Dear Disney Watchers,
The goal for next class on Feb 28 is for each of you to produce a blog post in preparation for presentations to class. Our recent class discussions and Collin’s post on Disney not being particularly supportive of mass consumerism suggest a topic. Construct this blog post in three parts….
We have been talking a lot about influence in popular culture. Another way to put this is: Where do we get our ideas (about work and play, what we pay attention to or ignore, our values and ideas, our beliefs and social practices, …)? What shapes our choices; what shapes your choices? That’s the reflective part of the blog post.
In addition, as we head into a new segment of the course on Disney’s Creativity and Innovations, please read Watts , ch 19, on Disney and the Culture Industry. This will give some context and clarity to our discussions on his influence; and it will surely prompt a lot of different interpretations, all welcome, and in fact crucial for understanding how he related to the culture. What is the culture industry, and what is Disney’s place within it: that is the reporting part of the blog post. .
Disney’s influence is central to the course and more particularly it is crucial for understanding this next segment dealing with his cultural creations. In fact, I can foresee evaluations of Disney and the culture industry emerging not only as theoretical and ideological debates, but also as windows into understanding the particular creations that you examine in your choices for presentation in this next segment. As you view particular Disney creations, enlist your insights about influence and about the culture industry to evaluate the creation that you are viewing: that is the applied part of the blogpost.
Then in class next week, let’s hear the summary presentations of your evaluation of the character of influence, the nature of the culture industry, and the relation of these ideas to a Disney creation.
Do good work,
pjc
I thought the next section was on "Movies" (to be followed by "Theme Parks"), not "Creativity and Innovations". And if it is still "Movies", is there any reason why we can't fold the influential/cultural/creative/innovations aspect into our choice of subjects? Or has the plan now changed to this? If you could clarify that'd be great. Thanks!
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