Cartoon Musicals and Cultural Hegemony:
A Post-Colonial Look At Jack's "Obsession" and Disney Film's History of Imperialism
A Post-Colonial Look At Jack's "Obsession" and Disney Film's History of Imperialism
The Nightmare Before Christmas, a film produced by Touchstone Pictures (which resides under Disney), tells the story of Jack Skellington and the rest of Halloween Town through animation and song. Many Disney classics follow this method of storytelling; Mulan, Cinderella, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast are all animated musicals. Music and film play an undeniable role in self-identity (Harris, 173), which is why examining our society’s “classics” can prove fruitful in understanding our own development. One musical number in particular from The Nightmare Before Christmas, “Jack’s Obsession,” shows Jack’s determination to dissect, understand, and capture the joys of this mysterious Christmas Town. By reassessing this through a post-colonial lens, we can learn more about the realities of cultural imperialism and hegemony in regards to various Disney film classics.
In the universe Jack Skellington lives in, holiday is culture. Your cultural identity is dependent upon which holiday you reside in. Gloria Anzaldua argues in her book, Borderlands/La Frontera: the New Mestiza, that “culture forms our beliefs” (1018). Jack’s ethnic and cultural identity stems from Halloween Town—a stark contrast from Christmas Town. After he, the Pumpkin King, inadvertently discovers a new holiday/culture, Jack returns to his homeland and spreads an imperialist mindset throughout Halloween Town. The residents go so far as to kidnap foreign leaders, terrorize other societies, and blindly follow their delusional leader in order to “capture” the joys of this new object known as Christmas.
Jack Skellington becomes the “intellectual authority” of Christmas Town. Edward Said, author of Orientalism, coins this term in discussing the Western scholars justification for “examining” the Orient. Said draws from Foucault’s concepts of knowledge/power and how they are tied together. He brings this knowledge/power relation into post-colonialist thought and exposes how the Orient was what the West said it was. There is, however, a strange truism which exists with said scholars: “if the Orient could represent itself, it would; since it cannot, the representation does the job, for the West, and for the poor Orient” (3).
Disney has essentially become the “intellectual authority” over matters of children stories. Disney films are infamous for their status quo interpretations of children’s literature. Stories have been told from the perspective of a white, middle-class, patriarchal society (Henke, Umble, and Smith, 335). There is, however, a sense of evolution due to shifting paradigms—we have grown from Cinderella to Mulan, from Belle to the new Black Disney princess, Tiana.
With that in mind, we still encounter cultural hegemonism within Disney classics in which these diverse voices are “otherized” in contrast to the “norm.” Said explores the concept of the Orient/West binaries briefly. The Orient (or the “other”) was seen as childlike, irrational, and different while the West (or the “norm”) was depicted mature, rational, and normal (8).
Here is where it gets tricky: because of this Western knowledge of the Orient, the Orient is then created. The Orient exists only as the West determines it exists. Christmas Town, then, exists only as Jack Skellington and the residents of Halloween Town say it exists. In the Nightmare Before Christmas case, Christmas Town is "contained and represented by dominating frameworks" (8).
This parallels Jack Skellington’s attitude in regards to Christmas Town (as seen in songs like “Jack’s Obsession"). Jack asks himself over and over again throughout the song, "what does it mean?" Further examples of Jack's imperialist mindset can be seen in these lines:
In the universe Jack Skellington lives in, holiday is culture. Your cultural identity is dependent upon which holiday you reside in. Gloria Anzaldua argues in her book, Borderlands/La Frontera: the New Mestiza, that “culture forms our beliefs” (1018). Jack’s ethnic and cultural identity stems from Halloween Town—a stark contrast from Christmas Town. After he, the Pumpkin King, inadvertently discovers a new holiday/culture, Jack returns to his homeland and spreads an imperialist mindset throughout Halloween Town. The residents go so far as to kidnap foreign leaders, terrorize other societies, and blindly follow their delusional leader in order to “capture” the joys of this new object known as Christmas.
Jack Skellington becomes the “intellectual authority” of Christmas Town. Edward Said, author of Orientalism, coins this term in discussing the Western scholars justification for “examining” the Orient. Said draws from Foucault’s concepts of knowledge/power and how they are tied together. He brings this knowledge/power relation into post-colonialist thought and exposes how the Orient was what the West said it was. There is, however, a strange truism which exists with said scholars: “if the Orient could represent itself, it would; since it cannot, the representation does the job, for the West, and for the poor Orient” (3).
Disney has essentially become the “intellectual authority” over matters of children stories. Disney films are infamous for their status quo interpretations of children’s literature. Stories have been told from the perspective of a white, middle-class, patriarchal society (Henke, Umble, and Smith, 335). There is, however, a sense of evolution due to shifting paradigms—we have grown from Cinderella to Mulan, from Belle to the new Black Disney princess, Tiana.
With that in mind, we still encounter cultural hegemonism within Disney classics in which these diverse voices are “otherized” in contrast to the “norm.” Said explores the concept of the Orient/West binaries briefly. The Orient (or the “other”) was seen as childlike, irrational, and different while the West (or the “norm”) was depicted mature, rational, and normal (8).
