Disney and Unexpected Metaphors
We just spent the last five days in Disney, the “happiest place on earth.” My wife loves Disney World, hence, so do I. We walked a lot. I estimate around seventy miles a day; wife estimates less than four. After a long swelling day of “happy” it was interesting to flip through the channels at night and engage the unhappy world, news about the latest Bin Laden tape, 200-point drop in the Dow, Ford’s “restructuring,” spygate, another mining problem, gum disease, and so forth. The next morning it was back to Tinkerbell, Mickey, and crew. The sun was nice; it was good to know that it had snowed in Chicago.
At MGM we saw a short stage performance of “Beauty and the Beast,” the unexpected metaphor of Disney and Life. In the performance, the mighty and haughty Gaston sings of his displeasure of Belle’s love of the Beast. Because his jealousy is no good reason to gather the rabble to whack the Beast, Gaston does something remarkably familiar: create fear. The Beast will kill your children, Gaston warned. No one will be safe. He must be destroyed. If you’re not with us, you’re against us (not kidding). And your phones must be tapped and emails intercepted (kidding).
Well, it’s good to be in the sun and absorb the happy. Actually, it’s very good for the soul. Sometimes you need happiness training, even if it's somewhat overboard. Unhappiness and spirituality have some seriously bad history between them. One tries to stop the other.
At MGM we saw a short stage performance of “Beauty and the Beast,” the unexpected metaphor of Disney and Life. In the performance, the mighty and haughty Gaston sings of his displeasure of Belle’s love of the Beast. Because his jealousy is no good reason to gather the rabble to whack the Beast, Gaston does something remarkably familiar: create fear. The Beast will kill your children, Gaston warned. No one will be safe. He must be destroyed. If you’re not with us, you’re against us (not kidding). And your phones must be tapped and emails intercepted (kidding).
Well, it’s good to be in the sun and absorb the happy. Actually, it’s very good for the soul. Sometimes you need happiness training, even if it's somewhat overboard. Unhappiness and spirituality have some seriously bad history between them. One tries to stop the other.
posted by fromclay at 1/24/2006 08:54:00 AM
3 Comments:
Indeed, for how can one who strives for spirituality or any connectedness with God be at the same time so unhappy?
It's interesting to also note how few Muslims we actually saw at Disney. And the one couple with child and scarf-wearing wife who walked right by us (so close that the husband almost toppled the stroller to get out of our way) refused to make eye contact with us but finally managed one quick furtive embarrassed glance up after we said salam.
That's so sad, if not unhappy. Can't Muslims smile anymore?
But you forgot to mention the REAL metaphor of Beauty and the Beast ... you know, the one about how i'm Beauty and you're the B...rince ;)
Nadia
PS Disneyworld notwithstanding, the happiest place on earth is the place where you are :)
Hey, I thought about going to Disney once. But then, it turned out that I already had a mortgage :)
It's not real life, and when I tried to pay with not real money, things got real. I kept telling my wife that I'm going to discover the evil that's behind all the smiles and lovely buildings. Still on the case.
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