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Toy Story and GlobalizationA Political and Cultural Study

By Pam Andes and Krunal Thakore

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You’ve Got a Friend in Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB2gPZRsz0Q&feature=PlayList&p=4968F6FAF1F34B24&playnext=1&play

next_from=PL&index=20

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Toy Story• Toy Story is a 1995 American

computer-animated family/buddy film, directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.

• The film was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and was distributed by Buena Vista Distribution.

• It was written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow, and featured music by Randy Newman.

• It was the first feature film released to use only computer-generated imagery.

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Outline

1. Political Plot Summary• Americana vs. Modernization• Independent Value or Dependent Value

2. Globalization and McDonaldization• Grobalization and Glocalization• Pixar and Disney• The Grobalization of Nothing and Disney

3. Film technical approaches: computer animation• Cost Effectiveness and Industrialization

4. Film’s use of music• Echoes Political point

5. Script Writing6. Conclusion on Globalization and Pixar

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Toy Story’s Plot

• Woody is a wooden cowboy doll that has been in the family and passed down to Andy, the child owner of all the toys

• Andy loves Woody but Andy receives a new toy from his Birthday party, Buzz Lightyear, the latest toy from a popular kids show about spacefighters

• Woody becomes jealous of Buzz Lightyear

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Toy Story’s political and cultural messages

• Woody represents Americana - authentic (imagined) America– He reflects the value of hand made items that are made

locally, using traditional skills.– He’s probably from the Fifties, but typically difficult to locate in

time– He’s wooden and probably hand-made, having human input,

possibly family-made

• Buzz Lightyear represents Modernity– He is from outer space, but more probably from China– He claims he can fly (but he can’t)– He’s very likeable, though appearances are deceptive.– He’s muscular, with an idealised male body shape

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Toy Story’s Plot

• The Other toys believe that Woody pushed Buzz Lightyear out the window

• Woody and Buzzlightyear fight between themselves

• Woody and Buzzlightyear must work together against the evil kid, Sid, who destroys all of his toys

• Woody and Buzzlightyear become best friends

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Toy Story Film: Buzzlightyear’s arrival to Andy’s room as the

New Toy in Townhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDREV3O3mH0&feature=related

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Woody vs. Buzzlightyear

• Hero from the fifties• Has cowboy hat• Hand-Made from

Wood• Is liked by everyone

and seen as a leader• Skinny• Andy’s favorite toy

• Hero from the future• Can fly and has

futuristic weapons• Plastic made by

machine • Everyone is awed by

him• Muscular• Starting to be Andy’s

favorite toy

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So what’s it about?

• After viewing the movie, one wonders did the movie make me appreciate all things?

• What is this movie really about?– Products and consumerism?– Globalization and Industrialization?– Tradition and modernity?– The old and the new have equal value?

• Did Pixar influence people or did People influence Pixar?

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Globalization and McDonaldization

• George Ritzer (2004), defines McDonaldization as the process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world (p.1).

• The principles of this system, Ritzer (2004), are Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, and Control through Nonhuman Technology (p.6 – 15).

• In essence, it’s fast and reliable. McDonalds is a global icon that is used but can also be replaced with Starbucks or for our purposes

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Globalization and McDonaldization

• Ritzer (2004), stated that McDonaldization is “one of many Globalization processes” where he defines Globalization as a “diffusion of practices, expansion of relations across continents, organization of social life on a global scale, and growth of a shared global consciousness” (p.160).

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Glocalization and Grobalization

• . Ritzer (2004) utilized the globalization theorist, Roland Robertson’s term, Glocalization, the interpenetration of the global and the local, resulting in unique outcomes in different geographic areas, and Ritzer offers his own coined term, Grobalization, the imperialistic ambitions of nations, corporations, organizations, and the like and their desire, indeed need, to impose themselves on various geographic areas (p. 163 - 165.)

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Glocalization and Grobalization

• Ritzer, further, separates them into 4 distinct types of these Globalizations:

1. Glocalization of Something such as Local Crafts or Craftsperson

2. Glocalization of Nothing such as Tourist Trinkets or Souvenir Shop Clerk

3. Grobalization of Something such as Museum or Touring Art Exhibit

4. Grobalization of Nothing such as McDonald’s restaurant and Big Mac

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Glocalization and Grobalization

• Ritzer, further, separates them into 4 distinct types of these Globalizations:

1. Glocalization of Something such as Local Crafts or Craftsperson

2. Glocalization of Nothing such as Tourist Trinkets or Souvenir Shop Clerk

3. Grobalization of Something such as Museum or Touring Art Exhibit

4. Grobalization of Nothing such as McDonald’s restaurant and Big Mac

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Toy Story’s Globalization

• In addition to DVD releases, Toy Story-inspired material has run the gamut from toys, video games, spin-offs, and merchandise. The film was so successful it prompted a sequel, Toy Story 2, which became an even bigger hit than the original. Toy Story is set for re-release in a double feature with Toy Story 2 in Disney Digital 3-D on October 2, 2009, and Toy Story 3, scheduled for release on June 18, 2010, is in development.

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Toy StoryGrobalization of Nothing?

• The reality is this, my house is filled with many Buzz Lightyears and only 2 Woodys.

• But the point is not that my 5 year old has more Buzz Lightyears than Woody’s.

• The point is that I have many products from this movie such as shirts, shoes, toys, and even eggs!

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Conclusion

• People are realizing their own grobalizations and grocalizations of nothing

• This thought trend has influenced Pixar into capturing the value of Americana and things that are made at home or locally in their film, especially Toy Story 2.– When she loved me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APD7JC7KVxo&feature=related

• But the reality is that it is only a political thought because Pixar is just as guilty as I am for creating grobalizations and grocalizations of nothing.

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Additional Clips

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px0j1EHF8Y0&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB2gPZRsz0Q&feature=PlayList&p=4968F6FAF1F34B24&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=20