walk on hot coals or nail beds, swallow swords, and eat fire. There’s plenty of shopping and entertainment, if only you didn’t have to worry about the natives who are "cheating" and "cunning," and as the opening song of Aladdin says, "barbaric" (Hall, "Whites" 22). So, what about a place that could reproduce the exoticism of foreign lands, with shopping and entertainment, yet one that you could experience with "people like you from all over the world — moms, dads and kids — who are enjoying the vacation of their dreams and making magical memories that will last a lifetime" (World)? Well, there’s only one place in the world like that, or so Walt Disney Attractions would have us believe. Walt Disney World is filled not only with "excitement" and "adventure," as noted previously, but also with "entertainment" plucked from "other" worlds. In both promotional videos for Walt Disney World, there is an automatic association between "entertainment" and the "other." When Disney says "entertainment," we see "Polynesian" luaus, "Japanese" geisha girls, and "Middle-Eastern" belly-dancers. This is the same sort of cross-cultural appropriation evidenced by Burton-Carvajal in terms of Disney’s Latin American films. Furthermore, testimony to the "entertainment" value of these attractions is given by white, middle-class families, who are typically the ones speaking in Disney promotional videos (WDW: It’s; World). Disney’s most blatant display of appropriation is seen in terms of its attraction "The World Showcase." This is "the other world at EPCOT where your family goes on a real-life adventure tour of eleven incredible nations" (World). This "other" world features "ethnic" fare from countries such as Germany, Italy, Mexico and Canada. Guests enjoy it because "you get to go to all the countries in one day" and "it blends all sorts of different countries together." And, the announcer assures us, there is "no other place in the world [that] offers such diverse dining opportunities" (WDW: It’s). Did they happen to mention that you can enjoy these experiences with people just like you? Why deal with "natives" when you can enjoy the best of their worlds right here in your own? There’s another advantage to "The World Showcase," for here the characters from Disney films wander around in their "natural countries." This is especially key, considering where some of these characters are from. The video shows Aladdin and Jasmine walking through a marketplace, yet the "barbaric" nature of their native land is mysteriously absent (World). If this is the way in which Disney constructs the "other" world, how does it construct "our" world? Michael J. Fox (like Drew Carey, another ABC television star) describes riding in the 25th anniversary parade down "Main Street USA": "I didn’t know how it would be and you then turn that corner and you’re up there with Mickey and you’re coming down this road and there’s confetti flying down and you’re going ‘America, I love it’" (WDW: 25). Though he was chewing gum (not sold in Disney parks — a little too messy), looking bored, and reading the teleprompter while saying these things, his words nevertheless paint the picture of the type of "America" Disney would like you to find at Walt Disney World. In this place you can see "the world as it should be — through the eyes of your child" (World). The smiling guides and clean-cut white families attest to idea that Disney World is "everything you could want in a vacation" (WDW: It’s). And, when you’re looking for "a little nostalgia," you can enjoy "good-old-fashioned rope-swinging water thrills" and a "good-old-fashioned setting of beaches and waterways" (WDW: It’s; World). Are "good" and "old-fashioned" synonymous? And, who are the people that feel nostalgic for these things? These people are presumably the same ones who would like to visit a "premiere golf
destination" and plan a "fairy tale wedding" at Disney’s new wedding
pavilion (World). Because in Disney’s world, you can "leave the real
world behind and lead a Disney World life 24 hours a day" (World). The
assumption is that we don’t live in the perfect world — maybe
the hyenas are a little too close to taking over — but in the Disney world, we can
enjoy an America of old. The Disney Institute provides even more of an idealized world.
Here you’ll find "a peaceful, creatively charged community" (World).
