Mickey Mouse History and Other Essays on American Memory

by Mike Wallace

Book Overview

Shows how popularized historical images and narratives deeply influence Americans' understanding of their collective past. This book observes that we are a people who think of ourselves as having shed the past but also tourists who are on a 'heritage binge, ' flocking by the thousands to Ellis Island, Colonial Williamsburg, or the Vietnam Memorial

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566394457
• ISBN13: 9781566394451
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Mickey Mouse History

Is this guy for or against preservation? It's hard to tell sometimes. Gives another, if not confusing, viewpoint of the preservation movement.

accesible, critical and still with a sense of humor

for someone interested in museum, spaces of exhibition and the like you will find section one and two of this book quite interesting. the first deals with different sorts of museums placing a critical point of view from communitary museums to opend air museums, to technology museums. the second part is great dealing with the forms of exhibition at disney. dystory, that special kind of reality that it is at once purified and sanitized and tha is quite part of the essence of thematized environments. parts three and four deal, respectively, with the restoraton movement in america and the politics of culture during regan's era, specially with the enola gay case.

Accessible and Thoughtful

Mike Wallace uses the kind of academic writing that all scholars should aspire to achieve--lively, free of jargon, and entertaining. His subject, as suggested by the book's title, is history and the debates that surround different depictions of history. Wallace observes, astutely, that the struggles over how to portray history reveals much about ourselves, our beliefs, and our agendas. Wallace points out that history is never neutral, a point that is well worth reinforcing.My particular interest is Disney Studies, and Wallace has a section (actually two essays) devoted to Disney and it use of history. The first essay concentrates on Disney's use of history in its theme parks, particularly in places such as the Hall of Presidents and EPCOT. While Wallace does not shy from criticizing Disney's portrayal of history (in fact, one of Wallace's strengths is he does not shy from representing his own viewpoint clearly), he also does not simply dismiss the potential in integrating history, entertainment, and the kind of technological wizardy that Disney is known for. He makes a serious case for a reconsideration of Disney and its techniques, all without constantly hitting his reader over the head with things. In his second essay, Wallace concentrates on the failed Disney's America project, providing background information and a critique of Disney with a call to re-examine Disney's use of history as emblematic of other movements and struggles over American history. He also makes it clear that he believes simply dismissing Disney is not an effective strategy for considering how portrayals of history could engage the public. The strength here is that Wallace is not afraid to criticize both Disney and kneejerk criticisms of Disney, or to envision the melding of history and entertainment. Nor does he abandon the quest for critical presentations of history that open history to even further investigation. While this is no easy task, Wallace does succeed.If there is one thing I would suggest, perhaps the element I feel is missing, is a better development of these strategies for the presentation of history that Wallace supports. Although that could indeed be a book in itself, it would have been nice to see more of Wallace dwell more on his own engagement with, even answers to, the questions he has raised in this book.

An accessible and essential look at the fight over history

This is a very easy-to-read, jargon-free book about various ways in which the American past has been marketed to the American public. Wallace makes clear that the past should not be sanitized or exaggerated for any purpose, no matter how noble. And he makes clear how dangerous distortions of the past can be, particularly in chapters that discuss Ronald Reagan's or Newt Gingrich's . . . shall we say, passing acquaintance with history as it happened, as opposed to how they wish it had happened.That last sentence makes pretty clear that Wallace has an ideology of his own. He interprets much of American history in terms of the conflict between classes. He does not insist that his interpretation is the only valid interpretation, but the force with which he makes some of his ideological points keeps me from giving this a five star review. That said -- everyone should read this book. It pokes away at some of the myths that keep us from doing what we can to make American society even better. Mickey Mouse History might make you uncomfortable -- but it's a discomfort that has plenty of rewards in understanding.

highly entertaining look at history front of culture wars

Mickey Mouse History is a highly entertaining book about a serious and sober subject: the uses and misuses of history in our own time. This book explains, better than any other, why history has been at the very heart of the culture wars in recent times. This is a superb, eminently readable book. It deserves a very wide audience