Question 8

1. Both political economy and cultural studies are fused in some way as Grossberg argues. Mickey Mouse Monopoly uses more of a cultural studies approach in its argument. It starts with more of an emphasis on culture and then goes into the monetary part of it. For example, the video starts by explaining how Disney plays a huge role in childhood and a family-oriented culture. Dr. Giroux then goes into how the company hides behind a guise of fairy tale and innocence in order to appeal to this demographic and make money as a huge corporation in the media. In the reading, Grossberg explains how the cultural studies approach does not deny that people are “sometimes duped”, “sometimes manipulated”, and “lied to” by the media or by capitalism” (630). This would explain Disney’s success and how people may not realize (or refuse to realize) that they are hiding their drive for profit. Mouse Trapped 2010 uses more of a political economy approach. It places money as the driving force of the corporation. The workers seem to believe in what they do but they are driven by money and it becomes their main concern because it affects their quality of life. Money is also portrayed as the main drive of the company. They want to have a reputation for paying the best wages and saying that the workers make the company. However the video argues how it is all a ploy to attract consumers and make profit. Both political economy and culture studies overlap in this way.