Here is the picture that I took of the Mickey Mouse t-shirt from Forever 21! 

Reading Response

The one article that caught my interest the most was "In the Mick of Time, Reflection on Disney's Ageless Mouse" by Elizabeth A. Lawrence. I liked it because it made me realize the strong presence that Mickey Mouse still has on our society today. I also thought it was really cool how Lawrence talked about the evolution of Mickey, and the changes he underwent as technology advanced. I never knew how Mickey looked originally until I looked it up, and I was so surprised at how different he looked. The Mickey I grew up with and know has bright red shorts, striking white gloves, bright yellow shoes and bubbling big eyes. This Mickey was not in color, and did not have the same look in his face. He seemed much duller. In the article, Lawrence brings up the many transformations Mickey Mouse went through in order to become more “cuddly and juvenile” (68).  His “nose was made thicker and shorter, his ears were moved back to give him the appearance of having a rounded rather than sloping forehead, his eyes became far bigger, and his limbs softer and puffier” (68).  Another point brought up by Lawrence that I thought was particularly interesting was the effect of roundness. Lawrence claims in the article “roundness is the essence of the neotenous configuration. While thinking about this thought, it actually does make sense to me. It proves to be true in a lot of either animated films or television shows that the friendly, lovable characters are more curvaceous than the trouble making characters. I never realized how much thought goes into drawing a cartoon character until after reading this article. There is so much more that goes into it on the psychological aspect of things than I ever knew. It definitely worked though considering I still see Mickey Mouse in all different sorts of places.

On Thursday I went to South Point Mall for the first time since I’ve been here. I must have gone into at least 5 different stores while I was there. I would say three out of the five stores had sections either dedicated to Disney characters, or just had random articles of clothing that involved Disney some how. In Forever 21, there was a t-shirt with Mickey Mouse on it and I immediately knew I had to take a picture of it so I could blog about it. Lawrence mentioned in the article how “Walt Disney himself pointed out that his mouse was not a creation aimed specifically at children” (71). When I saw this Mickey Mouse t-shirt in Forever 21, a store primarily for high school and college kids, it made me think about this. Mickey Mouse items aren’t just being sold in stores for little kids. It is everywhere, and it is not going anywhere.

In Elizabeth A. Lawrence’s article, “In the Mick of Time, Reflections on Disney’s Ageless Mouse”, she talks about the evolution of Walt Disney’s famous Mickey Mouse, and how he has gradually transformed over time. Mickey Mouse is still with us in a lot of places today even though the generation he grew up with he dwindling down.

Buzz Feed Findings

Today while sitting on the bus I came across a BuzzFeed quiz titled "What Character Would You Play In A Disney Movie?", so of course I had to take it! After answering all of the Disney related questions I was actually pretty surprised with the character it designated me as. I got a Disney Princess! Here is the link to the quiz in case you wanted to see your results too!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/samstryker/the-most-magical-quiz-on-earth#15kzn7a

After reading this week's articles "In The Mick of Time, Reflections on Disney's Ageless Mouse", my interest in the evolution of Mickey Mouse grew, and I wanted to find out more. This article provides some great illustrations of Mickey Mouse and shows how much his depiction has changed with the newer technological advancements! Check it out! 

http://www.babble.com/celebrity/the-evolution-of-mickey-mouse-from-steamboat-willie-to-today/

Personal Narrative

Hi, my name is Grace Fallon and I am a freshman at Duke University. I am enrolled in a writing 101 class titled "Decoding Disney", and I'm keeping this blog because it a requirement of the course, but also to explore the ins and outs of Walt Disney and share my experiences and opinions on Disney related things!

I chose Decoding Disney as my writing 101 course because, well first and foremost, who doesn't love anything having to do with Disney? I am also interested in discovering the reasons behind some of Walt Disney's decision making regarding his films. How did his childhood affect his film production? Did he project his political and social views in his movies? I am looking forward to finding some answers, and sharing my own opinions and views as well. 

 I've grown up watching Disney films like almost every other child. I've idolized the beautiful and powerful princesses who are commonly the stars of the movies. I would have to say my favorite Disney movie is Mulan, and second favorite is The Lion King. I feel as though I chose Mulan as my favorite growing up because she was the most relatable to me. I was the biggest tomboy, played every sport I could fit into my schedule, and loved rough housing with my big brother Dan. I hated wearing dresses and brushing my hair. I loved the action in Mulan, and the fact that she was able to hold her own with all of those men is what I admired the most. I consider The Lion King as my second favorite Disney movie because it reminds me of my mom. My mom absolutely loves The Lion King, so I think I just followed in her footsteps when I was little. My family and I also saw The Lion King on Broadway in NYC and it was absolutely amazing. Lastly, still to this day I follow the wise words of Timon and Pumbaa, "Hakuna Matata"! When either of these two movies are playing on ABC Family, or any other channel for that matter, I cannot help but watch them even though I have seen them both too many times to count! 

The only time I have ever been to Disney World was when I was very young, so I can hardly remember what it was like. I do remember being terribly afraid of the people dressed up as the characters for some bizarre reason. Specifically, the Beast from Beauty and the Beast scared me the most! I would love to go back Disney World at some point so I can truly experience all that it has to offer. It would be so fun to get a big group of friends to go! 

I am so excited to learn more about the one and only Walt Disney, and to analyze his famous films through his eyes!