I never questioned Disney growing up. I mean, why would I?
It was kind of always just there, and by “there” I mean everywhere, and it also
was a source of entertainment. Even as a teenager, when I first became curious
and passionately looked for details to hate or criticize anything I viewed to
be lame, I still never thought to ever criticize Disney. Looking back on it
now, I wonder if Disney’s omnipresence and role in every child’s life from
basically the time they are born explains this phenomenon.
It wasn’t until I saw that class that I realized Disney
could even be criticized. They have such positive media portrayal and Disney
stock has been on a steady incline since their initial public offering. While
reading a Henry Giroux article for this class, I got my first real glimpse to
the true colors of Disney. The article is titled “How
Disney Magic and the Corporate Media Shape Youth Identity in the Digital Age”
and it condemns Disney’s corporate greed and the scarily broad reach of its
products and advertisements. Disney is everywhere, they own ESPN, Marvel
Entertainment, Pixar, ABC, and many other media companies. Their ubiquitous
presence is shocking and somewhat concerning. With such influence, they
essentially have the power to brainwash us, and I think they partially have
already.
Last week I posted
about the announcement of Disney’s intent to buy Twitter, one of the most used
social media platforms in the world. While I didn’t express much feeling in my
blog post, I must admit that I am terrified. On top of that, today while going
through the news I see that rumors are swirling that Disney has interest on
purchasing Netflix. Netflix is an entertainment company that streams television
and movies, both old and new. The influence of Netflix on society can be seen
through the over 80 million users worldwide. The site I read an article off of,
Investor’s Business Daily, says that an acquisition of Netflix wouldn’t happen
for several years. Speculation is that when Disney’s television and film deal
with Netflix expires in three years, it makes sense for the company to acquire
Netflix. Netflix is such a daily part of millenials day to day life, especially
here at Duke. At Duke we aren’t provided with cable and Netflix is one of our
few sources of media streaming. Such an acquisition would just further expand
Disney’s empire and would make Disney essentially unescapable.
While Disney has only
announced intent of purchasing Twitter and while a potential Disney acquisition
of Netflix is merely a speculation, it is very plausible that both investments
happen. The Motley Fool published an article written by Jamal Carnette that’s
title claims Disney is “the most successful acquirer ever”. Carnette references
past Disney purchases such as ESPN, Pixar, and Marvel and presents many
statistics backing Disney’s success with these acquisitions. The results are
irrefutable. After reading such articles I cant help but fear that Disney’s
ability to brainwash society will only increase.
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