Educator Challenges Influence
Of Entertainment Giant

11-8-96
University Park, Pa. --- The Walt Disney Company projects an image of innocent entertainment, but a Penn State educator suggests yanking off its mouse ears and seeing it for the corporate, political and cultural giant it really is.

"Microsoft, the computer software company, is viewed in similar terms, having transformed and dominated the computer world," says Dr. Henry Giroux, author of the recently published book "Fugitive Cultures: Race, Violence and Youth" (Routledge Press). "The company has been the subject of critical review by media, business and the government because it has shaped the lives of many people through its products and the way it does business.

"The Disney Company likes to be viewed as a entertainment sphere innocently distributing pleasure to young people," said Giroux, who holds the Waterbury Chair in Secondary Education in the College of Education. "In reality, the Disney empire must be seen as a educational and policy-making enterprise actively engaged in the 'schooling' of the minds of young children and in the shaping of the nation's cultural identity.

"But they are not interested in helping children become active citizens of democracy," he said. "On the contrary, Disney aims at educating young people simply to become consumers for their films, movies and videos and eventually, their endless stream of toys and goods.

"That's not to imply there is something sinister behind what Disney does, but we need to address and challenge the images, representations and values offered by the Disney teaching machine," he added.

In the book, one chapter, "Animating Youth: Disneyfication of Children's Culture," focuses on the impact of the Disney Company on cultural issues in the United States.
With revenues of over $16 billion, the Disney empire penetrates far and wide, including movies, home video, software, television, theme parks, theater, music, books and shopping merchandise, sports teams, classroom instructional films, and family restaurants, according to his book. Now, Disney is creating whole communities like "Celebration" in Florida, in the image of "Norman Rockwell America," Giroux notes.

Popular culture holds a powerful sway over children's understanding of the world, sometimes even more powerful than traditional influences, such as parents and teachers, says Giroux.

For example, Disney films have prompted debate over their portrayal of girls and women, with most female characters defining their lives as subordinate to the men in the stories, Giroux said. And, the question of racist stereotyping has surfaced, with the most recent debates over the portrayals of Arabs in the film "Aladdin" and of Native Americans in the film "Pocahontas," he noted.

On a personal level, educators and parents need to teach children the media literacy skills necessary for them to read Disney's animated films critically, suggests the Penn State professor of education. At least, talk about these films, what they are trying to portray and the values they are promoting.

On a public level, the government needs to analyze the Disney empire and its spheres of power economically and politically, and demand some accountability, Giroux said in his book.

But the company, like Microsoft, is considered an aggressive defender of its "magic kingdom" and quick to muffle criticism, Giroux said. The book states, "The scope of the Disney empire reveals shrewd business practices as well as a sharp eye for providing dreams and products through forms of popular culture in which kids are willing to materially and emotionally invest."

A rare defeat for Disney was the proposal for a 3,000-acre theme park in Virginia near hallowed Civil War sites, which drew opposition from notable historians, community activists and educators in a justifiable struggle over culture and public policy.

"The Congress has already tackled Hollywood and the rock music industries for issues of sex and violence," Giroux said. "We're not talking censorship, but guidelines; for example, the FCC sets limits on the kind of language that can be spoken on commercial radio. The paternalistic views perpetrated by Disney are so dominating that other cultural views don't have a chance, without the megamarketing machines of Disney.

"Do we want all children to believe that the story of 'Pocahontas' as a fake 'Romeo and Juliet,' rather the truth about European colonialism," he said. " Why not question the whitewashed images peddled by Disney and open up ourselves to real cultural democracy?"

The book, "Fugitive Cultures," examines the racist and sexist assault on today's youth being played out in popular and children's culture. He also looks at the aesthetic of violence in several public arenas such as talk radio, and in films as "Pulp Fiction." Giroux has written extensively on cultural studies and the public schools. His other books include "Living Dangerously: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Difference," "Schooling and the Struggle for Public Life," "Postmodern Education" and "Border Crossings."
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EDITORS: Dr. Giroux is at (814) 865-1500 or on the Internet: hag5@psu.edu

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Contact:
Vicki Fong 814-865-9481 (O) vyf1@psu.edu