[Tarynaholenspacetime] 10/19

During our Tuesday class, October 19th, we discussed "The Disneyfication of Reality" in great detail. Listed below are some of the quotes that had the greatest impact on me as well as my understanding of them.

“Disneyland tells us that technology can give us more reality than nature can,” (203). In class, Dr. Cummings shared a story of how people were more satisfied with a fountain show than Yellowstone because the fountains actually went off when they wanted. In the moment, their statement seems reasonable, but when one views this situation with a critical eye, it is clear how silly this expectation is. Despite how much as modern society will argue otherwise, nature does not bend to our will. 

“Disneyland is also a place of total passivity. Its visitors must agree to behave like robots,” (205). In modern society, we often engage in passivity. Waiting in line at Disneyland is one example of this, but we often subscribe to behavioral norms in our day-to-day life. Think about driving in lanes down the road. What about walking through a mall? Have you noticed people mimic the traffic lanes when walking from store to store? Society is a very controlling environment. Passivity doesn’t just exist just at Disney. 

“Disney has been exalted as the inviolable common cultural heritage of contemporary man; … Disney is the great supranational bridge across which all human beings may communicate with each other,” (110). This had to be the most interesting quote we discussed during class. In part, the intrigue lies within the dual interpretation of this quote. To some, this quote is a highlight of hope. They see words with positive connotation, such as exalted, and believe this quote is crediting Disney for their impact on society. To critical thinkers, this quote is unsettling as it points to a worrying truth. Disney’s size and reach has made it near impossible to avoid coming into contact with their metanarrative. A single organization has a metanarrative that influences how a large portion of the world views women, romance, class, as well as many other areas of our modern life.