Disneyisation and Baudrillard's descriptions of simulacra (NO SIM CITIES/SECOND LIFE) Flashcards
What are examples of parks based on historical figures and heritage recreation?
Ironbridge - a recreation of a Victorian town
Dickens World - A Victorian experience with Tiny Tim acting as tour guide
What are examples of parks based on fantasies and myths?
Universal’s Islands of Adventure - 5 themed areas including Medieval Europe and Mythical Greece
Mount Olympus water and theme park - Based in Greek mythology, fit with Hades roller-coaster, Atlantis water coaster and a Trojan horse go-kart track
Define Disneyfication
Disneyfication is the process of transforming something into a simplified, family-friendly form. It is a term that is often used negatively to describe the sanitisation of both history and literature, by glossing over undesirable elements such as death
What is a good example of a quote on Disneyfication?
“Magic, mystery, individuality, were consistently destroyed when a literary work passed through this machine that had been taught there was only one correct way to draw.” Richard Schickel, ‘The Disney Version’
What does Bryman want to highlight in particular, when it comes to Disneyization?
That although Disney may have honed the art of the principles, it is actually part of a wider phenomenon that predates the Disney theme parks themselves.
What are the four features of Disneyization?
1) Theming
2) Dedifferntiation of consumption/hybrid consumption
3) Merchandising
4) Emotional labour
What are potential sources for themes?
Places - cities or nations Time - history or nostalgia Music - genres or bands Cinema - genres, stars or films Fashion - clothes or models Commodities - cars or motorcycles Literature - authors or characters
What is hybrid consumption?
Hybrid consumption is the interlocking of different forms of consumption in the same place e.g. a bookshop with a cafe in it too. The aim is to create a destination, encouraging visitors to stay longer and spend more.
What is merchandising?
Merchandising is the promotion and sale of goods that bear copyright images and logos.
What are the two significant points in relation to theme parks as merchandising sales-points?
1) Theme-parks as sellers of merchandise for it’s parent company, in this case, Disney. This is a major revenue generator for the parks, and therefore the parks are designed in a way that influences the consumer to buy their merchandise
2) Theme-parks also provide their own merchandise (e.g. Tower of Terror shirts)
Why is merchandising an important element of Disneyization?
It is highly lucrative. Take for example the film industry, it is no longer uncommon for big budget movies to make more in merchandising revenue than their box office sales. Star Wars has apparently made $32 billion in merchandising revenue alone since the first movie came out in 1977, compared to a $6.2 billion box office revenue. The first ‘Cars’ movie made $10 billion in merchandising sales alone by 2011.
What are examples of merchandising successes within the field of Disneyization?
1) Hard Rock Cafe and the wide-range of merchandise they have (merchandise can account for between 30% to 50% of sales per location). Ability to access the gift shop without needing to eat or drink at the actual restaurant itself. Sales of own-line merchandise acts as a self-referential statement for the restaurant
2) Football clubs also sell their own merchandise, most notably the team’s strip. There isn’t even the need to attend a show in order to buy the shirt.
What is emotional labour?
The deliberative display of a mood that is seen as part of a service, based on the application of scientific management and Fordist culture in the workplace. It relies on scripted performances and relates to how we are dealt with and managed by customer service workers. Employee performance implies that they are “having fun too and therefore not engaging in real work”.
What does Baudrillard mean when he says history and time disappear into a ‘punctual and uni-dimensional time’?
That history only exists as cellular individual events that lack any kind of historical context.
What do theme parks and heritage entertainment sites do?
They create a type of virtual universe/4th dimension where authenticity, truth and reality are irrelevant, and the main focus is enjoyment through the act of consumption
