Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World And America (Institutional Structures of Feeling) [Paperback]

Stephen M Fjellman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813314720 | ISBN-13: 978-0813314723 | Publication Date: June 11, 1992

Walt Disney World is a pilgrimage site filled with utopian elements, craft, and whimsy. It’s a pedestrian’s world, where the streets are clean, the employees are friendly, and the trains run on time. All of its elements are themed, presented in a consistent architectural, decorative, horticultural, musical, even olfactory tone, with rides, shows, restaurants, scenery, and costumed characters coordinated to tell a consistent set of stories. It is beguiling and exasperating, a place of ambivalence and ambiguity. In Vinyl Leaves Professor Fjellman analyzes each ride and theater show of Walt Disney World and discusses the history, political economy, technical infrastructure, and urban planning of the area as well as its relationship with Metropolitan Orlando and the state of Florida.Vinyl Leaves argues that Disney, in pursuit of its own economic interests, acts as the muse for the allied transnational corporations that sponsor it as well as for the world of late capitalism, where the commodity form has colonized much of human life. With brilliant technological legerdemain, Disney puts visitors into cinematically structured stories in which pieces of American and world culture become ideological tokens in arguments in favor of commodification and techno-corporate control. Culture is construed as spirit, colonialism and entrepreneurial violence as exotic zaniness, and the Other as child.Exhaustion and cognitive overload lead visitors into the bliss of Commodity Zen—the characteristic state of postmodern life. While we were watching for Orwell, Huxley rode into town, bringing soma, cable, and charge cards—and wearing mouse ears. This book is the story of our commodity fairyland.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Calling Walt Disney World "the most ideologically important piece of land in the United States," anthropologist Fjellman, a respectful cynic, offers a wide-ranging, often jargon-laden analysis of "this quintessence of the American Way." Intrepid readers unwilling to take Disney World at face value may find much that is rewarding here. Fjellman argues that Disney provides a utopian antidote to everyday life, which is fragmented and confused in "late capitalist society." After academic excursions concerning culture and consumerism, Fjellman analyzes Disney's distorted approach to history ("time is defined spatially," as in Tomorrowland), the corporate ideology infusing EPCOT Center and the machinations of Disney's Orlando land grab. He tracks the daily details: the transportation system as social control, the psychology of refuse disposal and the five keys to Disney's system of managing people on line. The 10 national pavilions of World Showcase, Fjellman writes, offer the message that other countries "are essentially theme parks." He concludes that Disney World is "postmodern"--a place where the distinction between real and fake is no longer important.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Stephen M. Fjellman is professor of anthropology at Florida International University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (June 11, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813314720
• ISBN-13: 978-0813314723
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #287,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seminal Book on Walt Disney World, November 21, 2000

By 

"disneychick" (Main Street, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World And America (Institutional Structures of Feeling) (Paperback)

With this incredibly detailed analysis of Walt Disney World, Stephen Fjellman has created one of the seminal books for Disney Studies. Fjellman draws connections between Walt Disney World and the "real" world in order to try and investigate their relationship. What is often forgotten about the book is perhaps its most important quality: it is subtitled "Walt Disney World and America."

This is the heart of the book. Fjellman's book is as much about America as it is about Disney. He uses Walt Disney World to ask questions, and maybe even offer some answers, about a broad range of issues in American culture: urbanism, capitalism, history, technology, communication, visual culture, and so forth. Underlying his book is the assertion that to explore Walt Disney World is to explore America. And this exploration is why the study of Disney is so essential.

The book accomplishes what so many academic books fail to do--it speaks to many audiences, for many different reasons, to many different purposes. Those interested in learning just about Walt Disney World will not be disappointed, for the book is filled with details and technical information about the park. Those already familiar with the park will appreciate the contributions to their knowledge. Those not wanting to "spoil" the experience of exploring the park themselves need not fear, for the book captures a moment in the park's history and opens up (rather than answers) questions. Scholars interested in both Disney and American culture should find this book of value, both in its attention to detail and its serious consideration of Disney as a site of critical enquiry. Throughout, the strength of Fjellman's work is in his enthusiastic approach to his subject, which encourages and almost forces readers to become as invested in the subject as Fjellman himself.

Although this hefty book can be a bit dense at times, particularly because it draws from theoretical perspectives and considers historical, political, and cultural influences, the book never loses its appeal--partly because it is grounded in the "Magic Kingdom."

If one is going to read just one academic book about Walt Disney World, this is the one. Witty and thought-provoking, critical and inquisitive, it sets the standard for works in the field of Disney Studies.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Book on Walt Disney World, August 3, 2000

By 

Professor Wilbur Hamilton "The Wilbur" (Hamilton, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World And America (Institutional Structures of Feeling) (Paperback)

At times, "Vinyl Leaves" can be as magical as the theme park that it seeks to decontruct. Throughout the text, Stephen Fjellman's tone shifts often from witty to sentimental to cynical--but at all times, it remains an intellectual commentary on a place many people would never even think to look at in such "mature" ways. This is a cultural, political, and economical history of Walt Disney World from the earliest plans through the publication time of this book (1992). Despite this hefty doctoral thesis subject matter, the text rarely drags and can sometimes be downright magical. Written in 1992, "Vinyl Leaves" is also a unique period piece, capturing a highly detailed snapshot of the Walt Disney World of the late 1980s/early 1990s. As frequent visitors know, WDW is ever-changing and certain ride removals or renovations can rob a die-hard Disney fan of a piece of their past. With such rides as "Horizons" which was closed in Epcot Center in the mid-1990s, Fjellman delivers a three-to-four page description of the ride, literally second-by-second, thus preserving a classic Disney attraction that will never see the light of day again. Putting aside all of his wonderful theories and commentaries, the sheer value of these deliciously vivid ride and show descriptions is worth the price alone. If you love Walt Disney World, do yourself a favor and buy this book and read every single word. It is honestly the closest book I've ever read that captures the essence of a real trip there.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fjellman's analysis covers all angles., June 15, 1998

By 

Andrew T. Smaha ([e-mail]) (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World And America (Institutional Structures of Feeling) (Paperback)

As a student of politics and media and an avid Disney fan, I was thoroughly impressed with Prof. Fjellman's ability to balance criticle analysis with a general love of Disney's products. For those of us who enjoy learning about the dangers of Disney's corporate machinery yet still love walking down Main Street, this book will not dissappoint. With an obvious passion and love for Disney, Fjellman dissects WDW operations with the language of someone who knows something is bad for him, yet doesn't seem to mind. For many of us, this sentiment is reality. Like Fjellman, many understand that Disney can be manipulative, overbearing, and self-promoting. However, people don't seem to care. It is an amazing phenomenon and Fjellman does a wonderful job explaining why it exists.