Overview
Since the 1930s, the Walt Disney Company has produced characters, images, and stories that have captivated audiences around the world. How can we understand the appeal of Disney products? What is it about the Disney phenomenon that attracts so many children, as well as adults? In this updated second edition, with new examples provided throughout, Janet Wasko examines the processes by which the Disney company – one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world – continues to manufacture the fantasies that enthrall millions. She analyses the historical expansion of the Disney empire into the twenty-first century, examines the content of Disney’s classic and more recent films, cartoons and TV programs and discusses how they are produced, considering how some of the same techniques have been applied to the Disney theme parks. She also discusses the reception (and sometimes, reinterpretation) of Disney products by different kinds of audiences. By looking at the Disney phenomenon from a variety of perspectives, she provides an updated and comprehensive overview of one of the most significant media and cultural institutions of our time. This important book by a leading scholar of the entertainment industries will be of great interest to students in media and cultural studies, as well as a broader readership of Disney fans.
Full Product Details
Author: Janet Wasko (University of Oregon)
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Imprint: Polity Press
Edition: 2nd edition
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.60cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.680kg
ISBN: 9780745695631
ISBN 10: 0745695639
Pages: 316
Publication Date: 07 February 2020
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
This landmark text is the most comprehensive and expansive analysis of the Disney phenomenon. Wasko traces the historical formation of the 'Disney universe' and how changes in corporate organization, transformations in product content, extensions to the company's global footprint, and new expressions of audience activity, come together to produce today's 'Disney multiverse'. Paul McDonald, King's College London Understanding Disney provides a clear and comprehensive account of how Disney's corporate structure, priorities, and drive for profits shape the company's media products, theme parks, employment policies, and cultural impact on a global basis. She lays bare the economic dynamics hidden behind 'the wonderful world of Disney' in a manner both fair and balanced. Eileen Meehan, Southern Illinois University
"""thorough and comprehensive"" European Journal of Communication"
Author Information
Janet Wasko is Professor and Knight Chair in Communication Research at the University of Oregon.
