Communism In Walt Disney Films

When Walt Disney was dreaming about the construction of Disneyland, America was becoming the strongest military force in the world. After WWII, there were many “booms” occurring in America, including economy boom, suburb boom, and baby boom. These three booms set a perfect era for the creation of Disneyland. The economic boom came because the government conducted construction of interstate highways and schools. The economic growth further accelerated as the government also spent more money on military, which advanced goods like airplanes and computers. This growth in the economy gave confidence to middle class people and allowed them to spend money to travel and enjoy family time. Because more people were able to pay for leisure activities,
During Cold War, Disney films were used to represent American Capitalism to fight against the spreading idea of Communism. Due to a series of international crisis, including Berlin airlift, rise of Red China, nuclear weapon tests, and the standoff between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, American leaders were “compelled to mount a countervailing crusade” that reflected American spirit and belief in Capitalism (Steven). Walt, with his strong influence on the public and popularity through cartoons, was the perfect person to emphasize the importance of freedom and rights in the American society. Disney employed humor to contrast the liberating freedoms of America to Communist societies. One of his most famous film is the “Der Fuehrer’s Face”, which features Donald Duck as a citizen of the “Nutzy Land”. This short film directly references Nazi Germany as the oppressive Communist society and illustrates the hardships of living under Communist rule. The film ends with Donald Duck waking up from the dream of working endlessly in “Natzy Land” and kisses a small Statue of Liberty and says “Am I glad to be a citizen of the United States of America” (Makamson). The antagonists in this film are opponents of America during the Cold War, including Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini. These characters were illustrated as the dictators that made their citizens make ammunitions to prepare for war without providing basic needs or free time. By clearly illustrating Communism as completely evil and Capitalism as freedom and liberty, Walt Disney succeeds in conveying the message that Americans should be grateful of their rights as American citizens. The comically presented characters were easy for anyone like children to understand and enjoy. Other propaganda cartoons like “Der Fuehrer’s Face” were watched by almost every person in America through TV and commercials. The cartoons are still significant