Thursday, October 30, 2008

Disneyworld

I find the quote from the article below interesting about Disneyland in France, in that ''Euro Disneyland management 'should have been aware of the environment it was operating in and shown more sensitivity.' ''

If Disneyland is an idealized image of reality in the US, it is important to note the export of such ''idealizations.''  The fact that such a warped reality can be exported to Europe and Japan shows the economic strength of the Disney corporation.  However, it also shows interesting international power dynamics.

For example, I have been to Tokyo Disneyland, where the Pirates spoke in Japanese in the Pirates of the Carribean.  Do the Japanese go to Disneyland and see an idealized suburbia based on an Aryan premise?  Or rather do they see it as ''American culture,'' perpetuating an eccentric facet as representational of America?

The main point of Disneyland, no matter where in the globe, is escapism, and that is the same reason we go to movies or play video games.  

When I have gone to Disneyland in the past, it has generally been a diverse group of people. How does one go about criticizing Disney when people of all classes find this Aryan reality to be fantasy?

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