Here is where it gets tricky: because of this Western knowledge of the Orient, the Orient is then created. The Orient exists only as the West determines it exists. Christmas Town, then, exists only as Jack Skellington and the residents of Halloween Town say it exists. In the Nightmare Before Christmas case, Christmas Town is "contained and represented by dominating frameworks" (8).
This parallels Jack Skellington’s attitude in regards to Christmas Town (as seen in songs like “Jack’s Obsession"). Jack asks himself over and over again throughout the song, "what does it mean?" Further examples of Jack's imperialist mindset can be seen in these lines:
You know, I think this Christmas thing
It's not as tricky as it seems
And why should they have all the fun?
It should belong to anyone
Not anyone, in fact, but me
Why, I could make a Christmas tree
And there's no reason I can find
I couldn't handle Christmas time
The problem with Jack’s (and Disney’s) intellectual authority position is precisely what post-colonialist thought is trying to explore. Anwar Abdel Malek, author of “Orientalism in Crisis,” argues that this intellectual authority of Western scholars made Orientals “an ‘object’ of study, stamped with otherness” (107). Christmas Town becomes Jack’s object of study; the culture of Christmas becomes Jack’s obsession.
This "otherization" is not unfamiliar to Disney children films. The BBC reported in 2001 that much of “the Arab world was upset by what was said to be a one-dimensional portrayal” in the movie Aladdin (BBC, “Spotlight on Disney’s Cultural Legacy”). On a similar note, the irony present in Disney’s portrayal of Mulan can be seen in the Discovery Channel report on the legend and speculation of the “real” Mulan: in both the legend and the speculation, Mulan was a woman who lead an army against imperial rule (“Warrior Women”).
Disney is a name that is unfamiliar to very, very few. Richard Jackson Harris reminds us in his book, A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication that film studios, television networks, etc. are "among the largest and richest private corporations" (3). The large Disney franchise(s) are due, in a huge part, the ridiculous audience Disney has gathered for not only its films, but its television shows, children's books, novelty toys, theme parks, and more.
It is imperative, then, that we as a society reinforce higher levels of media literacy. Harris provides the definition of media literacy as the "ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and process media" (355). Media literacy, post-colonial thought, feminist theory and more can be attributed to the evolution of Disney's paradigms which I briefly mentioned in the beginning of this essay. There have been many attempts in the recent years to actively engage students (specifically, the younger generations) in critical analysis of television shows and movies along side canon literature and essays (Harris, 356). Unfortunately, these curriculums have often been cut down—much like the fates of art and music programs—due to a movement to go “back to the basics” of education.
Besides media content and the lack of investigative analysis on Disney children films, another thing to consider is the mass production of Disney films as they are integrated around the world. Home-grown, US American culture is consistently being spoon-fed to audiences around the world. Post-Colonial theorist would argue that this is, in a sense, a form of imperialism. The opposite side of that argument is simple: how can one be conquering when the culture wants to buy it?
Regardless of if it is morally wrong or right, the focus should continue to stay on the post-colonial idea between colony and colonizers. Drawing from the concept of the Hegel's master/slave relation, the colony is not the only affected part in the relationship. Colonizing a culture can have (and has had) profound effects upon the colonizers. In Decolonising the Mind, Ngui wa Thiong'o reminds us that members of colonies—specifically, Africans—only experienced the world "as defined and reflected in the European experience of history" (1142).
While it is true that Disney children classics are not the only sources of knowledge we have, it is still important to examine the effect is has on us as children, as well as on future generations of children. Kids are known to absorb more information from something with a visual component (ie, films, television shows, etc.) rather than the verbal component (Harris, 47). And what of the songs present in these films? As "Jack's Obsession" shows, they are not always what they seem. Music has always a powerful way to memorize information, and as such, has become huge in its mass production. Harris reminds us that "anything powerful can be very threatening" (174). While song has often challenged the status quo of society, how many times has it reinforced said status quo?
Many Disney songs continue the cycle of sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, and more. In Mulan, we are taught how to "be a man." The song teaches us that men are brave, strong, and mysterious. We are taught through various other songs in Mulan that a good wife is one who knows how to cook and can cater to a man. "Jack's Obsession" teaches us about motivation at its core. Jack becomes determined through intellectual curiosity and a need for power to overtake Christmas as his own. The list of classic children Disney film songs which reinforce the status quo and the "norm" (while otherizing the "other") goes on and on.
Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a pro-colonialism film? Is Disney really trying to spread “Americanism” to every corner of the world? Perhaps instead of worrying about these questions, we can turn our focus to alternative voices and ways to make diverse opinions heard. We can note that The Nightmare Before Christmas ends on an optimistic note, in which Christmas and Halloween begins to peacefully coexist and Jack learns his lesson about taking over other holidays.
