The Emperor's Old Groove: Decolonizing Disney's Magic Kingdom

Disney's attempt to validate multicultural diversity may appear to be a worthy, even admirable, endeavor. However, the contributors of this book argue that the Disney company's version of multiculturalism is really the same « old groove--a surreptitious colonizing force that manipulates the psychological, cultural, and political identities of consumers, predominantly children. Demystifying the mechanisms and ideals through which Disney manages public values and expands its empire of illusory American culture, "The Emperor's Old Groove interrogates animation role models that perpetuate insidious racial, cultural, and gender stereotypes.

Brenda Ayres is Associate Professor of English at Middle Georgia College in Cochran, Georgia