I just returned from a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. A close association with The Mouse is often assumed because of my name however it's been eight years since my last excursion to Orlando. This was a complete vacation - no emails, no phone calls, no touching base with the office, and very few tweets.
The trip will be the subject of the next few blogs because I saw plenty of communication in a variety of forms and all of it was fascinating. Of course electronic and digital forms were plentiful and influenced much of what I encountered but that's not the whole story.
Probably no one pushes a brand better than the Walt Disney Company. Children are indoctrinated at an early age and the corporation works hard to make that carry through from generation to generation. Consider one grandmother's story about her daughter-in-law paying the one day park admission in order to get a photo of her newborn in Minnie's arms. The grandmother was beaming. If he were to hear about it, Bob Iger, CEO of the company, would be too.
In coming posts, I will consider how cast members responded to guests, how the corporation relates to its customers, and what was good or unfortunate in all the factors that combined for the show I observed. To top it all off, snow at O'Hare Airport provided an entirely new experience. Like I said, it was a very interesting eight days.
I'll take some time to reflect and compose my thoughts. Please stop by next week when I will begin the series.
Showing posts with label Mickey Mouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mickey Mouse. Show all posts
Monday, December 9, 2013
Thursday, November 5, 2009
What Are They Thinking?
You may have seen the news that the Disney Company wants to change Mickey Mouse. I have no problem with updating The Mouse. I have a huge problem with the attributes they have given him. Apparently the Disney Company is telling us that a cunning, selfish, and naughty Mickey is better than an honest, cheerful and friendly one. Good Lord – what does that say about the Disney Company and about us? Below are excerpts of the letter I sent today to Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
Per the New York Times, “Mickey won’t be bland anymore, either. I wanted him to be able to be naughty — when you’re playing as Mickey you can misbehave and even be a little selfish,” Mr. Spector said.”
Selfish? Naughty? Isn’t there enough of that in this world? Aren’t we in economic turmoil because people are selfish and naughty? It seems to me that Wall Street, Washington and board rooms are overflowing with “cantankerous and cunning.” We get enough “edgy” on the evening news. I think you’d better take a look at the Mickey frame shown on MSN.com today. His look isn’t edgy. It’s evil.
My family, including the teens, likes Mickey because he is NOT bad. He is honest, warm-hearted and cheerful – all attributes we wish were more plentiful in the world. What is next to the Harry Potter poster? A stuffed Mickey. What do you see on car antennas everywhere? Smiling Mickeys. Who gets the biggest hug when we go to Florida? Mickey.
Mickey can and should do new things – place him in new situations, have him use new technology. Mickey can street dance, he can text. He is static only because you didn’t pay any attention to him for years. Approving an evil Mickey is not the way to make us spend more money on him. I guarantee that we will not visit a cunning Mickey at Walt Disney World nor we will buy a game that features a selfish Mickey.
I strongly encourage you to rethink your vandalism. Mickey can be updated (we have a poster that shows his evolution) but do not make him just another slug in our society.
If you feel the same way, you might want to contact the Disney Company and tell them what you think. The mailing address is 500 S Buena Vista St, Burbank CA 91521
Per the New York Times, “Mickey won’t be bland anymore, either. I wanted him to be able to be naughty — when you’re playing as Mickey you can misbehave and even be a little selfish,” Mr. Spector said.”
Selfish? Naughty? Isn’t there enough of that in this world? Aren’t we in economic turmoil because people are selfish and naughty? It seems to me that Wall Street, Washington and board rooms are overflowing with “cantankerous and cunning.” We get enough “edgy” on the evening news. I think you’d better take a look at the Mickey frame shown on MSN.com today. His look isn’t edgy. It’s evil.
My family, including the teens, likes Mickey because he is NOT bad. He is honest, warm-hearted and cheerful – all attributes we wish were more plentiful in the world. What is next to the Harry Potter poster? A stuffed Mickey. What do you see on car antennas everywhere? Smiling Mickeys. Who gets the biggest hug when we go to Florida? Mickey.
Mickey can and should do new things – place him in new situations, have him use new technology. Mickey can street dance, he can text. He is static only because you didn’t pay any attention to him for years. Approving an evil Mickey is not the way to make us spend more money on him. I guarantee that we will not visit a cunning Mickey at Walt Disney World nor we will buy a game that features a selfish Mickey.
I strongly encourage you to rethink your vandalism. Mickey can be updated (we have a poster that shows his evolution) but do not make him just another slug in our society.
If you feel the same way, you might want to contact the Disney Company and tell them what you think. The mailing address is 500 S Buena Vista St, Burbank CA 91521
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