Page 181 - The Disneyization of Society

THE DISNEYIZATION OF SOCIETY

how in the small Malaysian state of Melaka a tendency to encourage faux
leisurescapes has led to an abandonment of authentic attractions of both historical
172 and natural interest in favour of these more high profile projects. 42 Not only has
this resulted in a distortion of the nature of tourism in the region but it has also
created problems for the local ecology.

Running down of cities

The growth of out of town shopping- and entertainment-based destinations has
often led to a deterioration in the fabric of many cities. As noted in the previous
chapter, cities have often come to be seen as dangerous areas and Disneyized
developments such as these have capitalized on these fears to create the impres-
sion of safety. As a result, many downtowns have suffered as they have come to
be seen as dangerous ‘no go’ areas. 43 Orlando again acts as a salutary reminder.
When a British journalist visited downtown Orlando, he reported: ‘Downtown …
is now downbeat. Derelict shops, homeless people sleeping on benches, police
signs warning “TV surveillance is in operation”, piles of litter’. 44
Some cities have reacted to fears about downtown areas by creating upmarket
shopping and eating sites for tourists and wealthier locals with a strong surveil-
lance presence. 45 As Zukin puts it, such developments ‘make the waterfront of
older cities into a consumers’ playground, far safer for tourists and cultural con-
sumers than the closed worlds of wholesale fish and vegetable dealers and long-
shoremen’. 46 However, this strategy only shifts the location of the problem since
it leaves the city areas outside such tourist bubbles with struggling businesses and
with fears about personal security. While there are several factors that contribute
to the decline of city downtown areas, of which Disneyization is merely one, it
nonetheless constitutes an important factor, especially in terms of its contribu-
tion to the perception of downtowns as dangerous and to be avoided.

Creation of partial citizens

It was argued at the outset of this chapter that Disneyization is driven by con-
sumption and by consumerism in particular. It is the raison d’être of Disneyization.
Citizenship under Disneyization almost comes to be defined in terms of one’s
capacity to consume. Consequently, as we saw in the last chapter, those without
the capacity to consume or who are deemed to have a limited capacity to do so,
or those who might hinder the consumption inclinations of consumers are either
excluded or are kept under the watchful gaze of security cameras and guards.
One of the problems with an emphasis on consumerism is that it is easy to get
carried away with the view that the world out there is replete with discerning,
credit-card toting consumers rushing around fulfilling their life projects by developing,