Class Studies Disney’s Impact on

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 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

designed to teach and entertain as well as promote the American brand. Unfortunately, the advancements of the Internet, television, and gaming have brought a slow death to the magazine in the United States,” Cruz said. Rin Richardson, a senior interdisciplinary studies major, took this class because she wanted to understand more about how Disney impacted her from early childhood to the present. Richardson learned that Walt Disney domesticated fairy tales into American ideals, which impacted many areas of life. For her project, Richardson focused on how the Disney Brand has impacted the food industry. She testified to having been influenced by Disney when she purchased a Mickey Mouse waffle maker and also created staple food items like Dole Whip, a famous dessert sold at the Walt Disney World theme parks. Walt Disney was the epitome of the American Dream. What many people do not know is that Disney, like other American entrepreneurs, failed multiple times to achieve his dreams. Disney’s philosophy of Dream, Believe, Dare, and Do were eventually achieved because of his continued efforts and desire to succeed. The most notable lesson Richardson learned from this course was about Disney’s motivation and desire to keep moving forward. “As amazing as Walt Disney made the company, he went bankrupt three times before, which reminds me that I can chase after my dreams even if I fail, “ she said.”

Eva Cruz, a senior human services major, and Jackson Wheatley, a senior chemistry major, enjoy Dr. Fabrice Poussin’s, Associate Professor of French, Linguini re-enactment from the movie Ratatouille. Photo by Andrea Medel

Pictured on top from left to right: Jared Ivey, Jessi Stallings, Rin Richardson, Kelly Vernon, Chloe Gray, and Jan Kos

Pictured on bottom from left to right: Jackson Wheatley, Eva Cruz, Leah Figueroa, Ava Bowman, Isabel Borgers, and Dr. Julia Pond

The Disney Honors class continues to learn about the lasting impact Walt Disney has on the world.