In the second lecture of the module we looked at the ways in which American Popular culture influenced the culture within Britain. We were introduced to the idea/theory of the Postmodern City, and that many aspects of life we experience in Britain stem from the creation of Disneyland in 1955.
The layout of Disneyland is to simulate real life in an entertaining and pleasing way. As well as having rides Disneyland also provides it's guests with streets signs, transport and it's own flood and pest control. It was also discovered that within Disneyland there appears to be an apparent consumer culture with merchandising heavily evident within the park. The bringing of Disney characters to life through performance labour further enticed consumerism. This consumer culture bled itself into real life with shopping malls being created all over the world along with the fun and often liberating experience of shopping and consuming. In Britain, before shopping malls existed, you only bought what you needed, not what you wanted.
After looking at Disneyland we can see how it has influenced real life and see just how much Americanism and Commodification has effected British life. There were no theme parks, themed restaurants or fast food outlets in Britain prior to the creation of Disneyland. Today in Britain we have Legoland, The Hard Rock Cafe and McDonald's as well as performance labour through tour guides of London all of which represent 'consumption', 'play' and 'entertainment'. Some academics would suggest that we live in a Postmodern City where the boundaries of the simulated life of Disneyland and the real life have become blurred due to Disneyland's influence on the world.
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