Question 8- Disney

Mouse Trapped 2010 and Micky Mouse Monopoly have many political economy and cultural studies elements in them. Grossman describes cultural studies as being related with race, gender, class and sexuality and the cultural meanings behind them (627). Mickey Mouse Monopoly describes how the images viewed by kids can shape what they think about the world later. They also describe how Disney is a culturally important company because of how kids were raised on it and how its a generational thing. In Mouse Trapped, one example of cultural studies is the cheese commercial and how the workers thought it was insulting that they are being compared to talking cheese. Grossman also described how cultural studies is very reliant on the self production of culture (629). This relates to both videos to how Disney is almost entirely reliant on its cultural aspect to be able to make money. The economic aspect of Disney is best described in terms of the Political Economy.

A major difference between cultural studies and political economy is that the political economy is neither stable nor closed (632). Political economy goes more into the economic, capitalistic issues regarding areas of interest. Mouse trapped has political economy influences because of how the employees describe how little they make every week. They describe Disney as this massive conglomeration that has the money to pay the employees, but they keep paying the employees far below what they expect to earn. In Micky Mouse Monopoly, the interviewers describe also how Disney owns so many areas of the entertainment industry and how it has so much power over people discriminating against Disney. One scene had a man get his book cover pulled because it had Mickey in a mousetrap. The monopoly that Disney has is analyzed by both films and are great ways to see how the political economy works.