Page 11 - The Disneyization of Society

THE DISNEYIZATION OF SOCIETY

Disneyization is portrayed as a globalizing force. In other words, the principles
with which it is associated are gradually spreading throughout the globe. The
2 issue of the global diffusion of Disneyizing principles in relation to globalization
is discussed in Chapter 7. I recognize that globalization has become simultane-
ously fashionable and unfashionable: fashionable in the sense that it is a fre-
quently discussed topic in the literature on modern societies; unfashionable in
the sense that there has been a sharp reaction to the notion of a world-embracing
trend that rides roughshod over local cultures and practices. The issues involved
in these considerations are also addressed in Chapter 7.
Chapters 2 to 5 explore the dimensions of Disneyization. These are:

• theming – clothing institutions or objects in a narrative that is largely unrelated to the
institution or object to which it is applied, such as a casino or restaurant with a Wild
West narrative;
• hybrid consumption – a general trend whereby the forms of consumption associated
with different institutional spheres become interlocked with each other and increasingly
difficult to distinguish; 2
• merchandising – the promotion and sale of goods in the form of or bearing copyright
images and/or logos, including such products made under licence;
• performative labour – the growing tendency for frontline service work to be viewed as a
performance, especially one in which the deliberate display of a certain mood is seen as
part of the labour involved in service work. 3

I see these four dimensions as emblematic of the Disney theme parks but also as
constituting principles that are pervading many spheres of modern life.
In discussing each dimension, the following issues will be addressed:

• The ways in which that aspect of Disneyization is evident in the Disney theme parks
themselves.
• Evidence of the existence of that aspect of Disneyization before the opening of the first
Disney theme park – Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in 1955 (see Box 1.1).
• Evidence of the diffusion of that aspect of Disneyization beyond the Disney theme parks.

The second of these three issues is presented to remind us that it is not being sug-
gested that the Disney theme parks were the first context to manifest each of the
four aspects of Disneyization. Instead, it is suggested that the Disney theme parks
are emblems of the four trends that are discussed. It is almost certainly the case
that there has been a process of emulation of the Disney theme park principles
due to the immense success, prominence and popularity of the parks. Where
appropriate, these processes of imitation will be noted. However, the central point
is that the parks exemplify and symbolize the four aspects of Disneyization. In