Question 2
When trying to decide the cause of the “Crockett Craze” of the 1950s, it is important to consider why Crockett was chosen. Walt Disney had some reservations at first, as Roberts and Olson point out. The Davy Crockett television series was to be the first of many about legendary figures in American history, but they needed somewhere to start. He was chosen because his life was short, interesting, had really specific high points, and fairly vague in-between time. This turned out to be the perfect combination for the series. So, in part, the Crockett Craze is a result of the fact that Disney picked him for the series. Had he not been picked to be a television hero, he obviously wouldn’t be as famous as he is now.
There’s more to the story though. I think that the Crockett Craze is a result of options B and D from the prompt. I think that Disney picked Crockett because he could work with the plot of his life. Crockett stood for wholesomeness, trustworthiness, and reliability, all qualities of a Disney and American hero. But it’s also important to note that Americans (and lots of other cultures worldwide) will never stop wanting escapism through TV, movies, and other popular culture. Without this demand for entertainment, Disney would never have achieved the same level of success with the Crockett series. It can be said then, that the people asked for a hero, and Disney delivered one. While Crockett certainly did live an interesting and respectably heroic life, so did many other people that don’t have the level of fame as Crockett. His status as a hero is undisputed, but his fame is an effect of the American desire to remember him. With someone as successful as Walt Disney to project his image, his fame was boosted infinitely. The thirst of the masses for someone to idolize through escapist entertainment is insatiable, thus providing an outlet for many more Americans to move from being a hero to becoming legendary.