Adam And Kevin Ruin Theme Parks
August 30, 2023 11:14 AM Subscribe
As part of his Factually podcast, comedian and WGA representative Adam Conover interviews Defunctland's Kevin Perjurer about what drew him to theme parks and their history, how such parks factor into our culture, and how services like YouTube are enabling a new breed of fandom documentarian. (SLYT)
Defunctland previously on the Blue.
Defunctland previously on the Blue.
Ha! I just started this running and refreshed the Blue to find this post here. I'm looking forward to it. Adam's interviews are great. He did one with an expert on MDMA therapy that was like a mini-college class, so informative.
posted by hippybear at 11:20 AM on August 30, 2023
posted by hippybear at 11:20 AM on August 30, 2023
It would be great if he explained why he picked this pseud
I imagine it's his actual name. And given that historically, last names are the result of someone's actions, I'd also imagine there's one hell of a story behind it.
posted by NoxAeternum at 11:22 AM on August 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
I imagine it's his actual name. And given that historically, last names are the result of someone's actions, I'd also imagine there's one hell of a story behind it.
posted by NoxAeternum at 11:22 AM on August 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
Just ask my great-great grandfather, Jebidiah Publicmasturbator
posted by dr_dank at 11:27 AM on August 30, 2023 [20 favorites]
posted by dr_dank at 11:27 AM on August 30, 2023 [20 favorites]
Last week I wore my Shapeland shirt on a Disney cruise. One man complemented it. I complemented his taste in videos.
posted by persona at 11:27 AM on August 30, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by persona at 11:27 AM on August 30, 2023 [6 favorites]
Just ask my great-great grandfather, Jebidiah Publicmasturbator
Of the Connecticut Publicmastrubators?
posted by Parasite Unseen at 1:32 PM on August 30, 2023 [12 favorites]
Of the Connecticut Publicmastrubators?
posted by Parasite Unseen at 1:32 PM on August 30, 2023 [12 favorites]
I think Jebidiah is of the Pennsylvania Publicmasturbators.
posted by tclark at 1:46 PM on August 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by tclark at 1:46 PM on August 30, 2023 [4 favorites]
Oh. Those Publicmasturbators.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:35 PM on August 30, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 2:35 PM on August 30, 2023 [6 favorites]
What's amazing is shortly after the Publimasturbators were forceably put on boats and removed from England, not only had they landed in the Colonies, but by the mid-1800s, you could find Publicmasturbators in every state in the Union.
posted by hippybear at 2:55 PM on August 30, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 2:55 PM on August 30, 2023 [6 favorites]
This thread, like an overly ambitious theme park ride, has taken an irresponsible and lamentable turn.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 3:00 PM on August 30, 2023 [17 favorites]
posted by Parasite Unseen at 3:00 PM on August 30, 2023 [17 favorites]
This is the part of the theme park ride where they try to convince you you've taken a wrong turn and you're in danger. Don't worry, a princess will save us soon
posted by potrzebie at 3:03 PM on August 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 3:03 PM on August 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
AND NOW OIL DERRICKS FOR SOME REASON
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 3:11 PM on August 30, 2023
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 3:11 PM on August 30, 2023
I will say that Kevin's attempt to explain The Wiggles to Adam was hilarious.
posted by NoxAeternum at 4:40 PM on August 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by NoxAeternum at 4:40 PM on August 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
“You don’t know “Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy?!”
[Adam cackling]
posted by gc at 5:14 PM on August 30, 2023
[Adam cackling]
posted by gc at 5:14 PM on August 30, 2023
Huh. Disney didn’t like cars. Like the host that’s a positive aspect to him I’m surprised by.
(Still a union busting shit though, as noted)
posted by Artw at 5:56 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
(Still a union busting shit though, as noted)
posted by Artw at 5:56 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
Contrary to the host I’d say The Toys That Made Us is often worthwhile and I’d rec the Power Rangers, Barbie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes in particular.
posted by Artw at 6:05 PM on August 30, 2023
posted by Artw at 6:05 PM on August 30, 2023
This thread, like an overly ambitious theme park ride...
