PseudoPod 661: The Happiest Place (http://pseudopod.org/2019/08/16/pseudopod-661-the-happiest-place/)
Author: Kevin Wabaunsee (http://pseudopod.org/people/kevin-wabaunsee/)
Narrator: John Bell (http://pseudopod.org/people/john-bell/)
Host: Alex Hofelich (http://pseudopod.org/people/alex-hofelich/)
PseudoPod 661: The Happiest Place is a PseudoPod original.
Show Notes
A certain mouse-themed theme park has always been an object of fascination for me, and the more I read about it, the more strange an imitation of reality it appears to be. The lengths that employees are required to go to create a seamless fantasy experience for their guests seems altogether dystopian, and it didn’t take *too* much tweaking to imagine a world where such a a place was altogether disturbing. I wanted to think about the folks inside the costumes in such a strange place. How far would a person go to become a participant in this fantasyland? More worrisome, how far would the fantasyland go to keep its hold on them?
Everyone knows the edge of the Kingdom of Fun out near the wall is the riskiest place to work. So of course, that’s where they put me on my first day. But it’s OK, I’ve trained for this. I have been thoroughly tested on my knowledge of the rules and the procedures involved. I’m well-equipped to handle a shift in Cartoon Town or the Forests of Delight, or yes, even Magic Mainstreet. But pulling duty on the ‘street my first time out is really throwing me in the deep end. Magic Mainstreet is out on the edge, and one of the biggest draws of the Kingdom of Fun. When the Mainstreet gates swing open, a throng of guests surge through. They’re here to listen to the barbershop-quartet renditions of familiar top-40 hits and eat butterscotch kettle corn or pumpkin roasted walnuts or the legendary buttered marshmallow dumplings, all those sweet aromas filling my nostrils. And, of course, they’re here to see me and my foam-head compatriots bobble and traipse up and down the bright red cobblestones.
No matter how many smiling faces I see, though, I stay on constant alert. Out here, where the razor-wire walls are only a few hundred yards away , there are some special considerations. I’m not just weaving a magical amusement experience for the guests. I’m also doing my damnedest to protect the guests from what the Funventors have termed “the unwanted encroachment of reality.”
Listen to this week's Pseudopod. (http://traffic.libsyn.com/pseudopod/Pseudo661_TheHappiestPlace.mp3)
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Okay, now THIS was an awesomely evil story. The narrator hooked me in and I was able to visualize this distopian amusement park. The hidden razor wire barricades hidden in the bushes... the strategically released odours to mask the smell of burning townships, sewage, or whatever ELSE was dead or dying outside the Happiest-Place was clever. The security teams (or Quality Assurance supervisors) with their reflective visors and bunny ears (?!) was an unnerving image. Nice! 8) The narrator had me hooked and captured the idealism and the corporate-buy-in of our foam, dogheaded character.
My only problem with the story was its abrupt ending. The story came across as unfinished. We see our...protagonist, strapped to a gurney, being transported to the lower levels of the park... the hidden rooms where the nasty R&D takes place, and to the ....?!..... A meat locker where the administrators chop his head off? To the oubliette? To the staff lounge? This story felt unfinished and that's a shame. :-[
I'm satisfied with an unresolved ending. In the movie, Inception, the 'true' fate of the Matt Damon character is unknown (did he reach the waking world and his children... or is he still locked up in a lucid dream). His totem keeps spinning, and then.......fade to black. I liked this ending because a conversation between movie viewers can ensure.
Strong start... intriguing middle act.... secrets are about to be revealed... and 'cut'. ??? ??? ??? :o