0:00 Hey guys! Happy New Year~ I almost set off party poppers.....right now like I almost did. But if you guys watched my Halloween spooktober stream you would know that party poppers were a mistake, because the glitter.... I'm still finding it in my carpet. I really am, and it's just insane. But I still want to set them off like every freaking day.
Yes, Happy New Year but new year but I'm still using fall mugs because I am just a sucker for it. So as you can see, we got a new setup here, because I convinced myself that maybe it'll be better if I'm farther from the camera. And I have my little notes here and everything so so so maybe I'll look into the eyes of All of You Beautiful People much more... or maybe it will be just as weird. Who knows. But we're gonna figure that out today. Let me know what you guys think of this whole new setup here.
1:06 So, I am so glad you guys came to Adventure with me today! So here on Reese Grey Analyzes we look at creations and experiences and art, media, music, and even video games... to explore exactly why we think the way we think question what we believe and learn something new! So let's learn about what Disney's does so well to make us feel so entranced, impressed, and just in-Magic-ed? It's not a word, but that's what they do, right? We're going to be focusing on three main parts to unpack what gives Disney its magic. So one we have 1.) anthropology 2.) architecture and 3.) how Disney monetizes cultural phenomenon. We're going to be talking about Disneyland which is branded the happiest place on Earth... but why? What about the Park's aesthetic makes people so happy? What makes people feel so good when they're there? And basically, What gives Disney its magic? So let's jump into the mixed messages of the Disneyland aesthetic!
2: 13 So what does Disney want you to feel? And what does Disney represent itself as? So Disney Parks represent themselves as 1.) family entertainment 2.) an enormously complex and sophisticated work of popular art and 3.) having obvious corporate interest. Now when we're talking about the Aesthetics of Disney I'm not just talking about the overall Vibes and what it looks like. Aesthetics is actually a branch of philosophy devoted to the concepts of theoretical inquiry into art. So in this case, the practice of experiencing the Disney theme park and the activities of both the people who have created the experience of the park and the people who are immersed into the experience. So the customers or as Disney calls them guests, so the creators and the guests and how the art exhibits itself and exists in itself.
3:08 Starting with anthropology, at the risk of sounding extremely pretentious and annoying... Let's just jump into anthropology. What did they have to say about Disney's Magic? An anthropologist studies human beings and their ancestors through time and space in relation to their environment. So you might think that kind of just sounds like sociology, but anthropology involves the comparison of different Societies in order to understand the scope of human cultural diversities. For instance, a group of school children in Japan might reacted differently to a Disney park than a group of school children in the United States because of cultural differences. So not basically how humans just act within groups but how their actions are influenced by their culture and answer anthropologists actually had a lot to say regarding the opening of the first Disneyland park. So the first Disney park opened in the 60s in California. And these American culture critics first criticized the Disney park as being a representation intended to blur the distinction of reality and fantasy. So basically they describe Disneyland as a cultural playground for social interactions where people were pretending to be characters and pretending to be involved in this world in culture that did not exist. So in research done by an architect Charles Moore, he argued that American culture has little tradition in rules for interaction and Disneyland works as a public space where people through play acting were able to engage in social interactions and respond to a public public environment which never existed in Los Angeles. And you think...yeah I mean that's the point of Disneyland to just pretend and play right? Well that's where ethnologist Alexander Moore in his 1980s research agreed with Charles Moore the architect saying that Disney was a place where visitors could compensate for the gradual disappearance of other communal experiences such as organized religion and obligatory rituals through just going to Disneyland through this ritualized play he calls it. This is so interesting to me that Alexander Moore argues that there is this human need for a communal experience and because there is a lack of communal experiences and communal culture in the United States compared to other places for instance East Asia because American culture is a very individualistic culture and instead of using things such as organized religion and obligatory rituals that Western culture lacks, Disney is a place that works to tick off that box for a human communal experience. And I was thinking well that's kind of nice if it checks off a cultural box that people you know sometimes have difficulty finding in their own lives but Moore argues that Disney works as a place where it commodifies this ritualistic and Community Driven behavior and it's commodified because you have to pay to enter you have to pay to consume their products and you have to pay for the entertainment. And now I don't think this play acting is meant to be inherently harmful or mal-aligned to any sort of agenda, but I think an awareness of this communal aspect being fulfilled is a large part of this Disney in the magic feel that you get when visiting the parks, and why at the wake of covid with the character interactions being much less why people didn't enjoy going to the parks as much. Especially from this American perspective and from a business standpoint commodifying an emotional experience that a culture lacks is pretty genius honestly.
