How The Heck Did They Get That Hat On Dopey?

[fj]

"How The Heck Did They Get That Hat On Dopey?", Nokia N73, Los Angeles County, 2006

I had to be on the lot today to get a security sticker for 2007. I do not remember having been there since my indcution day, as DM is in another building, some miles away in North Hollywood.

I spent last night listening to the evils of the Disney theme park experience as detailed by some smart modern people. I am glad I went to the lot today, and spent some time in the square of Disney legends, looking at the plaques and statues; sometimes I like to reconnect to the love and creativity and the massive amounts of childhood memories that lie at the basis of this company, below all the merchandising and market opportunities and cynical people deriding it.

Comments

[jss]

Most likely: With a cherry picker.
Less likely, still possible: Rappelling from the roof.
Unlikely: D*sn*y magic.

[biaggi.livejournal.com]

Ever read a book called _Inside the Mouse: Work and Play at Disneyworld_? Somewhat cynical in its loathing of Disney labor practices and in its implicit insistence that we're all duped consumers taking in and liking only whatever the mouse tells us to, but interesting nonetheless, even if only because of the inexplicable enjoyment it can't account for.

[fj.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't read it.

You know what, walking around the plaza I came across the plaques for Ashman & Menken. We can be as derisive as we want about facts like that the park character costumes come with their own underwear, but at the basis of the chick wearing a yellow parody of a ballgown and responding to the name Belle while she walks in the park is a piece of heartbreaking craftsmanship, and that castmember is making the children in that park happy when they get to walk up to her.

Incidentally, who knew Ashman wrote the Simpson parody of his own song?

[fj.livejournal.com]

Then again, considering he was already dead in 95, maybe he got the credit because he wrote the original music.

[frstythesnowman.livejournal.com]

I read Fast Food Nation, I went to 9/11 (the movie my Michael Moore), I heard first hand from my sister in the 1970s about farm workers in California taken advantage of {and there's lots of that in FFN--Mexicans gettting maimed for $8/hour...which is as much they'd earn in a day), and I heard Robin Williams got paid low low wages to do Alladin, and on and on...

And it all comes down to this: business people will take advantage of any makret they can. For many of little means, this implies they'll be taken to the cleaners.

There is a recent movie about the coffee industry... the Sugar Blues will tell you about the Sugar trade in the Caribbean, the Hawaiians will tell you about the Sugar Cane industry in Hawaii... anywhere people are willing to work hard for litttle $, it is happening.

Look at all our clothes...made in China by someone who gets paid a pitttance.

Shirts that cost $100 US in the stores earn the garment makers next to nothing, and next to nothing for cloth makers too...

Disney is a corporation and corps goals are to make $. That's all. Some have a soul and public interest...but I'd bet not many. Corps do have fear of boycotts though... and so have an interest in appearing "good".

Yay white hats!

[foodpoisoningsf.livejournal.com]

Grumpy and Happy, giving new meaning to the term telemon (the female form of caryatid.)

[fj.livejournal.com]

All seven of them are there. There's actually a meaning to having them be the telemon (thanks for the word!) for the main headquarters there: the lot was purchased with the profits from Snow White.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

telemon (the female form of caryatid.)

I assume you meant "male" -- caryatids are female.

[foodpoisoningsf.livejournal.com]

Thanks, mon.

[jwg.livejournal.com]

Dumbo, the flying elephant.

[frstythesnowman.livejournal.com]

Or Peter Pan! Or ... Tinkerbell! ;)

[frstythesnowman.livejournal.com]

Or the djinni from Alladin!

[e-ticket.livejournal.com]

There is plenty to criticize of the Disney company. But IMHO, there is much more to praise overall, for their legacy of creative expression and the democritization (and gentrification into younger audiences) of art and magic.

I'm all for critical dissection -- the books VINYL LEAVES and MOUSE UNDER GLASS and DARK PRINCE OF HOLLYWOOD are all well worth reading. But, like any book, they shouldn't be your only mantra about Disney. Disney is a confluence of its positive and negative sides, which is why it fascinates us so (and why smart modern people are confounded by its popularity and thus can only criticize it).

[allanh.livejournal.com]

One of the most profound experiences I've ever had was the "Backstage Magic" tour at Disney World several years ago. I was prepared to feel highly cynical, but as we moved through the backlots, and saw various shops and projects in progress and talked with different employees, exactly the opposite happened.

The backlots and shops were filled with people who were genuinely excited about the projects they were working on. One craftswoman working on a highly detailed costume told us, "I can get a job doing alterations work anywhere, but most consumers don't care about high-quality textile work any more. Here, I'm working on custom wedding gowns and show costumes that require incredible amounts of fine detail. This kind of work is nearly impossible to find outside of the [Disney] studio. I'm making stuff I actually *care* about." And she meant every word. Almost every person on our tour - including the guide - was nearly in tears after listening to her.

I'm sure there are gimlet-eyed profiteers lurking in dark corners somewhere in Disney. But I think most of what the company does is pretty special.

[jpeace.livejournal.com]

Hating Disney is like hating water.