Janet Wasko begins by pointing out the inaccuracies surrounding Walt's hometown. She states that Walt was born in Chicago, moved to Missouri for four years, moved to Kansas City for seven years, then finally back to Chicago. She then states that Walt's southern roots are therefore relatively shadow, which makes him phony for his attachments to small-town America. I think that her assessment is unjust. Walt Disney spent eleven years of his childhood in the South, which constitutes a large majority of his childhood. Even if he lived in the South for only a few years, that may have just been the place where he had his fondest memories. People are allowed to romanticized whichever towns they please, Janet Wasko.
Then next point which I think is outlandish is Wasko's argument against Walt as a family-man. Wasko seems to imply that because Walt and his older brother were abused by their father, Walt isn't in a position to build a company promoting positive family life. In my opinion, I think the poor relationship Walt had with his own family actually pushed him more towards creating a company promoting a healthy family environment. Walt never had it, but he wished it for everyone else.
In thinking about my strong reaction to this article, I feel like I may overly idolize Walt Disney, but I can't change my opinion on him. Walt Disney made his dreams come true and that makes him a true American hero. I might just be stubborn, but Wasko's article did not change my perceptions of Walt Disney in the slightest. I
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