Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Reflective Post #2

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.


Links To Articles:
http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/05/disney-may-be-the-most-successful-acquirer-ever-he.aspx
http://www.investors.com/news/technology/click/netflix-rises-on-new-buy-rating-as-acquisition-rumors-swirl/ 

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