Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 So last night I'm home (yeah the Spirit's social calendar is a bit slow right now) and I turn on America's Funniest Home Video or whatever the show is that Saget used to host and Bergeron does now. The whole thing is one freaking Disney commercial ... first for Midway Mania ... Bergeron is even seen interacting with Mr. Spuds at DCA's version ... and more so for Adventures By Disney, which gave away the grand prize. Even sent Tom to Paris to walk around the sites from Eiffel's little tower to that Cindy's rip-off at Versailles. The script was soooo ... soooo ... polished by Disney PR that it could give anyone a pixie dust high just from watching. Then we have the kicker ... the winning family is from California ... and their video? It's of a middle-aged woman visiting DL and DCA WHO SCREAMS LIKE SHE'S BEING STABBED on EVERY attraction ... we see/hear her on everything from the Sun Wheel to the Matterhorn ... from Mulholland Madness to Big Thunder Mountain and this woman is screaming like she is being tortured. I didn't find it amusing at all, painful is more like it and very contrived. But at the end amidst rows of Mickey and Minnie balloons, the Fab Five came out to give that family of loons their ADventures by Disney vacation. As an aside one must wonder how Jay's brainchild is doing when Disney has to resort to stunts like this at the same time my inbox is getting an email from the Mouse offering me $650 off per person if I book a select tour by May 31st. Anyone else see this? (the show or the email?)
Originally Posted By kennect Some how I thankfully missed it...But had I come across it I would have watched to see what you have said in your post...Can't they simply say upfront this is nothing more than a sixty minute commercial? Walt in the olden days blended this type of thing so well into the weekly show...Then again at that time he had a good reason to...Things like that were always exciting and new...Things we never knew could exist...Today it seems like "paid programming" when they want to show something off...
Originally Posted By SFH What, no crotch injuries? Testicular Americans, stand up for yourselves! ;-)
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 So are you saying that it wasn't very funny? Sorry I didn't get to watch the fun you had, and I didn't get the e-mail...maybe it's because I'm in Oklahoma...Who knows.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<What, no crotch injuries? Testicular Americans, stand up for yourselves! ;-)>> No crotch injuries. Although plenty of those staged scenes. But in another finalist video (funnier to me) a dog jumps into a little boy's (2-3 years at most, if that) bath and creates havoc and I couldn't help but be astounded that not only did they blur out his little penis, but also his butt got the puritanical treatment as well. It's great that this country doesn't have serious problems, so we can focus on nudity. When did I leave the USA and enter a theocracy? (latest political rant off)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<So are you saying that it wasn't very funny? >> It was so grating I felt like tossing something through the TV (need a new one anyway!) It was just so contrived, so loud and obnoxious. <<Sorry I didn't get to watch the fun you had, and I didn't get the e-mail...maybe it's because I'm in Oklahoma...Who knows.>> I love Oklahoma. Some of the nicest people I've met. Oklahoma City really impressed me as well ... like Bricktown a lot. The whole place surprised me, really. Tulsa was nice too, but a bit too conservative for my tastes. The whole state though seemed very liveable ... provided the tornados stay away.
Originally Posted By mousermerf Any promotional stuff Disney does lately reeks of snake oil salesmen. The way they used to do it, even up through Epcot and MGM's openings, seemed charming and interesting. At some point, Eisner starting the Wonderful World of Disne became trite and disingenuous. Then everything else went down the tube too.
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 Spirit, do you like basketball? We get the NBA in OKC... Whooo Hooo. I think Oklahoma's are nice, thank you. We have made lots of improvments to Bricktown and now we have cruises for the river. whoo hoo.
Originally Posted By bayrr326 I have gotten the Adventures by Disney discount email. Things must be pretty bad for them to be discounting like that. If I had the money I would consider doing the Disneyland one. That looks pretty cool.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Spirit, do you like basketball? >> Uhm ... you could say that! <<We get the NBA in OKC... Whooo Hooo.>> Yep. Seattle's loss is OKC's gain. I wonder if they'll rename the franchise or not. Sonics doesn't sound right in OK. Of course the Utah Jazz doesn't make sense except to us oldtimers who know they began in New Orleans. <<I think Oklahoma's are nice, thank you. We have made lots of improvments to Bricktown and now we have cruises for the river. whoo hoo. >> I hope to get back there sometime soon. It's a great city. Modern yet friendly. And Bricktown is terrific. Love that ballpark. Also had some great food down there.
Originally Posted By sharon2 AFHV is only enjoyable when at a Disney Resort. Extreme Makeover, Home Edition is the same way, only it's a tear jerker. You may as well just watch the Travel Channel.
Originally Posted By Fe Maiden There were plenty of eye-rolling moments for sure. Did you notice when the Fab 5 came out at the end their outfits all matched in that generic "Disney Parks" blue. Yuck. My wife and I joked before the show even started how much it was going to be one big infomercial. They weren't shy about it. That being said my boys were really excited to see the different offerings in the parks just like I was when I was a kid watching the holiday parades. After seeing TSM and everything else they wanted to know when we were going back.
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 Sorry guys on getting so off subject...I just wanted to tell Spirit one more thing. Yes we are going to change the name of the Seahawks... They are letting Oklahomans vote and we are changing the uniform.
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 Boy I'm dumb its Sonics not the Seahawks... that's football. (My mind id on football sorry)
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Tulsa was nice too, but a bit too conservative for my tastes. << Now that's my kind of city!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<There were plenty of eye-rolling moments for sure. Did you notice when the Fab 5 came out at the end their outfits all matched in that generic "Disney Parks" blue. Yuck.>> Well, what did you expect? The Fab Five had to wear their Two Years of Two Million Dreams But Mostly Fastpasses and Lanyards And Assorted Crap You Don't Really Dream About Unless You Have Some Major Psychological Issues ... if they didn't, Jay would have taken them behind the studio and had his goons use tire irons on them! <<My wife and I joked before the show even started how much it was going to be one big infomercial. They weren't shy about it.>> Nope. I guess that's my 'issue' with them. There's nothing wrong with subtle advertising or synergy ... that does go all the way back to Walt's time on Sunday nights and later the Disney Parades in the 1980s and early 90s. But there seems to be such an in your face, edge to how Disney operates now that it really is sickening. I would guess it turns off many more people than it sends off to book WDW ressies. <<That being said my boys were really excited to see the different offerings in the parks just like I was when I was a kid watching the holiday parades. After seeing TSM and everything else they wanted to know when we were going back.>> They know their audience. AFHV is a 'family' show so they are expecting plenty of kiddies to act just like yours!
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Mostly Fastpasses and Lanyards And Assorted Crap You Don't Really Dream About Unless You Have Some Major Psychological Issues ... << You Rang!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> Tulsa was nice too, but a bit too conservative for my tastes. << <<Now that's my kind of city!>> Of course. You're from Texas. You're likely one of the 2.7 out of 10 who supports ... can't even type his name!;-) The first two things I noticed when I checked into my room at the Tulsa Hilton was the world's first Super WalMart (really) next door and the giant hands reaching to the sky of Oral Roberts University across the street ... I dunno which freaked me out more. Thankfully, Marilyn (the lovely concierge) made sure I had lots of wine and soon wasn't thinking of either!
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 There's a Super Wal-Mart opening in my town tomorrow. Bet we won't see the Spirit there.