7: 21 So I mean, what is Disney but a theme park. And a theme park is a place where people go to forget all their cares and enjoy leisurely activity, and just a diversion and escapism from everyday public places. So let's jump into the Disney architecture! So I was doing research on what Scholars had to say about Disney Magic, and there's a huge emphasis on Disney's architecture. And it gives the visitors this feeling of being transported. And that is a huge part of Disneyland's architectural aesthetic~ And I could attest to this after entering both the Disneyland park and the California Adventure Park, I felt very transported. And anyone who's familiar with LA knows that Disneyland is not representative of LA. Part of what determines an environment is the perception of the beginning and the end of that environment. And Disneyland defines its architectural boundaries really really well. So let's start with the entrance for example, when you first enter the park, there's this train that you can board immediately that will take you to various destinations around the park and it already gives you a sense that you are transported into a mini City itself, or a mini world separate with its own transportation. You enter the Disney Plaza to what is called "Main Street" with some shops and cafes and this is not intended actually to be a introduction to the park, but a place where when you leave you're able to collect memorabilia in consumables to commemorate your day in the park.
9:06 And the building scale size, even when you immediately enter Disneyland you're not swallowed by buildings. If you've ever been in cities such as Seoul Korea, or New York City, San Francisco to a small extent, you feel swallowed and small by your surroundings. Architecturally, Disney's Parks their scale of buildings is proportionate to the human body size so unlike being in a large city you don't feel swallowed by the size of the buildings but equal to them, and invited to experience everything. Even the stores are intertwined within each other, so instead of having to exit buildings and enter new stores, you are just swiveling through the stores in Main Street. And it leads to this feeling of continual movement though there are crowds you're continuously able to move.
10:00 And then as you get past the entrance and past Main Street, you're able to enter the themed areas. So each themed area is really well defined even in color scheme. The new Star Wars land has tons of Grays and spaceships Outdoors. And Carsland, are paved with actual roads and it looks exactly like Radiator Springs :) So each area stylistically is coherent internally and distinctive externally by both style and color. And there's also places where you can take targeted photo ops as well in the beginning of each themed world.
10:45 And my favorite my favorite part of this whole architectural scheme, are their temporal parameters disappear. This means that being in a Disney park affects your sense of time and the passage of time. Your temporal parameters are what makes you cognizant that it is morning, it is afternoon, it is evening. And aside from character show times, it is not clear what time it is by the park itself, as there are no clocks. And because the park feels ever moving and something is usually going on, on the street be it character meets or a little band or show you feel ever present because of the constant stimulus. Also, food, snacks, and restrooms have locations all over the park. So you can actually run on impulses and desire instead of a schedule. Giving you the opportunity to float along in this pressure-less though eventful temporal haze.
11:48 Now, if this sounds familiar, it is actually similar to the architecture of a casino. Where there are no clocks, there are constant sounds, and you're offered in passing--- drinks, you're even able to smoke inside the venue, so you do not have to leave at all, and you run off of impulse. And you're in this temporal haze. You don't really know how much time passed, what's going on, but you're just having a good time! It adds to that magical feeling, and this feeling that you're your decision making can run on impulse is a huge relaxation component to adults as well. Because you're usually set to where you have to be on work at a certain time, your lunch is a certain time, and so you're waiting for that time and then you're waiting to clock out. So of course, having to run on impulse and not worry about that can feel magical.
12:42 And the next temporal parameter, as we all know... amusement parks mean lines. And waiting the architecture of Disney lines are designed so that the tediousness is lightened by these detailed settings and backdrops. In their lines, the next event is hidden at a turn, so you have something to look forward to. You wonder what's coming next, even if you move through the line slowly. The actual end of the line or the ride itself cannot be seen unless you're about to board it. Their lines follow what's called a switch back pattern. Where lines can be commonly hidden by landscaping and constructed to either be lengthened or shortened based on the crowd of that day. And maybe if you are a frequent visitor of the parks, you kind of notice their little game... what's going on. But I went to Disney um like in my 20s, so I was like whoa what's happening next> What's around the bend? What's happening? So they tricked me, I don't know. So maybe other people are smarter, and they don't have this temporal haze as much as me... but it's very impressive to me.
