The Disadvantage of A Good Reputation: Disney as a Target for Social Problems Claims

Abstract

Social scientists generally presume that a good reputation has advantages. Yet the Walt Disney Corporation, a firm that has long benefited from a reputation for producing wholesome popular culture, attracts more than its share of efforts to link it to various social problems. In particular, conservative moralists argue that Disney in fact produces morally questionable products, progressive critics claim that Disney's messages help preserve social inequities, and social scientists criticize Disney for fostering inauthentic and alienating entertainment. These claims are a form of blowback—negative reactions to the firm's positive reputation. While blowback makes it easier to construct social problems claims, a good reputation remains a significant resource in deflecting these criticisms.

“After Ever After”: Social Commentary through a Satiric Disney Parody for the Digital Age

“…Janet Wasko has focused on the power of the Disney name and its associated products, identifying its unique and recognizable style which is combined with a cultural importance that "cannot be emphasized" enough [5,6]. On a more focused note, scholars such as Kay Stone [7] and England et al [8] have looked at the role of the Disney princess, while Joel Best and Kathleen S. Lowney inspect the impacts of the Disney reputation for better and for worse [9]. The writings of other scholars including Kristian Moen [10] and Johnson Cheu [11] have also influenced this analysis.…”

“…8 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. 9 Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies is a 1997 non-fiction book by geographer and physiologist Jared Diamond that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1998 [22]. In reference to waterboarding.…”

“…In her essay "Some Day My Prince will Come: Female Acculturation through the Fairy Tale", Marcia K. Lieberman states that "[o]nly the best known stories, those that everyone has read or heard, indeed, those that Disney has popularized, have affected masses of children in our culture" (in [26], p. 15) The Disney Corporation has introduced stock characters through the mass commodification of characters in movies, books, songs, and other media. According to Best and Lowney, "[v]irtually all Americans-and much of the world's population-have been exposed to Disney's products" and in the public mind, the Walt Disney Corporation has come to be associated "with decent, family-oriented entertainment" ( [9], pp. 445, 433).…”

Who Cares for the Kids? Caregiving and Parenting in Disney Films

“…Company was able to maintain the association of "family-friendly" entertainment with the Disney name (Best & Lowney, 2009). …”

“…While conservatives have attacked Disney for distributing "morally questionable" material through its other production label, progressives suggest that Disney does not do enough to promote social equality among various minority groups within their films, and academics target Disney as providing an inauthentic experience by overly sanitizing their products (Best & Lowney, 2009). However despite these objections, of the top 5 major media conglomerates in the United States (including News Corp., Time Warner, Viacom and CBS), The Walt Disney Company tops the 2010 Fortune 500 rankings as the conglomerate with the most profit and revenue generated (Fortune 500, 2010).…”