Page 79 - The Disneyization of Society

THE DISNEYIZATION OF SOCIETY

that the distribution of free toys as a lure for children can be viewed as evidence
of hybrid consumption since it involves elements of the sale of both food and
70 toys. It should also be noted that this form of hybrid consumption is often a
focus for criticism because it is seen as evidence of the manipulation of
consumers and of children in particular. The Archbishop of Canterbury has
criticized such tie-ins and singled out Disney for particular disapproval. He
expressed dismay at the way in which companies cultivate consumerism among
children, particularly through tie-ins and recognized the influence of Disney on
this process. He was quoted as saying: ‘The “tie-in”, the association of comics,
sweets, toys and so on with a new film: the Disney empire has developed this
to an unprecedented pitch’. 39
The second main sense in which we find hybrid consumption in relation to
McDonald’s is the way in which it is frequently implicated in settings that bring
together a variety of forms of consumption. Examples are the obvious ones like
the presence of McDonald’s in malls, but there are others too, such as its location
in theme parks. McDonald’s is also often found in the modern ballpark. 40 This
kind of diffusion of McDonald’s into a variety of settings has been a clear strategy
for the company. In the Afterword to the autobiography of Ray Kroc, the founder
of McDonald’s as we know it today, Kroc’s co-author Robert Anderson mentions
with satisfaction the appearance of McDonald’s outlets in a hospital, tollway
services plazas, military bases, shopping malls, and amusement parks. He quoted
from the 1985 annual report: ‘Maybe – someday – McDonald’s will be found on
aircraft carriers and commercial airliners. In sports stadiums and fine department
stores’. 41 Some of these developments have indeed materialized. However, as a
strategy, this is not always successful, as the company found when it was forced
because of poor levels of patronage to close many of its outlets that were located
in Wal-Mart stores. 42

Zoos

Zoos too are implicated in hybrid consumption. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an
extreme in this respect and it is hardly surprising that a Disney location should be
a major site of this aspect of the Disneyization of zoos. In placing a zoo in the midst
of Disney World, which comprises theme parks, water parks, nearly
20 hotels, six golf courses, and numerous restaurants, including one of the Rainforest
Cafe chain in the Animal Kingdom and a hotel very close to it, hybrid consump-
tion in relation to zoos is magnified. Like Busch Gardens, West Midlands Safari Park
and several other zoos, it includes theme park attractions within its grounds. The
Animal Kingdom has a thrill ride tellingly called Countdown to Extinction. Busch
Gardens has numerous thrill rides which are organized in terms of African lands,
and Sea World in Orlando has a flume ride entitled Voyage to Atlantis and a roller