The Walt Disney Company: An Example of Globalization and Cultural Imperialism

This post will be talking about globalization: reducing differences that exist between nations as far as time, space, and culture. That may sound a bit farfetched, but when you think about it, globalization is happening all around us. For example, did you know there are McDonald's restaurants across the globe? (The ingredients in the burgers vary in each country.) Such aspects can spread worldwide when they're popular enough.

Globalization has good and bad effects. Culture imperialism is the dominance of certain countries in the media, and one of the effects of globalization. America seems to be a very popular subject in the media, so much so that French authorities have fought against English words being integrated into the French language (as stated in Media Now).

It seems that when a foreigner thinks of an American (or European) the first thing they think of are blonde-haired, blue-eyed people. Why would that be? It seems that films often star people of such descriptions, which are then spread to other nations. Even if it's not the most common appearance of actual Americans, other nations would readily identify them as such. Take Disney movies for example: The film The Princess and the Frog was notable as it starred Disney's first African-American "princess". Consider this: the Disney company has been around since the 1930s and The Princess and the Frog was released back in 2009. Even other Disney films that are based on fairy tales such as Snow White and Cinderella opt for Caucasian-looking "princesses".

Now you could say that it was the result of the time period those films were released, but the fact that it took about 70 years to have an African-American character be the star of a Disney movie still stands. Disney is a very global company with many "Disneylands" around the world, yet the majority of Disney characters have been Caucasian. The dominance of this culture in Disney films is a prime example of cultural imperialism.


...to this.




It took that long to get from this...





The Power of Advertising

Billy Mays (who passed away in the summer of '09) was a famous spokesperson who could seemingly sell anything for $19.99. I'm here to talk about an infomercial selling an item Billy Mays was advertising: the Dual Saw. Commercials, like any media you would find on television, needs money to be produced, so most products are unlikely to get full infomercials unless they were guaranteed to sell. That's exactly what the Dual Saw did. In the advertisement, the saw gets a full explanation of its dual-blade technology, various demos demonstrating its versatility, and user testimonies praising the Dual Saw. Watching this ad made me feel that I should buy a Dual Saw if I ever needed to cut anything, the evidence was staggering.

Often, a product is advertised by telling people that they will have a sense of achievement by using it. Perhaps the products can make tasks easier, like dieting without effort or doing errands faster. In this digital age where we're always trying to do things quickly, appealing like this tends to be quite successful.

The Dual Saw seems to cut through anything. With all of the demonstrations of it cutting through many different materials, the audience can't help but think "that would make my life so much easier". And why not? The Dual Saw can help you do DIY projects, install a pet door, break into a safe, and even cut a car in half. The ad seems to tell you "look what you could do if you had a Dual Saw!". That's what makes the commercial so appealing to me, and I don't even do home improvement projects.

Watch the Dual Saw in Action

Mamma Mia!: A Three Act Structure

The three act structure is a familiar narrative setup in Hollywood. It starts with an introduction of the characters and setting, has someone go through a conflict through most of the movie, and ends with a resolution to the conflict. The film I will be using as an example is "Mamma Mia!".

The film starts with 20 year old Sophie Sheridan who is about to get married when she finds her mother Donna's old diary which reveals three men who could possibly be her father. Wanting a father to give her away at the wedding, she decides to invite the men to the ceremony in hopes she can find out who her father is. This sets the storyline within the first five minutes of the movie with the question of which man is Sophie;s father.



Who's the father? Harry? Bill? Sam?



A problem arises after the men arrive. Sophie doesn't really resemble any of them, and after a lot of questioning and musical numbers, it is revealed that Sophie's mother never told her who her father is because neither she nor any of the men are sure who her father is. Without answers, Sophie is unsure of what to do since she knows her mother isn't pleased with having three ex-boyfriends secretly invited to the wedding behind her back. With each man thinking he's her father and planning to give her away at her wedding, Sophie becomes distraught with the problem she has caused, and wonders what to do next.

The resolution comes in the last 30 minutes of the film. The wedding finally happens and everyone gathers in the church. Sophie's plan is revealed to everyone, with her mother finally telling Sophie why she never told her about her father. Sophie forgives her, while Harry, Bill, and Sam tell Sophie that they all consider her their daughter despite the circumstances of not knowing for sure. A twist comes when Sophie decides to postpone getting married, Sam proposes to Donna, and Bill and Harry find new partners. Everyone finds a happy ending and the film ends.

Episodic Conflicts in "I Love Lucy"

Sitcoms (a shortened way of saying a "situation comedy"), as opposed to sketch and stand up comedy, are usually centered around a specific set of characters in an on-going storyline. The comedy comes from the characters' actions in certain situations. Often, each episode of a sitcom will have something happen to the characters that gets resolved by the end of the show. This post will deal with episodic conflicts in sitcoms, using "I Love Lucy" as an example.

