Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World
by Carl Hiassen
Library of Contemporary Thought,1998
As a native of Florida and an often unwilling eyewitness to both the property and cultural glut of the “Big D,” I HAD to read this book. I must admit, however, I was a little hesitant, considering it’s presented by the same author who brought us Striptease,(!?!) but you have to admit it takes a lot of balls to throw stones at the monolithic face of corporate Disney.
A Florida native himself, Hiassen presents an inspired case against the great mouse factory, offering evidence of a dictatorial corporate culture with global aspirations already set in motion. He doesn’t dwell on over-sentimentalized tripe of the product itself, but goes straight for the jugular with regards to Disney’s business practices and ethics. But ultimately the book does leave readers asking themselves, “Is all this bullshit really worth it in the name of a coupla talking mice – and a duck to boot?”
Very current, Team Rodent sets the scene for contemporary Disney maneuvers, including the opening of Animal Kingdom (if this book could have waited a couple of months, it would have hit the jackpot as far as the animal death toll is concerned). Disney’s line of cruise ships, and the debacle between Disney and Times Square sleaze merchants.
Concision is the key word. At a price of $8.95, one should be hesitant about laying down the bucks for such a quick read, (83 pages) but I’ve almost paid as much for a glossy rag and couldn’t get a fraction of the thought-provoking content presented in the aforementioned pages.
For many, Disney is already suspect. There’s always something disconcerting about factions that manipulate their way into our wallets and bank accounts via our children. Hiassen gives proof that our suspicions may not be unfounded. Library of Contemporary Thought, Published by The Ballantine Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, http://www.randomhouse.com
