Donald, Mickey, Picsou : inutile de les présenter. Pour des millions d’enfants et d’adultes, la bande dessinée, le film, la télévision, les gadgets s’en sont chargés. Ils font partie désormais de notre univers familier, hôtes permanents du foyer. Mais comment sont-ils arrivés là et qui les a invités ? Réponse : Walt Disney Productions un des plus gigantesques empires multinationaux du « divertissement ».
Ariel Dorfman et Armand Mattelart analysent dans Donald l’Imposteur la véritable fonction de la ménagerie disneyenne : légitimation de la loi de la jungle, de l’exploitation du faible par le fort, des la spoliation des « indigènes », c’est-à-dire en fait de l’impérialisme.
« L’ami public numéro un », tel que le matraquage publicitaire veut nous présenter Walt Disney, procède en fait à un véritable détournement d’enfants au profit d’une « morale » qui ne reconnaît qu’une valeur : le dollar.
The classic, critical and humorous study of cultural imperialism and children's literature; how the Disney fantasy world reproduces the "American Dream" fantasy world, and the disastrous effect of Disney comics and other "mass" cultural merchandise on the development of the so-called "Third" World. In 1973 this work was banned and burned in Chile, and later the English edition was banned for more than a year by the US government. In comic book format with cartoon examples, introduction by David KUNZLE on the Disney world, a bibl of left writings on cultural imperialism and the comics, and an appendix by John Shelton LAWRENCE on the book's US censorship and the legal-political issues involved in the right to criticize Disney.
English translation, originally published in Spanish in Chile: Para Leer al Pato Donald, by Valparaiso in 1971. First English edition: 1975.
Volume 1 of 2 Volumes. An anthology of 64 left and progressive texts on the relationship between the practice and theory of communication and their development in the historical context of social struggle on a world scale, of which more than 1/3rd are published for the first time in English, with some published for the first time in any language. This 1st volume deals with the basic Marxist theory underlying the analysis of the communication process, as well as studies centered on the formation of the capitalist communication apparatus, ideology and "mass" culture.
It contains texts by S. SIEGELAUB, A. MATTELART, K. MARX, A. GRAMSCI, V.I. LENIN, MAO Tse-Tung, P. BOURDIEU, REVOLUTIONARY LEFT MOVEMENT (MIR, Chile), H. LEFEBVRE, L. ACOSTA, M. MATTELART, D.W. SMYTHE, S. FINKELSTEIN, T. WENGRAF & R. MURRAY, F. MEHRING, R. ESCARPIT, J. HABERMAS, Y. DE LA HAYE, A. CABRAL, R. CONSTANTINO, C. ORTEGA & C. ROMERO, R. FREDERIX, J.D. BERNAL, S. EWEN, N.R. DANIELIAN, THE FILM COUNCIL (UK), R. LINDNER, R. WILLIAMS, R.A. BRADY, D. SINGTON & A. WEIDENFELD, FREE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, R. PERON, FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY-CHAIX PRINTERS, R. BONCHIO, J. STRASSER, M. JANCO & D. FURJOT, J.-M. CARIOT, M. O'CAOLLAI, SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE, L.A. PEREZ JR., H.I. SCHILLER, R. DRINOT SILVA, T.H. GUBACK, S. PEREZ BARRETO, J. ARONSON, PHONG HIEN & LE VAN HAO, C. BRIGHTMAN & M. KLARE. Includes an extensive bibliography with over 500 left books on the subject, p431-41. Along with vol 2, the most important attempt —in any language— to lay the groundwork for a critical left theory of communication and culture.
Vol 2 of 2 Volumes. An anthology of 64 left and progressive texts on the relationship between the practice and theory of communication and their development in the historical context of social struggle on a world scale, of which more than 38 are published for the first time in English, with some published for the first time in any language. This 2nd volume deals with an analysis of the development of popular and working-class communications and culture, its theory and practice under different political, social and historical conditions, as well as its contemporary expression.
It contains texts by S. SIEGELAUB, A. MATTELART, A. GRAMSCI, M. MATTELART, L. TROTSKY, O. NEGT & A. KLUGE, W.F. HAUG, E.CABET & L.-A. PAGNERRE, K. MARX, A. FORNET, R. LAVROFF, V.I. LENIN, THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL, D. TARTAKOWSKY, P. FOGARASI, WORKER'S LIFE, B. HOGENKAMP, G. BARONE & A. PETRUCCI, B. BRECHT, H. EISLER, F. HOLLERING, E. HOERNLE, W. MUNZENBERG, P. GAUDIBERT, L. BASSETS, CHE GUEVARA, A. SIBEKO, A. DORFMAN, F. FANON, O. GETINO & F. SOLANAS, H. ABU GHANIMA, A.B. KHALATOV, S. TRETIAKOV, EL LISSITSKY, T. KURTOVIC, F. CASTRO, J. GARCIA ESPINOSA, S. COELHO, THE MPLA, J. REBELO, FRELIMO, M. CHANAN, UNIFIED FEDERATION OF PRINTING & PAPER WORKERS-DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION OF PTT WORKERS-CFDT, P.M. MANACORDA, S. ALLENDE, D. KUNZLE, ARMED FORCES MOVEMENT, PORTUGUESE COMMUNIST PARTY, THE STRIKE COMMITTEE OF THE ÉCOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE DES BEAUX-ARTS, DIRECTORS OF POPULAR THEATRES AND CULTURAL CENTRES, COUNCIL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDIA, G. RICHERI, J. LINDSAY, & J.-M. PIEMME. Includes an extensive bibliography with over 650 left books on the subject, p421-35. Along with volume 1, the most important attempt —in any language— to lay the groundwork for a critical left theory of communication and culture.