Wishing Upon Stars: Disney's America

(5 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The plaque at the entrance of Disneyland Park, opened in 1955, reads, 'Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy' Escapism is and always has been a key Disney approach, but by being absorbed in nostalgia, and fantastic imaginings of worlds to come, what happens to the political present, and what are the effects of its exclusion? Disney has had a long, successful, and influential career over the 20th century and into the 21st, and whilst it has moved with the times, often spearheading the changes in terms of technology, its choice of story-lines, and its underlying and largely conservative views on American life and morality have too often been problematic. This is especially true in terms of those its chooses to represent in its productions, and the nature of this representation. Throughout its history, Disney has been significantly racist, homophobic, misogynistic and imperialistic in its world views. Much has changed in the last 20 years, but it still maintains a sense of largely apolitical idealized America. On this module you will explore Disney from multiple approaches, employing historical, political, and cultural analysis to explore Disney's Dream America, and to see the extent these dreams really do come true.