Originally Posted By SleepingBeauty82 I'm not honestly sure how many people would notice them. Besides people like us who frequent the parks regularly. Most people there are too busy running around and having fun to notice them. I agree with Figurehead, if they got enough complaints I'm sure they would be changed. I just doubt that many people read that much into them. I'm Jewish and I didn't even see it in the picture right away! Pretty sure the shape is unintentional.
Originally Posted By SleepingBeauty82 ^^^Talking about the swastikas, not the Monorail patch. That should have just been recalled!
Originally Posted By Ursula I think some people here are being a bit alarmist in their responses. It isn't a swastika.
Originally Posted By Figurehead Really, it is. Here is another example. This is a Budist temple adorned with the swastikas in almost the same type of pattern. <a href="http://www.itravelnet.com/photos/as/vietnam/vietnam/swastikas.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.itravelnet.com/phot...ikas.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By Ursula It isn't meant to be one so it isn't one. You read into it that it is, so you think it is. Do you really think they MEANT to have you interpret that as a swastika? If you walk down the street and see a sign that says Women's Wear and the first s is too close to the second W, do you think it should be taking down because you think it says Women Swear?
Originally Posted By Figurehead Of course not. What I am saying is... NO they shouldn't remove them/make changes/alter in any way etc., and I am SURE Disney never intentionaly put swastikas in the park. What I am saying is they most likely INADVERTANTLY used a design that DOES IN FACT have a swastika in it, and the design was PURPOSELY made to incorporate the swastika design. It's NOT a mistake that it's in the DESIGN that just happens to be EONS of years old. Remember until the usage by the Nazis, it was NOT an offensive symbol, it was a peace symbol, a GOOD symbol. Trust me, in the line of work I am in (tattoos), I KNOW the history of the swastika along with many other symbols. What is odd is that Disney missed it when they put them in... if they even checked details that minor to begin with. I'm sure they didn't have someone sitting around choosing which base design was going to be used on the lamp posts. They most likely picked premade lamp posts that were the correct time frame and least expensive.
Originally Posted By Hista98 you know there is a window on main street that says glass blowers, if you cover up the G it says A** Blowers. Gee I hope no one takes offense to that oh no we had to change a word to cause trouble at the park. ohhh scary!!!
Originally Posted By Mickeysbestfan So because a design has what appears to be swastika in it, it is therefore indeed a swastika? It's a design that happens to make something simular to a swastika. I never realized a swastika was a continuous geometric design.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I think what Figurehead is saying is that the swastika motif has been stigmatized because of its use during WWII in Germany. Whether Disney's designers were aware that the lamp posts in question featured swastikas as part of their design is another question all together. It is possible that Disney's art directors were aware of them and used them anyway since it is still widely used in Eastern religions. I think it should be noted that the Nazi symbol was typically displayed at a 45 degree angle, and therefore the DCA design shouldn't be confused with it.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Wooden telephone poles resemble crucifixes. Sometimes stuff just happens.
Originally Posted By danyoung >Monorail was spelled wrong on it.< Wow - I studied that image so that I wouldn't look like an idiot. Total failure there!
Originally Posted By wonderingalice I'm as big of a Disney Dork as the next person, but I've never made a point of closely examining something as common as the base of a light post. Maybe if I was sitting on a curb, zoning out while Mr. Alice was in the bathroom...? Dunno 'bout that, either. ;-) Can't imagine that the casual visitor would take notice at all.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 This post proves my theory that people will find fault with everything, no matter how little.... I mean who in the hell would stare at the lamp post to begin with? It's a non issue, and if Disney does change it I will be surprised.... My favorite wrestler Ric Flair, says he is going to take women on "Space Mountain" basically implying he is going to sleep with them, I am going to try and get Disney to change the name of Space Mountain because to me it infers to have sex with a woman.... See how stupid that argument sounds? Ranks right up with the original post....
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>My favorite wrestler Ric Flair, says he is going to take women on "Space Mountain" basically implying he is going to sleep with them<< That's very passe. The new term is "Taking a hike on the ol' Appalachian Trail."
Originally Posted By Figurehead William, I never said they should change it, I'm saying I'm surprised they didn't see it when they put it in. It's not offensive to me, nore do I think it will be to anyone else, what I meant was I'm surprized that it accidentaly got through somehow, just knowing how everyone is trying to be as "PC" as possible. It's silly, was an observational point, and by no means "stupid" as you have called it. BTW, if Ric Flair is "Space Mountain", does that make the Greta Kahli the Tower Of Terror?
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I lived in Glendale, CA for a time, and there was some controversy surrounding the lampposts in the downtown section. Why? Swastikas are part of the design motif on the lampposts. Here's a picture of the lampposts in Glendale. <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/3013223875_5e0f95d137.jpg?v=0" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com....jpg?v=0</a> Here's the City of Glendale's webpage about the subject. <a href="http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/lampposts.asp" target="_blank">http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/l...osts.asp</a> Note that the lampposts were installed in the 1920s.
Originally Posted By danyoung Very interesting article, Jim. I'm sure the fine folks of Glendale, when told that it would take almost $3 mil to replace the lampposts, decided that they weren't so bad after all . . .
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Interesting post, Jim. Again, it seems quite possible that Disney's art directors DID know that the design contained swastikas and used it anyway because of its artistic merit and period authenticity. I found an article that says that swastikas have been outlawed in Germany.
Originally Posted By DlandDug As a designer, I am still not convinced that this design intentionally includes the swastika motif. Bear in mind that the design shown on these lamp bases is a fairly simple geometric. To "see" the swastika, one must subtract a fairly good portion of the design. Further, as the design repeats, it also has a mirror image of the swastika motif. This places it in the realm of the Greek fret pattern, which (as far as I have ever researched) is not considered a swastika. A true swastika is usually more prominent, as it was intended to be seen. In navajo rugs, for example, it is clearly no more than a geometric element. In the door panel of a hindu temple, on the other hand, it is clearly intended to be seen. I do not believe that the design at the base of the DCA lamp posts was ever intended to intentionally showcase the swatika motif.