14:00 Next, we have what a lot of people critique Disney on. Whenever they're critiquing Disney's aesthetic, is Disney's commodification of culture. So, we have Scholars that focus on more tangible qualities like architecture and we have other Scholars who study the social implications of the cultural phenomenon of this internationally acclaimed theme park. So, for example, scholar Umberto Echo from his book "travels in hyper reality" states that Disney uses the façade of entertainment in order to sell you something. Disney works as a toy house that invites us to enter but the interior is disguised as a supermarket where you buy but obsessively believe you are still playing.
14:47 Some ways Disney sells at the park are more subtle than others. But we have some obvious brand marketing, through their attractions at their Parks. So Autopia presented by Honda, that's where someone of any age, if you can reach the pedal you can drive a car. You can drive it around this bumper track, and it's really really cute and fun. It's so cute and funny to see a literal five-year-old behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz. Just freaking going at it. 10 miles per hour down that bumper car track. And those things are hard to to drive. I tried I was in the driver's seat, Thomas was in the passenger seat, and I'm like kept going like this, but they're like is no brake pedal? Or maybe there was? Like I don't know. Like it was really hard for me to drive that car. But anyway, Autopia presented by Honda is a great example of the guise of pleasure and wonder with the end goal being brand recognition. And consumerism it is what scholar morowski describes as a "consumerist fairyland" it's a unique situation where visitors are encouraged to take part in the Park's fictional environment that encourages real acts of consumption.
16:11 More than anything else, Disney stands as a physical space that exists for the purpose of spending money, of consumption. So inherently, everything that exists within Disneyland is converted into a matter for consumption. They're trying to sell you something, the entire time. Yes, they're trying to sell you a good time... but to sell you something. And that's all right. It's just that there needs to be an awareness there as well. Disney brings together families yes, but they're brought together into Disneyland as a unit of consumers. Human Experience is used by Disney to be commodified and sold to the public. Now, what brings us into this moral gray area is that they're also selling us products and experiences and characters that include ethnic Traditions, science and technology, and education.
17:11 For example, technological advancement is celebrated, and people are encouraged to interact with this technology as well. For example, the Spider-Man 4D web Slinger ride you physically use your arms to defend yourself from your enemies by shooting webs out of your arms on the roller coaster. And the new Star Wars ride we are tasked with this immersion that you are a prisoner of war and you're then trying to break out of prison, into this spaceship before you escape. And in It's a Small World ride the history of Nations is celebrated albeit very surfacely through this boat ride through the different cultures and Aesthetics of the world. And there's nothing wrong with these notions, but in trying to figure out the magic of Disney... I think that's it.
18:00 There's nothing fun and entertaining about having to defend yourself from enemies physically with webs, or breaking out of prison, or being a prisoner of war. There are really real conflicts between different types of people all over the world. People of different cultures, you know, it's not It's a Small World ride. People have real conflict around different cultures and can't seem to get along. But that's the magic of Disney. It's a place where people don't have to be afraid of the consequences of real life choices. And thoughts we can focus on what makes life wonderful and magical and simple, and ignore the rest. We can pretend like really scary situations, and really complicated situations... aren't so. And that's a really big critique that most Scholars have, and it's not meant meant to demonize consumerism as a whole. Demonize Disney, or Disneyland on a large scale. I think the Imagineers are brilliant. And once you're in that Park, and when you're watching any of these movies... you can tell that there is so much passion and love and care and true talent that goes into these creations of Disney's works.
19:20 And it's also fair to say that there is no human activity scientific or artistic or otherwise that can breathe air that is value neutral. Value and bias is created inherently by humanness and that is why the aesthetic of Disney that only began as a description of architecture really falls and rolls into this moral judgment of the Disney aesthetic. This realization of the cultural value of Disney isn't something that should make you uncomfortable, or sad, or afraid to experience that magic at all. It's something that is just true. That everything influences what you believe, and nothing exists without meaning, at all. and nothing is simply --- just entertainment. We're entertained by things for certain reasons, and I think the magic can be enhanced by that if you have an awareness of why something can tug at your heartstrings so much. Why something can make you feel so moved. An awareness of the why of our feelings is what gives us power to make more informed decisions while still consuming the things we want to consume at the theme park.
