I’ve finally gotten around to reading the news, so here are some tidbits for you…
- From the Let’s Find a New Market Department: The LA Times reported yesterday that Disney is planning their first hand-animated movie since 2004’s Home on the Range (it seems so long ago). This new movie, to be released in 2009, is titled “The Frog Princess”. It is set in New Orleans with songs composed by Randy Newman. The central figure, Maddy, will become the first African American “Disney” Princess. The movie will be written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who co-directed “The Little Mermaid”. This bodes well.
Those less cynical out there will applaud Disney’s return to classic animation, and the recognition that girls come in all colors (they haven’t quite figured out the shapes yet, other than Lilo, who isn’t considered a princess, or religions (have you seen a Disney Jewish Princess — oh, right — scratch that, it’s stereotypical)). The more cynical among us see it as recognition of a new market: now Disney can sell black princess dolls. Of course, I’m sure Maddie will be promoted as much as the other heavily promoted ethnic princesses: Pocahontas (Native American), Jasmine (middle-eastern), Mulan (Asian), Esmeralda (Gypsy), and Conchita (Hispanic) [OK, I made up that last one].
[Thanks for kuni_izumi for reminding me to write about this.] - From the “I Dare You” Department: The Los Angeles Times has also reported on Hualapai Indian tribe completed installation of a massive glass-bottomed walkway to a “Grand Canyon Skywalk” that extends about 70 feet over the rim and about 4,000 feet over the canyon floor. How it was installed was fascinating: Underneath, hydraulic “shoes” lifted the Skywalk above a cement track, rolled it across a bed of metal rods, and set it onto four steel anchors that were drilled deep into the canyon rock. Workers then welded the walkway to the anchors. While it was pushed out, the walkway was not anchored to the canyon wall. To keep it from tipping over the side, engineers loaded the back end with a half-million pounds of steel cubes as counterweight. The bridge’s deck is tempered glass several inches thick and features five-foot glass railings on each side. The floor of the structure is comprised of 41 pieces of layered curved glass, with its top layer replaceable in case of scratches that affect visibility. Each piece of glass is be held together by glass connectors specifically designed by Saint Gobain for the bridge. Grand Canyon West plans to issue shoe covers to each guest — in order to avoid scratches and slipping — which will be numbered and given to the visitors who have walked the bridge.
This skywalks opens in a few months, and will supposedly cost $25 a visit. The tribe sees this as a way to generate income. But would you go on it? I don’t think I would; my mind would just rebel.
- From “The March of Time” Department: As we all know, tomorrow the world comes to an end. No, actually Daylight Saving (no “s”) Time starts 3 weeks earlier. Many of our devices have been patched, and many don’t care, but many will still break. NPR had a wonderful piece on DST that illustrated the real force behind DST. No, it isn’t to save daylight: we have exactly the same number of hours of daylight we had under standard time. No, it really isn’t to save energy: although there is some savings in power, it is offset by more folks driving in the daylight afternoon hours. Ask yourself where they are going, and you have the real answer. Yup, to buy Black Disney Princesses. No, seriously, to buy. There are estimates of millions of dollars of additional sales of items such as golf equipment and BBQs briquets from later evening daylight hours. Hence, one of the key proponents is: Chambers of Commerce.
Perhaps Stan Freberg had it right: it’s all about the marketing…
