Question 8

Both Mouse Trapped 2010 and Mickey Mouse Monopoly are good examples of the different approaches of political economy and cultural studies. Political economy is based around economics and the power within different types of economies, which serves as the center of our world. Cultural studies on the other hand is just basically how culture shaped our world. In Grossberg's article he stated "certainly economic practices and relations determine the distribution of practices and commodities (although not entirely by themselves), but do they determine which meanings circulate and which do not? (page 631). Grossberg argues that political economy is not the basis that runs this world but a combination of both the Marxist perspective on political economy and cultural studies. Mouse Trapped 2010 and Mickey Mouse Monopoly both convey how the Disney corporation takes into account both political economy and cultural studies when contemplating how to gain power. In Mickey Mouse Monopoly they argue how Disney has become a “transnational media conglomerate” owning multiple TV shows, radio networks, magazines, sports team, theaters, ABC networks, etc.; therefore making Disney a major contributor to popular culture nationally. Due to the fact that Disney owns most of the media industries we watch on today, they have a large control of what our culture is exposed to as well as what our culture should not be exposed to. Disney has strongly affected much of our childhood. Disney is an unrealistic, fantasy world that sends hidden underlying messages to children that seem perfectly legitimate until one grows up and realizes the negative implications behind them. Henry Gioux, an American cultural critic stated , “Disney is the ultimate form of fantasy that never needs to be questioned.” It is also important to note that Disney has been able to impact our culture and our world so drastically because of political economy. Disney has maintained staying on stop by sacrificing the wages of their long time employees as explained in Mouse Trapped. Disney workers explain how they have to live paycheck to paycheck and have not every seen a raise even after working there for three years, while new employees will be hired at a higher wage. This information was shocking and so hard to believe that such a magical place like Disney can be so "unmagical" behind closed doors. Also, the company is so well off it does not make sense that they theme parks are unable to adequately pay their workers what they deserve considering they are the ones that help construct this entire Disney monopoly.