osian
Well-Known Member
And there's always the Disney+ series about Wrexham FC, lol, asking for it! (I come from near Wrexham originally, and that was where I had my first job).
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EPCOT Announced: Mary Poppins Attraction in UK Pavilion
- Thread starter TabulaRasa
- Start date
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
C.S. LewisIreland?
Bram Stoker
Oscar Wilde
George Bernard Shaw
James Joyce
Samuel Beckett
Jonathan Swift
nickys
Premium Member
Er yes. You missed my point.
It’s like me saying it’s amazing how many great American authors came from Canada. In short, it’s offensive to Irish people to say that those great writers are British.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
That's why I put "British" in quotes. People think of their works as English works by English authors.
nickys
Premium Member
Only ignorant people could think that. Whether wilfully ignorant or genuinely so.
nickys
Premium Member
He was Irish born, since Northern Ireland did not exist at the time of his birth.
osian
Well-Known Member
Ah, gotcha.
nickys
Premium Member
He is so much associated with Oxford though that it’s an understandable confusion about whether he is British or Irish.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
I bet I could ask 100 Americans what country brought us the stories of Dracula, Narnia, and Dorian Grey and most would say England. I myself only realized Stoker's heritage when attending a Dracula-themed show/presentation in regard to the occult influencing Stoker last year at Fringe.
And while I was if I was ignorant to Stoker's biography and heritage, I wouldn't classify myself as an ignorant person, especially amongst theme park guests. Folks who visit WDW and World Showcase are typically not the same people who actually travel and visit these locales.
nickys
Premium Member
But that is no reason for Disney to perpetuate the misconceptions of British vs Irish vs English etc.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
Hence why I said I would love a ride focused on the authors of the UK and letting us know that these iconic stories come from all over the UK, not just England.
I never said Disney should say these stories were British or English. I said quite the opposite.
osian
Well-Known Member
I just want to be clear, because now I'm confused! Are you meaning the authors you listed?
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
lol, things I said:
- Disney should create a Great Literature Attraction which explores the many great works by UK authors
- Having this ride also include information about these authors country of origin would be amazing as many people are ignorant of where these authors originate from.
- As an example, I mentioned how many authors who people would incorrectly identify as being English are Irish.
Epcot was, and still can be, a vehicle to educate and open eyes to the world around us. Be it technology, our history, our environment, or world cultures and stories. A ride of this type would enable fun darkride moments but also allow people to learn more about where these stories come from.
Of course, I know current Disney wouldn't do that unless they could have a Disney IP as the focus or have a Marvel character shoved in.
I'm still waiting for Disney to announce that the long-awaited African/Kenya Pavilion will just be Wakanda. I think they are still too grounded to know that's a terrible idea, but I do feel we are getting closer and closer to that corporate lack of self-awareness.
osian
Well-Known Member
Are you saying that the authors you listed are examples of ones that could/should be part of this attraction? I don't know and perhaps I'm reading it wrong and I don't want to assume something that you're not saying!.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
No worries. I am saying that the authors I listed should/could be represented in this hypothetical UK Pavilion attraction since they are UK authors and help sell the idea of the Pavilion representing the UK vs England.
osian
Well-Known Member
Ah, that's it! No, actually, those authors are not UK. Ireland (Republic of) is not part of the UK, and I believe these all come from the republic. (I was corrected about CS Lewis on a technicality!)
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
Gotcha, I see your point now.
I will totally admit my ignorance of Irish history with Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland. Bad on me. So some of those authors would be considered part of the UK prior to 1922, but I suppose including them causes even more potential issues.
I stand corrected.
osian
Well-Known Member
It's confusing enough for people who do live here! I suppose it depends on where/when you draw the line.Gotcha, I see your point now.
I will totally admit my ignorance of Irish history with Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland. Bad on me. So some of those authors would be considered part of the UK prior to 1922, but I suppose including them causes even more potential issues.
I stand corrected.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
I appreciate your patience and grace! As a Californian from poorer means, my knowledge of other cultures is built upon a foundation of theatre and film rather than first-hand knowledge. I had the pleasure of visiting the UK (London/Edinburgh) this last summer and look forward to getting back to Europe and seeing more of it.
See? This is why we need Epcot to remain educational. For us Americans who are less likely to board that long flight to still have our eyes and minds opened to the world.