Essay on the techniques that Disney uses in “Hercules” to promote consumption in children
It was once true that the center of gravity of the phenomenology of a Hollywood film’s release was the film itself. The focus on and celebration of the plot, storytelling technique, cinematography, direction, romance, action and subtext was the extent of the allure of films, and not an inconsiderable one at that. However, the 1970s saw the advent of the ‘blockbuster’ mentality inside Hollywood movie studios, an addiction to ‘event’ films which cost staggering amounts of money to produce, but are also calculated to make staggering profits. These profits are no longer simply box office receipts, but an ever-multiplying array of ancillary markets most notably, product merchandising that have grown so lucrative that arguably, the film itself has in many instances become largely irrelevant. In short, in the current climate of corporate hunger for ever-increasing profits and exploitation of new revenue-generating arenas, film and television become not just products, no different from tampons or fruit juice or toothpaste, but marketing tools to facilitate the sale of a brand. The film is no longer the focus, the sine qua non, but merely the cinematic portion of a giant marketing machine designed to squeeze every bit of profit out of what is generally a concept with little redeeming social value.
One such company which has mastered the art of modern mass merchandising masquerading as moviemaking is corporate behemoth Disney, whose ruthless quest for profit is carefully masked by a meticulously controlled, benevolent and family-friendly public image. Grown from the fruits of the beloved animated characters created by company founder Roy Disney, Disney the corporation excels at the process of churning out slick, star-studded expensive animated feature films that masterfully appeal to children and adults simultaneously. One such example is the 1997 film Hercules, which according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com), cost…
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Tags: children, consumption, Disney, film, Hercules, Hollywood, merchandising
