Thursday, December 9, 2010

8

As explained in Grossberg’s article, political economy is focused on a production driven method whereas cultural studies give consumers more credit. The Mouse Trapped 2010 video stresses on the employee’s issues with their income. They clearly have a problem and disagree with the wages they are given by Disney but explain that they will not leave because they love it. Political economy plays a big role in this video because Disney is a production and money drive organization. Disney emphasizes on the centrality of material interest (economy) and the use of power (politics) to protect and enhance that interest. One woman expresses that “Disney has always told us… it’s us that make the company and I believe that it is it is an accurate fact but if it is us who make the company why does not the company reciprocate and pay their people the wages that they know they deserve” which directly relates to Grossberg’s argument that cultural studies “does not deny that they are sometimes supped, that they are sometimes manipulated, that they are lied to (and believe the lies, sometimes knowing they are lies).” This quote can directly relate to both videos because for the Mouse Trapped video, the employees of Disney are those being manipulated by powere; whereas, in the Mickey Mouse Monopoly, the viewers and audience of Disney’s productions are those being “duped”. The Mickey Mouse Monopoly heavily focuses on “childhood culture.” Grossberg’s article says that “[cultural studies] often recognizes that pleasure can be manipulated by or at least articulated to repressive forms of power and existing structures of inequality” this supports the arguments in the Mickey Mouse Monopoly regarding issues of race (dark villains). Through cultural studies Disney is showing inequality through characters in their productions; Disney manipulates its audience and portrays racism and violence through their productions.

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