Branded a "cultural Chernobyl" and the "tragic kingdom," the Euro
Disney Resort has been on its own thrill ride since opening in
1992. The much publicized version of the Magic Kingdom gave
Europeans alcohol-free "mocktails," surly employees, even colors
too muted for the Disney image. Facing financial disaster, was it
any wonder that Disney execs found themselves wishing upon a star
for answers?
After so many knee-jerk criticisms of Euro Disney, this book
combines firsthand experience and research to shed new light on
claims that the park is nothing more than a form of American
cultural imperialism. Andrew Lainsbury, a former Euro Disney
employee who knows what the park meant to its visitors, goes beyond
media bites and academic scorn to examine Europe's love/hate
relationship with Euro Disneyland and some of the undiscussed
issues surrounding it.
"Once Upon an American Dream" is a story of global capitalism on
a grand scale. Lainsbury has plumbed company archives and
interviewed key players to give readers the real view from Le
Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty's Castle). He
cracks open the Euro Disney controversy to reveal the park not as a
tragic experiment in exporting American culture but the result of
European efforts to import a popular form of American
entertainment.
Lainsbury tells how the Walt Disney Company came to build a
European park and locate it in France, how political negotiations
affected its design and development, how it was promoted to
continental audiences, and what caused its widely publicized
financial woes before being rescued by a real prince from Saudi
Arabia. He reveals what it took to win back the hearts of skeptical
Europeans-such as serving wine, selling flashy merchandise, and
placating disgruntled workers. Finally, he looks into the magic
mirror to speculate on the role of Euro Disney and the Walt Disney
Company in the twenty-first century.
Ultimately, Lainsbury shows that cultural imperialism is not an
exclusively American phenomenon but a global corporate
strategy--and that global corporatism, by needing to be responsive
to consumers, is so complex that it may not be as monolithic as
feared. "Once Upon an American Dream" is a fairy tale for our
times, reminding us that, for all the critical huffing and puffing,
the creation and marketing of pleasure is what Euro Disneyland is
all about.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
