Why Can't Disney be "Cool?"
 

So I’ve been playing some of the cool Disney CDs I picked up at Tokyo Disneyland, and I’m just struck by how cool they actually are. Chanson Edomalá is a compilation of Disney and Disney inspired songs remixed and produced by Dimitri from Paris, this thing is true Swanksville, but nowhere to be seen in the States.

I also picked up the two Mosh Pit Disney CDs and have been grooving to them as well. I can’t believe Disney doesn’t market these here. Is the Disney brand so antithetical to “cool” in the US, that Disney doesn’t even bother?

It just seems a shame.

I hope I'll hear some of those tracks in someone's home, or perhaps on someone's podcast. *cough*

As for the "cool" factor of Disney in the states-- there seemed to be a revival of retro Disney images that started last year. There was a "couture" line (Bambi Couture?) of tees and memorabilia that could be found in various trendy shops around town. It seemed like every celebrity was sporting a vintage Mickey shirt.

It may be square for some of the youngsters in their quest for unthemed roller coasters, but I think that the various octopus-legs of the company is appealing to a broad range of people. Cute punk girls bedecked in safety pins. Stars of screen and stage. Hipsters. They're all sporting Disney these days. I think the company's missing the boat by not marketing the Bossa Nova et al.

I suppose the Shag linkage is a good sign - it'd be nice to see them develop their brand a bit instead siphon the life out of it. Perhaps we are at another turning point?

What? Disney's not cool?

That explains so much about my life.

I think so. Disney seems to be acknowledging the adult market in better ways all the time.

Disney has been slowly testing the waters here in the States. The recent CD release of the Bossa Nova stuff is a good example (required listening for all swankers). I paid close attention to the merchandising going on in Japan this time around, and I think the fact that Tokyo is so much more youth and fashion conscious than any American city probably plays a big role in the Disney "coolness" factor. I would hazard a guess that more hip Japanese folks are aware of Disney's presence on the runways last season than us Americans - and that tends to filter down to the the stuff they get in the "regular" shops. Hell, I saw a $300 Dolce & Gabbana "Beagle Boys" t-shirt in the Shinjuku Don Quixote store. The merchandising going on in the parks here is a step in the right direction - retro-wear, cool music reissues thanks to Randy T... now it's a question of spreading the word. I try to do it with the 'pod... hopefully someone at the Mouse will get the message.

You said just about what I was thinking, MP. The awareness and popularity of Disney characters and concepts in Japan is astounding - for all ages.

In the US, Disney tends to find one or two things that are cool and work for the target market then overmarkets it. As much as I love Shag, it is becoming ubiquitious. What's needed is variety for the US market to build that comsumer spending (although, with the 50th stuff, I'm doing quite a bit of that). I think they're learning, but they need to keep going. It is a hopeful sign that they are recognizing and marketing to the adult but still hip market.

There's a large disconnect between Japonese coolness and American coolness. NA's current sig is an excellent demonstration. Kawaii=cute. And cute is eminently cool in Japan. It's both common and cool for guys to carry cute stuffed animals. Disney fits right in with that. In the US, cute is most definitely not cool. It's "girly" and "childish". It's a difficult task for Disney to bridge that gap.

MousePod mentioned this on an earlier podcast, that the general American market is less daring, at least when it comes to re-arranging songs/music from the Disney canon. "Arrangment" isn't even quite an adequate nor accurate description; stuff like the Disney Bossa Nova are more re-conceptions of the originals, that pay homage but yet effortlessly and sincerely carve out their distinct style. In a word, no cookie-cutter pop.

I've picked up some (read: extravagantly too much) CDs at Disneyland Paris over the past few years, and I am constantly surprised (mostly pleasantly so), delighted, and at times simply blown away by the sheer depth and imagination of some of these arrangements.

The current crop of Disney Pop stuff (I won't name names, but I think you guys know what I'm referring to) pale in comparison, at least for my more eclectic-than-mainstream music tastes.

You know there is that Disney=cute thing going on in Japan, but there is much more. Music-wise, which is what prompted my post - there's definately some cool (and not necessarily cute) things going on.

Also characterwise, there were some cool, non-traditional images being used - Mickey smashing a guitar, was a popular one (Did we take a picture of that?). Nightemare before Christmas merchandise was also ridiculously popular, along with other Tim Burton creations.

I also saw Stich is promoted a popular "bad boy" character - perhaps that's what Disney needs. Afterall, Mickey did start out as a rather rakish mouse, then Donald took over the bad boy role.

Maybe amidst the Manga and Cos-play, the notion of "wholesome" cartoon characters isn't as prevalent allowing for both cute and cool.