A movement within classrooms and/or homes in regards to examining media aimed at students and children may be the best way to meet Disney film classics head on. However, with the ever-evolving Disney film paradigm, perhaps there will be little need for a post-colonial, or feminist, or queer studies look at media. I wouldn't hold my breath, however, seeing as there is no queer princesses (or princes), yet.
This "otherization" is not unfamiliar to Disney children films. The BBC reported in 2001 that much of “the Arab world was upset by what was said to be a one-dimensional portrayal” in the movie Aladdin (BBC, “Spotlight on Disney’s Cultural Legacy”). On a similar note, the irony present in Disney’s portrayal of Mulan can be seen in the Discovery Channel report on the legend and speculation of the “real” Mulan: in both the legend and the speculation, Mulan was a woman who lead an army against imperial rule (“Warrior Women”).
Disney is a name that is unfamiliar to very, very few. Richard Jackson Harris reminds us in his book, A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication that film studios, television networks, etc. are "among the largest and richest private corporations" (3). The large Disney franchise(s) are due, in a huge part, the ridiculous audience Disney has gathered for not only its films, but its television shows, children's books, novelty toys, theme parks, and more.
It is imperative, then, that we as a society reinforce higher levels of media literacy. Harris provides the definition of media literacy as the "ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and process media" (355). Media literacy, post-colonial thought, feminist theory and more can be attributed to the evolution of Disney's paradigms which I briefly mentioned in the beginning of this essay. There have been many attempts in the recent years to actively engage students (specifically, the younger generations) in critical analysis of television shows and movies along side canon literature and essays (Harris, 356). Unfortunately, these curriculums have often been cut down—much like the fates of art and music programs—due to a movement to go “back to the basics” of education.
Besides media content and the lack of investigative analysis on Disney children films, another thing to consider is the mass production of Disney films as they are integrated around the world. Home-grown, US American culture is consistently being spoon-fed to audiences around the world. Post-Colonial theorist would argue that this is, in a sense, a form of imperialism. The opposite side of that argument is simple: how can one be conquering when the culture wants to buy it?
Regardless of if it is morally wrong or right, the focus should continue to stay on the post-colonial idea between colony and colonizers. Drawing from the concept of the Hegel's master/slave relation, the colony is not the only affected part in the relationship. Colonizing a culture can have (and has had) profound effects upon the colonizers. In Decolonising the Mind, Ngui wa Thiong'o reminds us that members of colonies—specifically, Africans—only experienced the world "as defined and reflected in the European experience of history" (1142).
While it is true that Disney children classics are not the only sources of knowledge we have, it is still important to examine the effect is has on us as children, as well as on future generations of children. Kids are known to absorb more information from something with a visual component (ie, films, television shows, etc.) rather than the verbal component (Harris, 47). And what of the songs present in these films? As "Jack's Obsession" shows, they are not always what they seem. Music has always a powerful way to memorize information, and as such, has become huge in its mass production. Harris reminds us that "anything powerful can be very threatening" (174). While song has often challenged the status quo of society, how many times has it reinforced said status quo?
Many Disney songs continue the cycle of sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, and more. In Mulan, we are taught how to "be a man." The song teaches us that men are brave, strong, and mysterious. We are taught through various other songs in Mulan that a good wife is one who knows how to cook and can cater to a man. "Jack's Obsession" teaches us about motivation at its core. Jack becomes determined through intellectual curiosity and a need for power to overtake Christmas as his own. The list of classic children Disney film songs which reinforce the status quo and the "norm" (while otherizing the "other") goes on and on.
Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a pro-colonialism film? Is Disney really trying to spread “Americanism” to every corner of the world? Perhaps instead of worrying about these questions, we can turn our focus to alternative voices and ways to make diverse opinions heard. We can note that The Nightmare Before Christmas ends on an optimistic note, in which Christmas and Halloween begins to peacefully coexist and Jack learns his lesson about taking over other holidays.
A movement within classrooms and/or homes in regards to examining media aimed at students and children may be the best way to meet Disney film classics head on. However, with the ever-evolving Disney film paradigm, perhaps there will be little need for a post-colonial, or feminist, or queer studies look at media. I wouldn't hold my breath, however, seeing as there is no queer princesses (or princes), yet.
* * *
Works Cited
Works Cited
Image by Banksy.
Harris, Richard Jackson. A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication. 5th ed. New York: Routledge. 2009.
Henke, Jill Birnie, Diane Zimmerman Umble, and Nancy J. Smith. “Construction of the Female Self: Feminist Readings of the Disney Heroine.” Lardner and Lundberg 334-347.
Malek, Anwar Abdel. “Orientalism in Crisis.” Diogenes, 44 (Winter 1963), 107 – 8.
The Nightmare Before Christmas. 1993.
Rivkin, Julie and Michael Ryan. Literary Theory: An Anthology. "Borderlands/La Frontera" by Gloria Anzaldua. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2004.
Rivkin, Julie and Michael Ryan. Literary Theory: An Anthology. "Decolonising the Mind" by Ngui wa Thiong'o. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2004.
Said, Edward. "Orientalism." Class Handout.
“Spotlight on Disney’s Cultural Legacy.”
“Warrior Women.”
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