20:43 My question was what is the truth of Disney Magic? And is it even possible to define it, when after all the consumption of art is so subjective. There is no one true way to experience Disney Magic... but there is fact and how this so-called magic is presented to us. So although it's a subjective reality into which we breathe in the art how is it put in front of our face. And so we know that it's true that history and science and technology and Global Peace and interconnectivity of nations are commodified by Disney and fashioned to meet the appropriate social Norm requirements to then be sold to the public, right? So they're selling us these History Science and Technology yes, but they have to make sure that we want to buy into it. And ironically, though the consumerist agenda is where the magic comes from. Because Disney oversimplifies complicated issues in order to enact a sense of comfortable simplicity and wonder and excitement that we just want to buy into.
22:03 For example, It's a Small World comforts us by saying the world is small, and it's peaceful, and we are more alike than we are different, there's something to learn from everyone and every place has beauty as you can see in the ride. The very pervasive issues of fear of the other that's garnered through xenophobia immigration issues that are very real, it's then romanticized by this comfortable notion that people should be celebrated and appreciated even though the reality is that there is not only this National inequity within countries themselves, but there are also racial tensions that cross boundaries in writing a little boat between all of these different nations who are being shown To Us by dolls in different dresses--- is a huge oversimplification of real life. There is alarming Global inequity through the global division of labor, and human life is not valued equally but we can pretend that. It's a a Small World ride Works to blur the distinctions among the cultures by just geographical areas as well instead of an appreciation of the unique cultures and subcultures of each place.
23:34 Now, is that the responsibility of Disney to be as inclusive as they are--- like no. It's not. And I think a ride that showcases this this utopian suggestion that we should all look at the different countries of the world just in awe is wonderful and beautiful in itself. But if you think about how they are represented in their vague description, and no specific culture is really named. [The] It's a Small World ride doesn't work as an educational experience, it's more of like a feel-good thing. And this is something that can be described as this deliberate confusion and omission of the everyday realities that this ride exploits. Like that blurred line between reality and fantasy is being blurred by this ride so basically this ride Works to turn the world into a cartoon. Something that is just easily consumable.
24:40 Another thing Disney does really well through its attractions is it touts technological advancement as something that can lead to a Utopia, with movies such as Wall-E we see Disney even understands that technology does not have a limitless capacity for improving life, but Disney Works to make us believe that by inventing consumable experiences that are immersive desirable, and simple by acknowledging technological innovation isn't wholly positive, but anything is possible through love and Magic--- it makes the world just seem so magical. Because anything can be achieved through this belief in Magic. Disney teaches us that the world can be peaceful though there is conflict because magic is Limitless and solves problems. Which is such a comfort and this complicated uncomfortable world, and it feels really good to pretend and oversimplify issues where quote "Disney adults" can ignore real life consequences. And the emotions that come with decision making.
25:54 I think because Disney is so unique too, the expectations are easily subverted even if you have been to a theme park before. So for example, Disney's rides manipulate your senses--- so the best example of this is Space Mountain, where sites abruptly appear from darkness, and the significance of Disney's Magical environment appears by the subversion of your expectations all of your senses are forced to be used in ways that aren't usually used in other theme parks. Where 40 theater is combined into this overall experience of a roller coaster, in the 4D theater you're supposed to just lay back and be immersed yet in the Spider-Man ride you're tasked with shooting off webs, physically. Even the ride operators work to immerse you into the story of the ride such as new Star Wars ride where you're believed to be a prisoner of war and the ride operators treat you like it they're all like get in your room. And where other rides like it's a small world assert a cultural component that works to possibly educate a writer on worldly culture with this normative subjective American cultural message that people around the world are more alike than we think. So Disney Works to inform but subtly introduces moral judgments as well so even something as simple as it's a small world subtly introduces these ways that you should think of people in everyday life.
