New Books Network Sabrina Mittermeier, "Fan Phenomena: Disney" (Intellect Books, 2023)
Nov 28, 2025
Sabrina Mittermeier, a cultural historian and editor of Fan Phenomena: Disney, delves into the fascinating world of Disney fandom. She discusses the diverse and active roles fans play, including issues of race and queerness in the community. The podcast explores the contradictions within Disney’s corporate image and how recent leadership changes impact fan engagement. Mittermeier also highlights the significance of parks as fan spaces and the monetization of fan labor, all while advocating for more inclusive and queer-focused research in Disney studies.
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Fans Actively Reshape Disney Meaning
- Fan studies adds nuance to Disney scholarship by showing fans actively interpret and reshape texts.
- This complicates earlier views that treated audiences as passive dupes of Disney's industry power.
Disney Fandom Is Politically Fractured
- Disney fandom contains competing political currents from progressive inclusion advocates to conservative and alt-right anti-fans.
- That tension makes Disney a rich site to study how industry and fans influence each other politically.
Inclusion Is Both Value And Strategy
- 'Inclusion' functions as both a genuinely political response and a corporate business strategy at Disney.
- Company leadership and CEO changes shape how inclusion is practiced and how fans respond.
