In the field of sociology, the term Disneyfication describes the commercial transformation of things (e.g. entertainment) or environments into something simplified, controlled, and 'safe'—reminiscent of the Walt Disney brand (such as its media, theme parks, etc.).[1]
The term broadly describes the process of stripping a real place or thing of its original character and representing it in a sanitized format where references to anything negative or inconvenient are removed, and the facts are simplified with the intent of rendering the subject more pleasant and easily grasped. In the case of physical places, this involves replacing the real with an idealized, tourist-friendly veneer—resembling the "Main Street, U.S.A." attractions at Disney theme parks. Based on rapid Western-style globalization and consumerist lifestyles, the term Disneyfication is mostly used derogatorily to imply the social and cultural homogenization of things. In other words, according to The Disneyization of Society, "to Disneyfy means to translate or transform an object into something superficial and even simplistic."[2] The term can also be used to describe the internationalization of American mass culture; the notion of entertainment that is bigger, faster, and better but with worldwide, Americanized uniformity.[3] More specifically, some may use Disneyfication to be associated with a statement about the cultural products of the Disney company itself, denoting the general process of rendering material (a fairy tale, novel, historical event) into a standardized format that is recognizable as being a product of the Walt Disney Company according to Bryman.
Disney in popular culture
At the start of the twentieth century, popular culture was reaching its highest potential in terms of what it would become today by modern standards of overall American culture. The mass production of pleasure and entertainment is meant for a profit-inducing audience and that change within the entertainment industry is actually catered to its audience. Trends are influenced by the people of the time period in which it was being produced. The history of popular culture can be traced back to the start of early human communities and the addition of electricity in the home that really defined the modern concept of culture, with examples from the 1900s such as the radio, bright signs, automobiles, and the television.[4]
The Walt Disney Company created a monumental shift in the world of popular culture since the decision to use Mickey Mouse as the icon and purveyor of the American Dream. The company gained the ability to influence the world with the power of association and gradually created cultural shifts as a result of Disneyfication becoming so popular in the west.[5] The desire and demand for Americanized or Disneyfied culture spread to other countries through film, songs, architecture, stories, and other real-world elements. Over time, each concept in popular culture defined the overall culture of the time it was developed and Walt Disney
Disneyfication of society
According to Merriam-Webster, Disneyfication is the process in sociology in which a person, place, or things are simplified or altered to meet the same image requirements of Disney productions. Characters and stories created or used by Disney have been able to alter the ideas of stories, art, gender, sexuality, disability, race, and perspective of the ordinary. The Disney craze became so great and widespread that The Walt Disney Company was able to Disneyfy amusement parks for other countries. These places in Europe and Asia now have their own piece of the desired Disneyfied Western society. The major success of the media produced by the company is also an important key factor and attributed to the specific techniques of earlier films that left an impact on people, including psychologically affecting events like the death of a family member or rules for being seen as beautiful. The term Disneyfication has been used in sociological studies to explain the process of the transformation of things to essentially sugarcoat the reality of unsafe environments or issues like the threat of a unique identity. For example, Walt Disney's creation of an amusement park is the embodiment of what Disneyfication was meant to describe, an escape from a harsh reality. Imagination was the original source of inspiration for Mr. Disney and, according to Disneyland and Culture,[6] "The happiest place on earth can in the twenty-first century accommodate what in the twentieth represented the pure and abject horror that people fled to Disneyland to escape from". The Walt Disney Company intricately pitched the theme park to their targeted audience, those who wanted an escape. In particular, the parks were given names ending in world or land to give the illusion that real life stops and fantasy begins because the "imagineers" are able to make dreams come true by focusing on different themes not seen in everyday life.
See also
Similar concepts
- Escapism
- Celebration, Florida
- Cocacolonization
- McDonaldization
- Walmarting
Further reading
- Betts, Raymond F. A History of Popular Culture : More of Everything, Faster, and Brighter. New York: Routledge.
- Bryman, Alan E. 2004. The Disneyization of Society. UK: SAGE Publications. ISBN 9780761967651.
- Kehoe, Andre. 1991. "Christian Contradictions and the World Revolution: Letters to my Son." Glendale Publishing.
- WILLS, JOHN. Disney Culture. Rutgers University Press, 2017.
- Zukin, Sharon. 1996. The Cultures of Cities. Blackwell Publishing.
External links
- A Reader's Guide to Disneyfication
- Jean Baudrillard's. Disneyworld Company. European Graduate School