"I Love Lucy" is a sitcom about a Cuban singer/bandleader (Ricky) and his American wife (Lucy) who often goes out of her way to get into show business. Fans of the series know that most episodes are about Ricky doing something and Lucy wanting to be a part of it (but not being allowed to by Ricky). Lucy then tries to think of a way to sneak in to whatever Ricky's doing, but the plan manages to fall apart along the way, with humorous consequences. By the end of the episode the conflict is resolved (but often not how Lucy wanted).

One famous episode was titled "Job Switching". The story goes that Ricky and his friend Fred think that housework is easier than actually having a job. Lucy and Ethel (Fred's wife and Lucy's friend) think otherwise. Each group trades places for the day and it is then that we find Lucy and Ethel in an iconic scene at a candy factory. The women wrap candies, thinking the work was relatively simple, until the coveyer belt the candies are on starts to speed up, leaving them overwhelmed. Not wanting to far behind, Lucy and Ethel eat and hide candies in order not to have them pass unwrapped. Meanwhile, the men try to cook dinner, but end up making a huge mess in the kitchen. In the end both groups have changed their minds about work after going through some embarassing mishaps, and the status quo returns to normal.



Lucy (left) and Ethel (right) are having some trouble...

 The formula for these conflicts is as such: conflict affects character(s), character attempts to resolve conflict, conflict ends before credits roll, with "I Love Lucy" as a fine example of sitcom antics.

Shots in Filmmaking as used in RENT

The size of a subject in a frame can have an effect on the audience as far as how the scene is interpreted or setting the emotional background of a scene. Through the use of long shots, medium shots, and close ups, a story can have more impact on the viewers. Using the musical film "RENT", I'll be giving an example of the impacts of certain shots.

As Christmas comes closer, residents of these apartment complexes have come to find that they are threatened with eviction unless they pay all of last year's rent, which they were previously promised they wouldn't have to pay. In outrage, they begin to protest. This long shot gives the viewer a view of the whole neighborhood. Details include decorations that are hung in preparation for the holiday season that give clues to the date, along with the chaos of fires being started by angry tenants.

Benny (left) turns out to be the one behind the eviction notices. Mark (middle) and Roger (right) confront him about it. A medium shot can provide insight on characters' relationships with one another. While Benny explains the situation, he does not look directly at them while talking, giving off an air of superiority. Mark and Roger, who are farther back in the frame, are merely spectators in the conversation.

Roger reflects on his frustration on not being able to write a good song and the death of his girlfriend. Close ups like this are often used as reaction shots. They provide a glance at a character's emotional state. Even though Christmas draws near, Roger can't do anything but sit in grief for his current situation.

Those are examples of the three basic shots used in cinema. Images are taken from "RENT" which was written by Johnathon Larson and produced by Chris Columbus for Columbia Pictures.

The Studio System and Its Effect on Hollywood

The studio system, through its use of vertical integration, has managed to flood Hollywood with films from many of the top production studios. These films often featured stars that that perticular studio has under contract, usually long-term. It was often these stars that led to the decision to make certain kinds of films, based on their personal strengths in acting.

For example, actors who could sing would often star in musicals, dancers often got a dance number in the middle of a film, comedians would often have a chance to crack a joke, and so on. Some actors had certain personality traits, which would be reoccuring in the characters they play (although nowadays we would call that "typecasting"). Films were made around the actors, rather than just having an actor be part of the film.

Lon Chaney, Sr. had the ability to change his character using make-up techniques that he invented, giving him the nickname "the man of a thousand faces". This led to him starring in silent horror films such as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "The Phantom of the Opera". These films were notable in that Chaney was able to pose as seriously deformed characters who still managed to be sympathetic considering their circumstances. Though Chaney's talents went beyond horror and stage makeup, he made his greatest impact in horror films made by Universal Studios.

Lon Chaney, Sr. "The man of a thousand faces"

All in the Family vs. Full House

“All in the Family” and “Full House”, though technically in the same genre, come from two very different eras, which is apparent in the issues mentioned within each series. “All in the Family” is set in the 1970s, while “Full House” takes place in the 1980s-1990s. The cast dynamics are also noticeably different: “All in the Family” stars an older couple, their adult daughter and her husband who live with them in Queens, New York, while “Full House” stars a single father raising his three young daughters with the help of his friend and brother-in-law in their home in San Francisco.

Even with these differences, both series feature characters dealing with relevant issues that occur in their lives. Both series have dealt with people having conflicts with each other due to personal differences. It can also be noted that both families live outside of a typical nuclear family structure, which usually consists of a father, mother, and their children in one household.

One noticeable difference in the issues dealt with in these series is the fact that “All in the Family” deals with more serious issues such as Archie’s bigotry towards people of color and homosexuals. Meanwhile, “Full House” has addressed more social problems such as child abuse and drunk driving. This may be simply because of a change in personal values between people living in these time periods, where in more recent times it has become less acceptable to discriminate people on the basis of skin color or sexual orientation.

Both of these series do, however, reflect on the history of their respective eras. They provide insight into social dynamics and the values of people in those times. Through these series we can reflect upon how times have changed, and take note of the status of our society today.