If you love Disneyland, I mean really love it, then you probably shouldn't read this blog. I actually don't have anything against Disneyland. Maybe it's like in high school when I didn't want to like U2 because everyone liked U2. At least in California, Disneyland is pervasive. Billboards, tv ads, radio ads, etc. Many of my friends and acquaintances often make the drive down there as some sort of pilgrimage.
A pilgrimage is in fact the exact word I'm looking for. Disneyland is set up in these ads as a pseudo-religious experience. Magic in place of priesthood, thrilling rides in place of religious fervor, abject consumerism in place of holy offerings. Mind you, I'm not describing the experience of being there, just the experience of the ads. There are in some ads the girl who has not yet seen Mickey Mouse and perhaps is in danger of not "believing in magic", but then just as they are leaving she sees him- it's a miracle! There are even the evangelists - the girl in the elevator chatting on and on about Disneyland to perfect strangers and the parents laughingly explain that they went a year ago, apparently quite happy that their daughter has become some sort of religious fanatic.
Then again, I haven't been to Disneyland since I was fourteen. I probably would love it. Maybe I'm just jealous.
10 years ago
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3 comments:
What?? You haven't been since you were 14? Didn't you come when we went to pick up Jenny from her mission?
I don't think I did. I must have gotten there after that.
When we picked up Jenny, we did Disnyland on Monday (June 23, 2003) and Michelle flew in on Tuesday (according to my journal).
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