Ask any kid from any country about Disney and you are bound to be replied with enthusiastic squeals of delights, from its hallmark, the mouse with the infectious personality, Mickey Mouse and his gang of friends, to the gorgeous princesses which every girl idolizes from Cinderella to Snow White to Pocahontas, to the hilarious sitcoms which tweens are so fond of, That’s So Raven and The Suite Life of Zac and Cody, to the blockbuster movie franchise The Pirates of the Caribbean, to the eleven theme parks which brought countless fond memories to themselves and their families. The list is just endless! It almost seems like our entire lives revolve around this extremely popular company.

So what has Disney got to do with globalization? Everything! As shown above, every kid from every country knows about Disney. Disney constantly churns out movies and television programs with wholesome themes and storylines to enrich the younger generations. Disney’s latest and also its first African-American princess, Tiani from The Princess and the Frog is a prime example of the ideals of Disney. It aims to set a positive role model for all young African-American girls. The movie is an American fairy tale musical set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age. It’s also probably set in New Orleans to inspire the survivors of the Hurricane Katrina disaster to move on with live.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_and_the_Frog

Concept art of Tiani, the newest princess on the block

Disney has also reached out to the stars for its new Year of a Million Dreams campaign shot by world renown photographer Annie Leibovitz, who also shot Tom Cruise, his wife and his child Suri for the very first time for Vanity Fair magazine. The famed photographer's reputation, combined with the allure of Disney, has sent a pop princess to Wonderland, a soccer stud to slay a dragon and an acclaimed actress scurrying slipperless down a staircase. Disney’s is reaching out to an even bigger audience this time, spreading its message of making dreams come true with even more force this time with the help of a string of A-listers like Beyonce, David Beckham and Scarlett Johansson.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-01-25-disney-ad-campaign_x.htm

Disney is powerful and it is a great medium to spread positive messages to empower the youths of today. It brings the world together in a fun, light hearted manner! This is an example of what globalization is and its benefits to society.

Your cultural expert, Nicholas Chua!