A Thirsty Lion from Disney's Coronado Springs
We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog silence for a couple of random observations.
1. Disney has an attraction in Magic Kingdom based on Monsters, Inc. It simulates a comedy club. As part of the act, a camera captures members of the audience and incorporates them into the show. I was fascinated to see that the Disney folks tended to pick out mean or odd looking people to poke fun at, and cute people to interact with the characters. I guess even in Disney with its egalitarian message, human interactions based on appearance still carry the day, albeit more subtly.
2. Someone has commissioned a skywriting pilot to sketch out brief religious messages in the sky.
Love is a weird word, isn't it? So many meanings.
I prefer the Latin caritas for the religious context.
My reaction is probably opposite to many folks. I respect whoever is behind the skywriting, not for the message, but because it’s a private activity completely within the rights and power of individuals. Where I do have a problem is when people take power that isn't theirs to deliver a religious message. Examples? Public school teachers preaching during school time. Mayors putting up displays on public grounds. Tax dollars being spent on religious messages. For some reason, many people don't see the distinction.
But to the skywriters, I say, smoke on!
Okay folks, that's all for now. Hope you are doing well.
As you were.
12 comments:
I share your feelings about religious displays. Enough said.
I do hope you're having a wonderful time. I loved visiting Disneyworld and I especially loved Epcot. So many fun and interesting things to see and do!
I don't think it was a 'religous message' at all.
The smoke might have said 'smile', 'peace for all', whatever.
If said too often and at inappropriate places, these important words loose their original meaning. They become a 'smiley', meaning nothing in particular, like an ordinary handshake between business partners who hate each other.
This message mimics something what is not there and/or what is fake.
(It was a tremendous waste of non-renewable energy.)
Kaycie, it's going really well. Combined with last year, we've seen pretty much all we wanted to see.
Szelsofa, interestingly, the messages did include a smiley. I think it said God = :) You can apply your frustration with "fake" communication much more widely. My question to you, however, is what is fake? Is the hate between business partners the truth, or is it merely their petty and juvenile emotions? Perhaps the handshake is the truth, and the effort of civility behind it. Don't be so quick to denounce the effort. Often, the effort comes first, and only then do the emotions finally follow.
I couldn't agree more. The Disney dream/message is often a little, er, confusing.
Paul and I cast a skeptical eye at each other while we watched the Lion King-inspired environmental movie at Epcot. Don't get me wrong, there were great messages about conserving and recycling, etc., and yet it rang hollow to a large extent, due to where we sat. Disney is a wonderful place, but it's certainly a realm of excessiveness as much as anything. Of course, we were sitting there, having fun, so I suppose we're a couple of little hypocrites. ;)
Anyway, I'm glad you guys are still enjoying yourselves. And that you're still using your brain. ;) Mine hasn't quite recovered...
You might be right and those business people might in fact be interested in each other, be accepting each other's personality and behaving as if they hated each other is the 'game'.
It surely can be this way or the other way as well.
I referred ot this situation as one example when people fake emotions and relationships. (PerhapsI used a wrong example...)
In my book, fake is something people do to please themselves and each other instead of searching for a stable solution.
What is fake?
Using biofuels, or producing organic food with the help of vast amounts of petrol is also fake.
These solutions tell people it's allright to use petrol when it's not.
(Well most of my examples are food/agriculture related, I hope you don't mind.)
And while it's great to talk about loving each other it fells flat when coming from the mouth of someone you do not love and/or know presonally. Or if that person do not love/know you personally. It hardly has any resonance within.
Or, I don't know.
Parents and a great caring and accepting family is where people should be learning the basics of love for example, not from smokes on the sky.
or perhaps,it is just my impatience towards 'keep smiling', which is appearantly everywhere in the world now.
Okay, first, I thought that said "LOL" and couldn't figure out how it was a religious message.
Then when you said it was Love, I still couldn't figure it out. Were the religious messages more specific than this?
Sarah, it's amazing how much of a machine this place is. If it ever experienced a drop in popularity, it would implode quickly. It must take so much money to keep it running. Yes, much excess. However, there aren't many places like it, and folks come here to see it. It's kind of like entertainment carpooling. Maybe there are some savings with that. **I hope you mentally recover soon! I'm really itching to do some writing. Maybe on the plane.
Szelsofa, yes, these are difficult topics. I feel the same push and pull you do. Often, opinions seems to change based on the perspective taken.
Jaye, this was only one of the messages. Things like God, love, smiley faces. Jesus was thrown in too.
Are you sure that lion is thirsty? It looks to me more like he's...well.
Disney is a great place, but in the past decades, more and more transparently corporate. Have fun!
I agree. But as a lawyer, how would you bring that up in the Supreme Court. I mean, if you started putting prayers in the air.
PrAiryers (Sometimes I crack myself up. sorry)
Separation of church and state can be tricky. I think our elementary does a nice job of being celebratory without being religious.
I hope your having a nice time!!
Jaye, maybe he's had too much tequila. I've never seen an animal that sick.
Billy, I can barely remember my trip there when I was little. 1976. EPCOT didn't exist yet.
C.E., prayers in the air couldn't be challenged, I think. Not much different than putting a message in your front yard. Good to hear your school is open minded!
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