Class Studies Disney’s Impact on American Culture Story by Cat Bloedow Photos by Andrea Medel & Caroline Wheeler
Mickey Mouse and The Happiest Place on earth have become symbols interwoven throughout American culture and are easily recognized. These icons, created or inspired by the famed animator and entrepreneur Walt Disney, were the basis for a new honors course this semester. Dr. Julia Pond, Associate Professor of English, taught the “Storytelling of Disney” class in the fall semester where students reflected on the impact Walt Disney had on American culture. Throughout Disney’s lifetime, he re-imagined stories that originated from other countries, which typically had sad endings. For example, Sleeping Beauty, in the original story, was a victim of assault in her sleep. Yet, Disney transformed a story of harm into one of love, where Sleeping Beauty’s prince rescued her from a deep sleep. Disney also took the world by storm after his creation of the animated character Mickey Mouse. Mickey became a cultural icon on television and in the art realm and was marketed world-wide. These symbols sell an American dream of a world of chances that has no limits. During class, students evaluated this topic and became more self-aware of the impact Disney had on their lives. Students researched, created, and gave presentations about Disney’s impact on music, literature, toys, amusement parks, cruises, magazines, and
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television. Thus, students became more selfaware of the wide range of impact that Disney and his creations have on American culture. Eva Cruz, a senior human services major, gave a presentation of the evolution of Disney Magazine publications throughout history. “I had the opportunity to show the class four different publications: Le Journal De Mickey (1935-Present), Disneyland Magazine for Beginning Reader (1971-1974), Picsou Magazine (1978-present), and the Mickey Mouse Magazine (1987-1993). These magazines were
Dr. Fabrice Poussin, Associate Professor of French and guest lecturer for the class, reenacts the character Linguini from the animated movie Ratatouille. Photo by Andrea Medel
