Smiley Face - Dorfman and Mattelart

In my CMC 200 class, a few weeks ago we read a historical research article on Disney and it's re-writing of history through its depiction of what Corporate Disney considers 'important' about history. This subsequently lead to any part of history that went against the American Image. From this article came the critical perspective of the damaged social health of Disney onto society, which I feel is a similar issues being portrayed in this article by Dorfman and Mattelart. This article sparked my interest in the realms of Disney with confronting the characters used and the role of children's literature in the construction of hegemony and ideology at an early age.
I, for one, will openly admit that I was a Disney child and spent much of my childhood vacationing in Disney World and watching all the movies three times over. Therefore I am intrigued to discover the depiction of family roles when visiting the parks or even enjoying the Disney Media. Children's literature is made out to mirror the child's imagination and how it is unrestricted with the rules and regulations of life that children later learn as they grow up. On the other hand, the article suggests that the importance of Dinsey and children's literature as a genre and culture industry is of more importance to the parents and adults than the children. I like the quote "the imagination of the child is conceived as the past and future of the adult" (127) because it clearly shows how adults wish to regress back to that stage of wonder and amazement. Comparing the experiences I had at Disney World as a child to now, I am now certainly not so mesmerized as I was as a child because I have now learned of life and reality (though I am still questioning the meaning of that word).
Overall, the society's social health is being hindered and helped by Disney. While Disney shaped history to their consumerist goals it furthermore reflects on the relationship of adults and children to therefore reflect on the importance of the development of the child's imagination into a corporation.