In the animated world of Disney's films, monarchies replace democracy as the preferred forms of government, people of color are cast as either barbarous or stupid, and young Kate Moss-like waifs such as Pocahontas or Megasus in Hercules reaffirm the worst kind of gender divisions and stereotypes. Disney does more than spread its regressive, sanitized, corporate culture across North American and the far corners of the globe. More insidiously, it shamelessly uses its much-touted commitment to wholesome entertainment to market an endless array of toys, clothes, and gadgets to children. Beneath Disney's self-proclaimed role as an icon of American culture lies a powerful educational apparatus that provides ideologically loaded fantasies for children and adults alike. On the contrary, fantasy for Disney has no basis in reality, no sense of real conflicts, struggles, joys, and social relations.
Fantasy becomes a marketing device, a form of hype rooted in the logic of self interest and buying.
Disney's view of children as consumers has little to do with innocence and a great deal to do with corporate greed and the realization that behind the vocabulary of family fun and wholesome entertainment is the opportunity for teaching children that critical thinking and civic action in society are far less important for them than assuming the role of passive consumers. In its search for new markets and greater profits, Disney consistently and inventively finds ways of presenting its films, theme parks, and entertainment offerings as objects of consumption rather than spheres of participation. Art in the Magic Kingdom becomes a spectacle designed to create new markets, commodify children, and provide vehicles for merchandizing its endless array of toys, gadgets, clothes, home accessories and other commodities. Disney's ability to use films and other forms of children's entertainment as launching pads for a vast array of toys can be seen in how films such as The Lion King , Pocahontas , and more recently, Hercules , are used as a pretext to convert J.C. Penny, Toys R Us, McDonald's, and numerous other retailers into Disney merchandising outlets. But the real commercial blitz will be centered in Disney's own marketing and distribution network which includes the Disney Store, the Disney Channel, Disney magazine, Disneyland, and Walt Disney World.