In the Disney Institute video, the announcer promotes its programs by telling us
that we’ll feel like we’re residents of "the most wonderful small town ever
built." What makes it so wonderful, you ask? Well, it features a golf course, tennis
courts, a youth center, swimming pools and a fitness center: "It’s a town that
keeps you active, and engaged." There is one element of this community that makes it
different from the lives that most of us lead: its residents don’t have to work. The
guests interviewed in this video love the "touch of home away from home," the
indulgence of features such as a spa, and according to one guest, "The best part is
— they clean up after you" (Disney). The "exclusive" nature of
Walt Disney World and the Disney Institute are addressed in the next section. I’ve mentioned several times that the guests of Walt Disney World appear to be mostly white, middle-class families. Let me rephrase that: they are mostly white, and all middle class. If they aren’t families, they are heterosexual couples, sometimes shown with other heterosexual couples.7 The exclusiveness of adventure and excitement and Disney’s world in general have been addressed in terms of its gender and ethnicity constructions. There is another theme that runs throughout Disney’s world and provides perhaps the most exclusion of all: that of a hierarchical class system. A line from Aladdin gives us an indication of how power and privilege are doled out in Disney’s world. When Aladdin is in prison he is taught the "Golden Rule": "The one who has the gold makes the rules." In other words, with wealth comes power and the only way to attain power is through wealth. This rule is adhered to throughout Disney’s world. I will first address its appearance in Walt Disney World, then its correlatives in its animated films, and finally in the Disney corporation. The most obvious manifestation of a social hierarchy based on wealth in Disney’s resorts is the availability of a "whole world of distinctly Disney resort guest benefits" available to those who stay at "most any Disney resort hotel." "Most any Disney resort hotel," by no small coincidence, includes only the more expensive of its accommodations, the highest priced at $1,150 per day (World). What do you get with "Disney Privileges?": full-time service, early park access, special passes for each park, transportation to the parks, preferred tee times and recreation (WDW: It’s). Some resorts feature "Victorian charms" and the "most regal of amenities." While Disney claims to "cater to every fantasy and pocketbook," the guests with the larger pocketbooks enjoy the "Disney Privileges" (World). Ranking guests privileges by the size of their pocketbooks clearly ranks the guests themselves. The exclusion cited above is manifest in Disney’s own terminology. The more subtle exclusiveness comes when we see the families that are enjoying Walt Disney World: the only time we see a significant amount of non-white, non-middle class people attending Disney World is in Walt Disney World: 25 Years of Magic. This program features an onslaught of ABC television stars speaking about the "wonderful world of Disney." When the camera pans the crowd, we see large groups of Black children wearing T-shirts with the same logo. Their presence is explained by the host who informs us that they are members of the Boys and Girls Club of America invited to Walt Disney World for this special occasion. Given the images we see in its promotional videos, one wonders if the presence of these children is explained for public relations purposes, or to assure us that these children aren’t normally in the park. Either way, if Walt Disney World is open to everyone, why should we take exception to the presence of these children? If Disney regularly supports disadvantaged children, why wouldn’t it highlight this community service aspect in its promotional videos? Why isn’t the presence of these children regarded as natural: is it because they’re Black or because they are poor? The answer to these questions may lie in Disney’s animated world. In this world, people are ranked according to attributes such as gender, skin color, and wealth as part of a naturalized world order. More often, their elevated position in society is a matter of birth, as most of the Disney heroes are royalty. Those that aren’t hold high positions in the government. The most prominent example of this is found in The Lion King. In this film, the birth of Simba is treated similarly to the birth of Christ. The sun guides the animals to the newborn who is held up above them from a cliff peak; the sun shines on the cub and the animals bow their heads. They are assured that life as they know it will continue as the king now has a successor. This deeply disturbs the cub’s uncle (Scar) who has conceded the throne to his brother (Mufasa): "I wouldn’t dream of challenging you — I got the brains but you got the brute strength." In the animal world, power lies in the hands of those who are not only given privilege by birth, but also by brawn. When Mufasa teaches Simba the ways of their world, they peer over the same cliff peak, and Simba is told that everything the sun touches is theirs. Later, Simba sings about his place in "the circle of life": "I’m brushing up on looking down / I just can’t wait to be king." As I mentioned, it is common that the heroes and heroines of Disney’s films are royalty. Ariel is the daughter of King Triton and they live in a golden castle "under the sea." (King Triton looks like the popular conception of God with long, flowing white hair.) Ariel maintains her royal status by marrying Prince Eric. Belle’s father is an unsuccessful inventor, but she assimilates nicely into the castle of the Beast, who is turned back into a prince at the film’s end. Jasmine is the daughter of the Sultan and they live in a castle that looks similar to Taj Mahal. Her mate, Aladdin, is commonly referred to as a "street rat," but luckily finds a magic lamp complete with a Genie. His first wish is to become a prince. Finally, Pocahontas is the daughter of Chief Powhatan, and presumably, like Simba, will also take her place among her people. Both John Smith and Phoebus are "Captains." The villains also typically hold high positions in society and are judges or governors, for example. It is interesting to see what happens when these royal characters associate with others. When Ariel is seen swimming with the sea witch’s evil eels, Sebastian wonders what she is doing with that "riffraff." Aladdin is also called "riffraff." When Jasmine is caught with Aladdin in "Agrabah," the police ask what she is "doing outside the palace with this street rat?" Aladdin is called a "street rat" on a number of occasions. On two occasions he is caught stealing. He is told, "I’ll have your hands for a trophy you street rat" and "You were born a street rat and you’ll die a street rat — only your fleas will mourn you." Aladdin is imprisoned, but escapes with the help of the evil Jafar. Jafar knows of a hidden treasure that may only be