After class today I couldn't stop thinking about the Disneyfication of the culture we live in. During class I mentioned how surprised I was after reading the pieces at how universal Disney is. It may be the one thing in the world that the majority of people across nations can identify. I was also thinking about Eco's theories of the functions of cities, how all cities imitate other cities, and how Disney attempts to imitate the Frontier and the days of slavery, but also how you can drink and eat around the world. You can go to Disney or Universal and possibly feel like you've traveled to different cities. I was thinking about how my own hometown, Charlottesville, Virginia, has a downtown mall that was designed by the same person who designed the downtown mall in Boulder, Colorado. It kind of ties back to the idea of art imitating life or vice versa, and if anything is truly original or if all works of art are derived from something.
Linking back to Disney and its globalization, it's interesting to consider that it is a uniting force for those who come from different religions, cultures, societal norms, etc. Is the happiest place of earth the social cohesion our current society needs? Is this what will bond us? Capitalism?? I wonder if the downfall of Disney and other corporations, capitalistic endeavors, could be the uniting force. After watching the documentary by Abby Disney, I was left with similar feelings I had after reading Marx's Communist Manifesto: the proletariat will rise! That feels like a stronger unifier than visiting Disney, spending a lot of money, struggling with fantasy vs. reality, and thinking too critically about it your head hurts. Let's all rally behind the proletariat and watch the 1% fall.
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