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tombomp's review against another edition
4.0
interesting book. definitely one of my favourite works off cultural studies I 've seen. written in an anti imperialist context it looks at how Disney comics uphold bourgeois ideas about where wealth comes from, for example,that support capitalist ideas in children. notably,Disney's treatment of indigenous populations is shown to be horrifying and completely support white saviour myths and romantic ideas of colonialism. also talked about is how Disney restricts childhood imagination to consumption and money,and the peculiar lack of women and mothers. it sometimes overeggs it a bit and could have done with more detail about the comic form particularly but it's definitely a fascinating work of cultural analysis that may not be essential or completely empirical but is a truly revolutionary look at media that's useful for anyone trying to make sense of media themselves
stateofchassis's review against another edition
4.0
Though I disagree with some of their interpretations of the comics, I think some could be read as satire, overall this is a well structured and interesting Marxist critique of the imperialist strains in Disney comics.
lenka_st's review against another edition
5.0
I may have power read it, but that doesn't mean it wasn't fascinating.
Ariel Dorfman writes a Marxist interpretation of Disney's Donald Duck comics while in exile from his native Argentina during the height of the Cold War.
The characters were all familiar with look a little less innocent after reading this, Disney has succeeded in creating a subtle and very dangerous tool of neo-colonial influence. IS NOTHING SACRED?!
Ariel Dorfman writes a Marxist interpretation of Disney's Donald Duck comics while in exile from his native Argentina during the height of the Cold War.
The characters were all familiar with look a little less innocent after reading this, Disney has succeeded in creating a subtle and very dangerous tool of neo-colonial influence. IS NOTHING SACRED?!
leelulah's review
3.0
Although the overreaction because of the excess of fantasy and the apparent defense of the capitalism in Disney comics is too notorious and sometimes it can be a source of hilarity, this book is perfect for all the people who want to understand the ways of popular culture and mass media theory in the 1970s.
Mattelart and Dorfman don't deny their marxist background and while they even reach the point of calling Disney an enemy of Latin America's society, some of the points are actually smart critique. I think somehow their own ideology makes them blind and the critique can be considered as a crazy idea to "destroy Disney". The authors "admit their difficulties to suggest a solution to the problem" and consider themselves "unable to brought it", but that is the major fault, maybe the weak point of the text.
If the actual culture that Disney gives to its public is a ridiculous parody of art, a method to brainwash kids and tell them of the american dream as the the american (and only real) way of life, if the perversion lying underneath the innocent creatures that the main characters of they stories pretend to be is real, then where's the exit? I think it's highly childish to pretend that there's a perfect way of art.
Taste is subjective and while the serialization of certain models and the repetition of certain schemes present in modern art (which is mostly done as a fast way to earn money like any other work, as fast as demanded by the public as opposed to the old art that also was a job, but wasn't that invaded by consumer society's rules) can result bothering, unoriginal, hopelessly fatal and make us think of a world in the way to ruin, it's also the content that the public asks for what determines how the art of the future is going to be (besides countless factors that can't be mentioned here).
They forgot that a well educated society in theory should demand for a more intelligent content. But what can you expect when parents don't seem to worry enough about children? Like Donald Duck can be "dangerous" for them so is TV and cultural industry in general in hands of a child that doesn't receive the adecuate parental guidance.
Mattelart and Dorfman don't deny their marxist background and while they even reach the point of calling Disney an enemy of Latin America's society, some of the points are actually smart critique. I think somehow their own ideology makes them blind and the critique can be considered as a crazy idea to "destroy Disney". The authors "admit their difficulties to suggest a solution to the problem" and consider themselves "unable to brought it", but that is the major fault, maybe the weak point of the text.
If the actual culture that Disney gives to its public is a ridiculous parody of art, a method to brainwash kids and tell them of the american dream as the the american (and only real) way of life, if the perversion lying underneath the innocent creatures that the main characters of they stories pretend to be is real, then where's the exit? I think it's highly childish to pretend that there's a perfect way of art.
Taste is subjective and while the serialization of certain models and the repetition of certain schemes present in modern art (which is mostly done as a fast way to earn money like any other work, as fast as demanded by the public as opposed to the old art that also was a job, but wasn't that invaded by consumer society's rules) can result bothering, unoriginal, hopelessly fatal and make us think of a world in the way to ruin, it's also the content that the public asks for what determines how the art of the future is going to be (besides countless factors that can't be mentioned here).
They forgot that a well educated society in theory should demand for a more intelligent content. But what can you expect when parents don't seem to worry enough about children? Like Donald Duck can be "dangerous" for them so is TV and cultural industry in general in hands of a child that doesn't receive the adecuate parental guidance.
plaidbrarian's review against another edition
2.0
It's an interesting enough idea - reading and examining the pro-imperialist leanings that may be present in South American Disney comics - but very dry if you're not the sort of person who is, you know, interested in things like South American imperialism. Decidedly not for me, but I'm still willing to give it a good ol' 2 star "it was okay" for the attempt.