27:37 So then we're still left with the question; where does Disney Magic come from? Can I just buy a Lilo and Stitch doll and feel Magic? So, I don't think so. And here's why. There's this small street, that you walk down as well, before getting into the Disney parks in LA that's called "Downtown Disney" Which is free to anyone who wishes to go in that little space before Disneyland, so of course the merchandise isn't free you have to pay for the merchandise--- but you're free to walk down the street. There's no experiences, or attractions, no character interactions, and so you don't get that Disney Magic. And it makes it clear that Disney Magic is an atmosphere that you have to pay for in this theme park. And that's fair enough. But I bring it up to say that the atmosphere is truly cultivated with great care within the park. Those same feelings are not given at Downtown Disney.
28:34: So back to the architectural side of the argument. that lackadaisical temporal haze is not given in Downtown Disney--- because it's not as expansive and wondrous. Even with the sound of the Disney parks, they have speakers in bushes and in trees so you're constantly subconsciously like hearing these magical sounds as you walk around the park. So I think being able to hear those those fast-moving cars and random loud noises that may come from the streets of LA--- you know from being in the regular city, is obtrusive and distracting to the fact that you are not within the parameters of Disneyland yet. You're still in LA. You're still in Downtown Disney. And coming from someone who has very little Nostalgia of Disney, because I grew up in a sheltered extremely religious family, I agree with the notion that the lines blur between a reality and fantasy and I think think they are intentionally muddled to immerse you in this feeling of magic, but I don't think there's any malice there but whether this blurred line between reality and fantasy is a good or a bad thing is completely subjective and I do not believe there is a right answer so we're here to explore in which ways it could be a good thing or a bad thing.
30:06 But undoubtedly, growing up too ,I admittedly felt a type of bitterness towards Disney, because Disneyland isn't something that is attainable for most children because of economic status. Even if you live in California, living in California and going to school, I felt like everyone went to Disneyland, and it was normalized as a universal experience, something that you know--- kids just do. And I ended up feeling kind of embarrassed because I didn't get to go. And so I think kids who are either sheltered or have a low economic status where they can't afford to go to the Disney parks it causes this ostracized feeling towards like that group of kids--- yet it's this experience that is sold to children, but they're not the ones who have any control in doing this activity, and interestingly enough this expensive pricing is something that is not unique to the American Experience of Disney Parks--- it's something that Disney pretty much kept consistent with its overseas Parks as well.
31:26 For example, Shanghai China has been the most expensive Park between Tokyo Hong Kong and their mainland China Parks, sparking a lot of backlash in 2016 where a Shanghainese couple and a child would have to spend more than the monthly average of disposable income just for a one day visit. The cost for two parents one child admission to Disney would be 2 600 Yuan which is 400 USD per day and include(s) food, which I looked up in averages about forty dollars per meal at the Shanghai Park. I heard the Shanghai Park is really really cool and clean and I would like to to visit someday, but that pricing is wild.
32:16 And with how pervasive Disney media is, and that it has such a huge factor of nostalgia for so many people around the world, I think it's really important to break down how it makes us feel. And let me know how Disney has affected you in your life and childhood, I would love to hear your experience both for with Disney Parks, Disney products and Disney entertainment and movies. Let me know if it's been like a positive a negative and neutral you don't really care... you're more of a Nickelodeon kid, let me know.
32:56 Today's adventure was really really complex, and I wanted to talk just a little bit about my personal experiences going to Disneyland for the first time as an old person and bring up some larger discussions about Disneyland's aesthetic. Breaking down that feel-good feeling that came with visiting a Disney park and ask simple questions of what makes Disney feel magical and through this broad answer--- Disney just works to oversimplify complicated issues in order to enact a sense of comfortable Simplicity and wonder and excitement. And you know it's not a small world after all, it's a huge and complicated and nuanced world that children don't understand fully and adults want to escape--- and that's okay, and that being said that escape feeling that that feeling of want and need of leisure and you know Disney provides that and it's not something that is inherently evil because they can provide that mental escapism anything human made as mentioned is not free of bias, it's not value neutral. Something doesn't just exist for fun or for entertainment--- it makes us feel a certain way because of our experiences, it has value because we give it value. So why do we give it value?
And I really hope that you enjoyed exploring what makes Disney Magical with me today. And I can't wait for the next adventure, and Happy New Year you guys let me know let me know your goals in the comments or whatever.
Okay love you!!! bye <3 [Music] [Applause] [Music]