Response to Janet Wasko's "Challenging Disney Myths"

Janet Wasko supposedly debunks the myths surrounding Walt Disney through "political economic analysis with historical, cultural, and audience research". However, I beg to differ. I find Wasko's piece an over-exaggeration and over-analysis of Disney. The first assumption that Wasko attempts to demystify is Walt Disney's role as a creative genius solely responsible for the success of his company. Her arguments include defamation of Disney's character/personality traits and family life - most of which are irrelevant in addressing the myth she is debunking. There is no denying that the huge success of Disney should be attributed to Walt Disney himself. Yes, there were others who helped him along the way, but same can be said about any corporation that achieves success. Facebook, Apple, YouTube were not the products of one man's work. Ultimately, Disney played the vital role in leading his franchise to success.

The second myth Wasko challenges is that Disney is a "unique and different company". She argues that Disney is just another profit-motivated corporation. I think this is common sense - of course it wants to make a profit! Disney has a great marketing strategy and its characters have a timeless appeal to children. This is why the empire is so expansive and includes consumer products, theme parks, media networks, and studio productions.

Wasko's analysis of the next three myths become weaker. For example, she asserts that women are portrayed as "weak, pristine, and incapable of independent action". She names Snow White as one of the examples of a female Disney character showcasing these traits. However, this is reading too much into a character. Snow White is a princess and she exhibits feminine qualities; I highly doubt that young children who watch Disney films are analyzing her character.

Overall, I was entertained by Janet Wasko's piece, but I soon grew tired of her anti-Disney arguments (which were at times weak and overstretched). Personally, I thought she was very negative throughout her article. Maybe watching some Disney movies would do her some good.