Saturday, June 19, 2010

Privatizing the civic zoo

On page 268 of S&K, Kenneth B. Kidd quotes Susan G. Davis' highlights of : "the problem of the public space in an era of advancing corporate privatization...with the problem of the representation of nature and the environment in the contemporary mass media." When I think of Disney World or Sea World, I am brought back to my childhood, filled with memories or Shamu's tricks, or swimming with the dolphins. I never thought of these "wonderful" places as misrepresentations of the Animal Kingdom as it truly is. However, they have in fact taken the natural ecosystems of our world and turned them into themed, idealized versions of animal life. Furthermore, they have become part of an advertising ploy to to profit large organizations who care very little about accurate representation of the Animal Kingdom.

1 comment:

  1. WOW! I never thought of Disney World as a bad place that is betraying to children. After reading chapter 16 in D&K I am shocked to find what some of the authors in the book have wrote about this place that I once thought was magical as a child. According to Hiaasen he feels that, "Disney shouldn't mess with nature at all. Not all birds sing sweetly. Not all lakes are blue. Not all islands have sandy beaches." Yes, I know this is true but in my opinion children should be able to dream and fantasize. They have their whole life to deal with reality.

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