Or a poorly aged wooden coaster?
posted by JoeXIII007 at 7:28 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
Or a poorly aged wooden coaster?
posted by JoeXIII007 at 7:28 PM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
Disney didn't like cars so much that he hired none other than ROBERT MOSES to design his city of the future! Understandable, I hate [X] so much that I hired [Guy Who Famously Used X to Destroy Civilization]!
posted by Rudy_Wiser at 8:27 PM on August 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Rudy_Wiser at 8:27 PM on August 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
I think cars were just the vehicle that enabled Robert Moses to be a ruthless, authoritarian city planner. Disney hiring him was just game recognizing game.
Also, didn't Disney envision his cities to have underground roads and vast parking structures? It seems he didn't hate cars so much as he hated the sight of cars.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 8:51 AM on August 31, 2023
Also, didn't Disney envision his cities to have underground roads and vast parking structures? It seems he didn't hate cars so much as he hated the sight of cars.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 8:51 AM on August 31, 2023
More on that in the EPCOT video, which I nod realise is kind of a stealth part 2 to the worlds fair one above.
posted by Artw at 9:02 AM on August 31, 2023
posted by Artw at 9:02 AM on August 31, 2023
There’s a Defunctland about that…
If you go deep enough into the comment section of that video, there's a post by someone who seems to be Michael Eisner.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 9:37 AM on August 31, 2023
If you go deep enough into the comment section of that video, there's a post by someone who seems to be Michael Eisner.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 9:37 AM on August 31, 2023
LOL. Michael Eisner is pretty much a Defunctland recurring character.
posted by Artw at 9:41 AM on August 31, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 9:41 AM on August 31, 2023 [2 favorites]
My first post-college job was at Imagineering. (Odds are good that if you had your photo taken on a ride or by a roving cameraman back in the 90's and early 2000's- that was my code!)
That division was made up of some of the wildest, craziest artistic people driven absolutely by details and a management (at the WDI level at least) that tried to shave costs where they could, but not at the expense of that Disney spit polish and shine. Every little detail was obsessed over. What was the right shade? Would the paint hold? What scale details and easter eggs.
Imagineers fought for every function on every AA figure that they could. (Back when I was there, the most expensive AA figure in the parks was almost always the current president in the Hall of Presidents. ~$2M per figure in 90's dollars))
Those folks really, really gave a damn and then Parks and Resorts really crushed it when they took over post 2001. (That and Ops cutting the maintenance budget to the bone leading to actual visual shabbiness creeping into the parks!)
Actually, the worst thing that every happened to Disney's design gap lead over other theme parks was Eisner's cost cutting moves that put a lot of Imagineers on project cycle cuts. They'd staff up, train people in "the Disney Way", build the new park/ride and then cut back to the bone. All those laid off Imagineers had to go somewhere and a bunch went to Universal. (Previously, Imagineers were Imagineers and they were that for lifeish) The only thing, I think, that's saved the parks over the year, beyond the nutbar dedication of the frontline employees and engineers, is that making/running a high quality theme park is stupidly expensive.
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:58 PM on August 31, 2023 [3 favorites]
That division was made up of some of the wildest, craziest artistic people driven absolutely by details and a management (at the WDI level at least) that tried to shave costs where they could, but not at the expense of that Disney spit polish and shine. Every little detail was obsessed over. What was the right shade? Would the paint hold? What scale details and easter eggs.
Imagineers fought for every function on every AA figure that they could. (Back when I was there, the most expensive AA figure in the parks was almost always the current president in the Hall of Presidents. ~$2M per figure in 90's dollars))
Those folks really, really gave a damn and then Parks and Resorts really crushed it when they took over post 2001. (That and Ops cutting the maintenance budget to the bone leading to actual visual shabbiness creeping into the parks!)
Actually, the worst thing that every happened to Disney's design gap lead over other theme parks was Eisner's cost cutting moves that put a lot of Imagineers on project cycle cuts. They'd staff up, train people in "the Disney Way", build the new park/ride and then cut back to the bone. All those laid off Imagineers had to go somewhere and a bunch went to Universal. (Previously, Imagineers were Imagineers and they were that for lifeish) The only thing, I think, that's saved the parks over the year, beyond the nutbar dedication of the frontline employees and engineers, is that making/running a high quality theme park is stupidly expensive.
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:58 PM on August 31, 2023 [3 favorites]
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* It would be great if he explained why he picked this pseud
posted by Countess Elena at 11:18 AM on August 30, 2023 [1 favorite]