Understanding Disney: The Manufacture of Fantasy

“Understanding Disney” offers a fascinating, authoritative overview, history and analysis of the Disney entertainment empire. Professor Wasko teaches at the University of Oregon where she is highly regarded as a media studies expert with over 20 books to her credit. This excellent 2nd edition of professor Wasko's book is recommended to serious-minded students who wish to think more deeply about the various meanings of Disney including its business practices, ideologies and cultural attitudes.Professor Wasko dedicates individual chapters about Disney’s history, business empire, corporate behaviors, ideologies, marketing practices and audiences. Throughout the book, Professor Wasko displays mastery for her subject with her astute overview, presentation and analysis. More than anything else, the author articulates diverse views in a fair manner. For example, we learn about Disney’s many fanatics, fans and foes including Banksy’s famous ‘Dismaland’ installation. We also learn about the legendary ‘synergistic’ marketing practices that the Disney corporation has perfected and which serve as a model for other businesses.Professor Wasko is sensitive to readers like herself who have fond remembrances of Disney as children. The author discusses the artistry that goes into creating a specific entertainment product that is readily identified as Disney. She talks about enthusiasts who structure life events around Disney with love, laughter and joy.However, professor Wasko does not shy from presenting a few of the more valid critiques of Disney. Examples include: criticism of the aggressive marketing and executive compensation practices that tainted the post-Walt Disney corporation with greed; the cultural and gender stereotypes that pervade the ‘Classic Disney’ library and which still constrain Disney’s artistry; profiting at Disney theme parks where underpaid (homeless) employees bite their lips and smile as affluent (and not so affluent) consumers overspend on food and merchandise; and so on.Reading professor Wasko, it seems to me that attempts to assign deeper meanings to Disney texts is severely limited. Disney is simply a corporation whose entertainment products are designed to condition a response that can be exploited through product and entertainment sales. Disney characters are calculated to mirror the aspirations of the audience at a particular moment in time. If Disney’s corporate marketers believe that more sales can be gained by changing the ethnicity of the characters, the storyline or the setting then Disney will do it. Profit is tantamount.The ‘Understanding Disney’ 2nd edition can be considered the definitive pre-COVID Disney study. Since then, Disney is being challenged by the COVID crisis like never before. It would be interesting to learn from professor Wasko what may come next for Disney as COVID shuts down Disney theme parks, cruise ships and theatrical films. COVID is testing Disney’s economic, cultural and political resources like never before. Hopefully, professor Wasko will be working on a 3rd edition of this excellent book to help us understand how Disney responds to the crisis.I highly recommend ‘Understanding Disney’ to everyone.

This is not a popular style book - it is written much more like a textbook to be used in a classroom setting. I really enjoyed reading it, and learning about the good and the bad of the "house of mouse" - especially how it has grown and structured to become an all-controlling source of fantasy in so many aspects. It clearly talks through the history of the company, including failures and successes. It explores some of the controversy surrounding the organization, including poor treatment of employees, pushing consumerism, and more.This is a good read if you're into a not puff-piece view of Disney and their successes and shortcomings.

I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.This is a surprisingly thorough book!From Walt Disney himself to Disney the brand and eventual conglomerate this book dives into the history and circumstances of all things Disney. It's a very academic book that explores how Disney buys up other brands and how much money flows into the corporation.It's an interesting look behind the curtain on how Disney became the worldwide giant we know it as today. It's a bit dense but you can take a lot from it.

I just started reading this book and cannot put it down. It is very interesting. This book is a must for any Disney lover. You are going to learn so much about Disney.

This book is awesome I have already started reading it and love it. If you are a Disney fan this is a must! Learning more and more and we can't get enough!

The content of this book is great. It’s thorough, organized, and informative. But the author’s smugness is distracting. There is a condescending tone throughout the whole book that is noticeable and sometimes distracting. The comments aren’t commentary on Disney’s shortcomings, but just small, unnecessary jabs sprinkled throughout the book that aren’t constructive nor add anything informative. Which is really unfortunate as the book is a great resource. It’s just unfortunate the author decided these comments were necessary.

This is the updated version of Janet Wasko's first edition of Understanding Disney from 2001, and therefore includes comparisons and analysis of how Disney has evolved on certain topics in their movies not only over the course of the 20th century, but also over the last two decades. I recommend it to anyone who needs a more research-based take on Disney rather than an ideological one.

Ich habe das Buch für meine Facharbeit besorgt und es war sehr hilfreich. :D