Question 8

1) Watch the first part (at least) of Mouse Trapped 2010 and Mickey Mouse Monopoly, and explain USING SPECIFIC ELEMENTS FROM THE FILMS how they are good examples of the different approaches of political economy and cultural studies. Define each approach briefly, and CITE GROSSBERG’S ARTICLE IN YOUR RESPONSE. (100-150 words)

Mouse Trapped takes a political economy approach while Mickey Mouse Monopoly exhibits a cultural studies approach. As the name suggests, cultural studies is the study of culture. Political economy focuses on the monetary and political causes and effects of things. As Grossberg said when discussing cultural studies, “It often recognizes that pleasure can be manipulated by or at least to repressive forms of power and existing structures of inequality.” This can be seen in the first section of Mickey Mouse Monopoly when the woman mentions her daughter asking why all black men were bad. Concerning political economy, Grossberg states, “For political economy, in every instance, in every context, somehow, almost magically, the economic appears to be the bottom line…” This points to the employees being interviewed in Mouse Trapped because they focus solely on the economic issue. A few of the employees still contended that Disney is a magical and great place; they just need to pay their workers more.