Mickey Mouse Club
Rich Koster
Living Section E-1 "Show Reflects Changing America" written by
Shawn McClellan, Staff Writer:
It was at the height of the postwar boom -- 1955, the year
Disneyland opened -- that Walt Disney created his first
entertainment aimed strictly at children. To the project he
assigned his pet producer Bill Walsh (later responsible for such
trifles as "Mary Poppins"). Together they defined an entire TV
genre with "The Mickey Mouse Club."
A generation later -- in 1989, under Walt's heir Michael
Eisner -- The Disney Channel replaced still-popular black and white
reruns with a new "Club." Both series showcase enthusiastic kids
singing and dancing, but the styles could not be more different.
*Rural* *vs.* *Urban.* "The Mickey Mouse Club" tracks the
nation's transformation from country mice to city slickers as
accurately as the Census Bureau. Square dancing, a hayride, even a
pantomime horse were '50s staples, in skits played against painted
flats. Now a stylized urban skyline is the backdrop, and the
"Mickey Mouse Club" theme song has become a rap.
*Innocent* *vs.* *Knowing.* In one of the first '50s
episodes, Mouseketeeers toured the FBI fingerprint operation in
Washington, D.C., as a proud march played in the background. (Who
could be surprised by the recently revealed link between Disney and
J. Edgar Hoover?)
Now host Fred Newman casually discusses Los Angeles gang wars
with "that drive-by stuff going on," but sadly the sense that
Justice Will Prevail is lost. Even the skits are less than
lighthearted; a recent sketch about a combo pizza became a
metaphorical examination of prejudice.
*Uniformed* *vs.* *Fashionable.* Walt's wards were dressed in
simple costumes, often Western-style, suggesting an elementary
school play. Today's "Club" members look like mini Macy's models
with high maintenance haircuts, showing off slick baseball jackets,
Girbaud jeans, dangling jewelry and hip-hop hoods. That many kids
can't afford these things is demonstrated by the show itself: The
kids onstage don't look like the kids in the live audience.
*Cheerful* *vs.* Slick.* The exuberant animated characters
that introduced each episode are gone, in favor of ticket-selling
photos of theme-parks. Replacing light, lilting tunes written
especially for the '50s show are covers of pop hits (such as Michael
Jackson singles) children can buy at the store. Along with the
costly clothes, does this indicate a creeping materialism?
It is the nature of styles to change, of course. And no doubt
it takes an older curmudgeon to criticize a popular young show.
Maybe we just miss Annette.
End of quoted article.
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