We talked about how Disney perpetuates many stereotypes about race and gender, but we didn't talk too much about how these stereotypes are exported to different parts of the world. Disney is a truly global brand, and little girls from Boston to Beijing to Bangkok scramble to the mall to get their latest Disney gear. The effects of this are really amazing. People all over the world know who Mickey and Mini are, but they never question why those brands exist where they live. Disney is the perfect example of cultural imperialism for it has not only conquered far away lands but convinced the people in those lands that they need Disney.
Your beliefs on the positives and negatives of this fact notwithstanding, I find it truly astonishing that Disney is so far reaching that there is scarcely a person over the age of 2 alive today who has never heard of Disney or seen one of their movies. I know that while I was in Chinese shopping malls, I saw many a 6 year old girl dressed in pink Disney gear, and many of the kids at the school I went to in Beijing had Disney stickers all over their Disney notebooks that they stored in their Disney backpacks.
At the same time that Disney is imposing its moral and cultural beliefs on people throughout the world, they are also profiting enormously on their widespread influence. When people buy anything Disney they are fueling this imperialism, a fact that Disney knows with pride and encourages with every new Disney store and Disney theme park they open in their locations on six continents and many many many countries.
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