found by "a diamond in the rough" and tricks Aladdin into finding it. But, trying to steal the hidden treasure, Aladdin’s monkey accidentally grabs the wrong jewel and a loud voice tells him, "You have touched the forbidden treasure, now you will never again see the light of day." This death sentence is similar to the one he hears earlier in the day when he is found associating with Princess Jasmine. If he weren’t able to become a prince, he probably would remain a "street rat," for in Disney’s world the only way to attain wealth is through marriage or inheritance (as I will discuss further). The attainment of wealth is a common way to move up in the world according to Disney. This is the primary goal of the Virginia Company in Pocahontas. They have been promised that there are "diamonds like debris," rivers of silver, and "gold you pick right off a tree" in Virginia. When they arrive they are instructed to "dig up Virginia, boys." Speaking of the land in general, one of Smith’s men tells him, "Look at it all; it’s all ours." Their ways obviously contradict those of the "natives," as noted earlier. The Indians are upset that their land is being destroyed and find (through images in smoke) that the white men will "prowl the earth like ravenous wolves, consuming everything in their path." The men of the Virginia company are much like McLeash (Rescuers). Not only does he kill animals for profit, but also travels everywhere in a bulldozer that tears up the land and uproots trees. No one in these Disney narratives successfully attains wealth or high social standing through a means other than inheritance or marriage. Everyone wants it, but only a few may achieve it. Even the parishioners at Notre Dame are seeking fortune. In their prayers they ask for "wealth," "fame," and "glory." It’s a Small World, After All Looking at Disney corporate literature may help to put this all into perspective: if the golden rule we learn in Aladdin — the one who owns the gold makes the rules — applies in the real world, we can see that Disney owns the gold and makes the rules. I have already outlined the breadth of the Disney influence in chapter 1. Its corporate literature reinforces the power the company has by pointing out its position as the world’s largest entertainment company, in addition to the foundation of "Disney name." Both of these factors are necessary for efforts to "increase wealth for Disney shareholders" ("Overview"). We have seen that, unlike the Virginia Company in Pocahontas, Disney’s expansion into foreign territory has been successful. For example, Tokyo Disneyland has the highest attendance rate of any theme park in the world ("Year"). Here and abroad, Disney has been successful in efforts to increase wealth: unlike the parishioners at Notre Dame, or McLeash, or the Virginia Company, or the evil Jafar, Disney has attained wealth without inheritance or marriage. And, like Mufasa, the Disney company is strong. Eisner likes to assure us of this in his letter. Even though Disney president Frank Wells died in 1994 and Eisner himself had heart surgery, the Disney company has bounced back stronger than ever (Eisner). As Eisner says, "the only surgery [this year] was in making our movies, television shows, and live performances leaner and better." And like the royalty in Disney films, Eisner and the Disney company must be careful when choosing with whom they will associate. For example, Michael Ovitz is the new Disney president. Eisner tells us that he is someone whom he has known for years, someone who he has "worked with" and someone whose family he has "vacationed with." He continues, "Not only will he be the perfect president of the company, but he is a trusted friend" (Eisner). Another example, when speaking of the merger with ABC/Cap Cities, Eisner says, "I have joked in the past to our strategic planning group that any company I had not personally worked at before joining Disney could not be on our list [of potential companies to ally with]." This brings us to Disney’s strategic plans and the "ideas" that Eisner feels should guide Disney "into the new millennium" (Eisner). Eisner’s goal is to "increase wealth for [Disney] shareholders." In addition, Disney must always "operate in an ethical way." The "ethics" of Disney may, in Eisner’s own words, potentially stand in the way of Disney’s dealings with other companies: "Because many other corporations and individuals may not share our beliefs . . . when we do enter into shared relationships, usually outside the United States, we should not give up creative control." One can imagine that in Disney’s corporate world, as in its film and theme park world, stories are "carefully crafted" and told "from a Disney-point-of view" ("Disney Design"; Disney). In Disney’s corporate world, the company may attain wealth through hard work. This goal is unachievable in the world of its films, where inheritance and marriage determine wealth, or in the world of its theme parks, where "residents" don’t work, but receive privileges based on the size of their "pocketbooks" (World; Institute). The Disney company may "increase creative productivity" through work, for in its world, hard work pays off. The "only criteria" for its products are "excellence and fiscal viability" as they will "not commit to any venture, no matter how great, unless the project can promise a good fiscal return" (Eisner). So, in the end, the Disney company is not about quality entertainment for children. It isn’t about family values or American ideals. It is about profit: "increasing wealth for Disney shareholders" (Eisner). As Raymond Williams says, "one of the major purposes of communication [is] to sell a particular paper or programme. All the basic purposes of communication — the sharing of human experience — can become subordinated to this drive to sell" (Communications 32). Furthermore, in the Disney world, power lies in the hands of those who have the gold: they are the ones that make the rules. At the beginning of this section I noted the dissimilarity between the Virginia Company and the Disney company. Aside from the fact that like John Smith’s men, Disney was also unsuccessful in finding gold in Virginia (as discussed in chapter 2), there are other similarities. In Pocahontas, John Smith sings:
The Disney company has something in common with John Smith: it is still seeking land to claim and to tame. Its plans to expand into worldwide markets — including opening operations in Poland, Switzerland, India and China — have been noted in chapter 1. Led by sales of Pocahontas merchandise, Disney will continue its "emphasis" on South America. Disney doesn’t follow the rules it sets out for the rest of us — it makes its own rules and maintains its power and privilege as producers of cultural texts that serve to reinscribe the ideologies creating dominant and subordinate peoples. Thesis Home Introduction Literature Review Methodology Discussion Notes Works Cited |
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© Copyright 1996, Deana Michelle Hoisington. |
