Media monopolies

Media Monopolies: Time Warner vs The Walt Disney Company

Many comic book fans are familiar with the age old debate of Marvel vs DC, but I thought it would be fun to stretch this debate out and compare what the two largest media companies in existence have over each other and what it says about both the companies and what it means about you, depending the one you picked.

The Monopoly

Marvel is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The same company also owns ABC, which owns A&E and ESPN. They additionally own Lucasfilm (which created Pixar), Pixar (which found its way back to Disney), the Disney parks, and of course all of the content Disney created on their own i.e. the movies and cartoons. AT first it might not seem like much but when you think about it, this is what Disney owns:

Lucasfilms

  • Indian Jones
  • The Land Before Time
  • Howard the Duck (if you’re into that sort of thing)
  • Star Wars- enough said

Pixar

  • Toy Story trilogy
  • Cars
  • Finding Nemo
  • The Incredibles
  • Up
  • Monsters Inc.

I won’t even begin to list what movies and cartoons Disney has created that is an article in itself. All hail king Mickey.

Media monopolies

Time Warner is not short of Disney when it comes to assests. They of course own DC as well as HBO, Cinemax, CNN, and TBS which owns Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. At a time in the past they once owned Six Flags. They are essentially competing in every aspect of their business.

Mickey Mouse vs. Bugs Bunny

Media monopolies

What the argument boils down to is which one do you pick? Are the people who favor Marvel the same people who prefer Mickey and Disney Channel over Bugs Bunny and Cartoon Network.

When people bring the debate of the comic companies and start to compare their movies, and I think this is true for most of the mediums they exist in now, I will often say that the two aim to have different goals. DC aims to be dramatic, cinematic, and thrilling. Marvel aims to be family friendly, comedic, and entertaining. I again feel the same can be said about their parent companies.

What It Means

What this parallel says about the companies is that they have different styles, flavors, and values, so even though, like I said previously, they are competing everywhere, they seem so different. Plus, they have a monopoly on everyone’s childhood. If you sat in front of a television in the past century and a half, you were probably watching something they made.

What this said about you is that you probably like the flavor and values and things that the company strives for, you probably like that one more. It’s not that one is better, but they have different execution and everyone does view everything the same.

What is says about me is that I like both about equally, but I love a good story that isn’t hindered by morals and family and togetherness sometimes so I do like Warner just a tincy bit more, but I can have the same debate with myself between this two like any two people with good taste can.

Which one do you like more?

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3 Comments

  1. Albert Weis says:

    Bugs Bunny Warner Bros all the way Bugs Bunny is a far better cartoon character than Mickey Mouse and DC is far more enjoyable to watch than Marvel

  2. Timi Oluwatayo says:

    I like TimeWarner more

  3. Timi Oluwatayo says:

    I think TimeWarner is better