Reading Analysis (Under the Sign of Mickey Mouse & Co.)

Ryan Lubell

April 28, 2013

Instructor Stacey Knapp

Reading Analysis

In the article titled, Under the Sign of Mickey Mouse & Co., the author, Todd Gitlin divulges into his opinion on corporate America. Gitlin discusses how American popular culture has infiltrated countries all over the world and infested them with popular American icons such as Disney. In today’s culture, entertainment is one of the of the worlds top exports. Gitlin explains his point of view of corporate American when he states, “Everywhere, the media flow defies national boundaries” (Gitlin). What Gitlin is stating is that, no matter who or where someone is, if they have access to a computer with an internet connection, they can gain access to knowledge their government may or may not want them to be in possession of.  Gitlin gives examples of how no matter where a person is in the world, if they ask a random person if they know what coke-a-cola is, there is a one hundred percent chance that random person will know what they are talking about. Although these evil corporations are supplying American products, which society foolishly buys into, that is only the first half of it. With all the supply that these corporations are pumping into stores across the country, comes a demand from the buyers. People all over the world not only recognize the products American corporations are selling, but they demand and want it to be in their possession.

Gittlin has a valid point with how insane advertisement and social media has become in today’s culture. I agree with Gittlin that American corporations are greedy and will stop at nothing to study children in order to figure out how to sell the most amount of product in the least amount of time. It is ridiculous major corporations hire top scientists in order to maximize the potential of selling their products.  I remember being a child, how excited I would be when I would watch television and there would always be some advertisement directed toward me to buy some stuffed toy or game. I would immediately demand my parents to buy this certain toy otherwise I would be miserable for the rest of my life. The way this certain advertisement impacted my emotions was no accident. Major corporations direct advertisements at children to maximize the potential of selling a certain item, and it happens all the time, all over the world. Many parents have a hard time saying no to their children, especially when they have had a long day and their child is screaming and crying in their ear over some toy, and its not worth arguing over! Many parents find themselves giving in to their children desperately craving a toy from the television when they are tired and fed up. Corporate America has slowly but surely taken over the “media” world and will not stop until they have taken every asset they can.