Welcome back to the exciting world of Post-Modernism!

In the first part of this article, I discussed the Modernist influences found in the Walt Disney parks and attractions. This is not meant to imply that post-Modernism has not influenced, or been influenced by, the Mouse. After all, Andy Warhol, one of the pioneers of post-Modernism, famously appropriated the image of Mickey Mouse for his Pop Art. Post-Modern influences can be seen in several Disney animated features from the last couple decades. Most notably, the Robin William’s Genie in “Aladdin” is a purely post-Modern creation, anachronistically blending cultural and historical references to great comic effect. Segments of “Fantasia 2000” can be read as a post-Modern response to the decidedly Modernist “Fantasia”, as evidenced by the ironic juxtaposition of “serious” music with whimsical, “unserious” imagery that undercuts the composers’ intentions (see “Pomp and Circumstance”, “Rhapsody in Blue”).

Post-Modernism has also crept into recent Disney park attractions. Disney’s initial reluctance to put “characters” in EPCOT because they “didn’t fit” can be read in the light of the Modernist resistance to breaking down the barrier between “high culture” (the serious-minded educational aspirations of the original Future World) and “low culture” (silly cartoon characters). But with the Eisner era came a willingness to play with Disney’s image and the expectations of park visitors. The introduction of post-Modern aesthetics to Walt Disney World has been gradual and subtle, reflecting the creeping influence of post-Modernism in the larger culture. What would Walt have thought of Iago quipping at the end of the revamped Tiki Room, “I’m tired. I think I’ll go to the Hall of Presidents and take a nap”? Walt might not have been amused, but the self-awareness and irreverence towards a sacred icon would bring a smile to any post-Modernist’s face.

Ironically, the most identifiably post-Modernist attraction on Disney property isn’t based on a Disney property at all. The attraction is “MuppetVision 4D”, and it is arguably the most post-Modern theme park attraction pre-Shrek. This is appropriate, as the Muppets were post-Modern from their inception. During its first season, Saturday Night Live, which was at one time aggressively post-modern and counter-cultural, featured an early incarnation of the Muppets. The Muppet Show took elements of high culture, low culture, and no culture, threw them into a blender, and played gleefully with the results. If the sight of high-culture icons Rudolph Nureyev and Beverly Sills cavorting with felt puppets isn’t the very definition of post-modernism, then nothing is. And when it came time to turn the Muppets into an attraction, no effort was spared to subvert the very idea of theme park entertainment, in classic Muppet style.

Quick, what is the single funniest line in “MuppetVision 4D”? The line that perfectly encapsulates the attraction’s post-Modern sensibility? The line that makes me laugh out loud every time I hear it?

“We can’t, you fool! We’re bolted to the seats!”

This line, spoken by Statler and Waldorf at the very end of the show, seemed revolutionary to me when then attraction first opened. It represents a fundamental element of post-Modern art: self-awareness. It was, to my knowledge, the first time a character in a theme park attraction acknowledged that it was a theme park character, and made light of the fact. There is much of this “breaking the fourth wall” throughout the show, from Fozzie’s reference to the “cheesy 3D gags” found in earlier 3D films, to the literal destruction of the fourth wall of the theater at the show’s end, exposing theme park guests in the background. Another element of post-Modernism is irreverent disregard of historical icons, as seen in the disastrous patriotic finale (“It’s a glorious tribute to all nations, but mostly ours”). Every element, from the film parody posters in the queue to the many puns and inside jokes in the preshow, serves to playfully violate the audience’s suspension of disbelief. By subverting the expectation that theme park attractions should present a coherent self-contained narrative, the Muppets mock themselves, and the dominant Modernist aesthetic that pervades the rest of Disney.

These post-Modern elements are still the exception, not the rule, at Disney. But a short ride down I-4 in Orlando will bring you to a theme park seemingly built on post-Modern principles. Take a look at a publicity shot from Universal Studios Florida’s early years and you’ll immediately see what I mean. You’ll see a bizarre mix of celebrities and fictional characters. Marilyn Monroe rubs elbows with Laurel and Hardy, who interact with Woody Woodpecker and Doc Brown, and they’re right next to Beetlejuice and the Blues Brothers. Icons from various historical eras and genres are fearlessly juxtaposed, a hallmark of post-Modern Pop Art. This is in contrast to Disney publicity shots, which are always carefully composed to present a consistent aesthetic in which the characters all seem to exist in the same universe.

Post-Modern influences can be seen in the architecture of the park as well. All the Disney parks feature an entrance area with a consistent theme, leading to a distinct icon. This represents the Modernist impulse to present a single coherent narrative. Universal Studios, in contrast, has no central in-park icon to guide guests. Instead, guests are faced with an immediate choice between heading straight, towards the Production Central and New York areas, or to the right towards Hollywood and World Expo. Along the way, they will notice an eclectic mix of themes and architectural styles, without the gradual transitions between sections found in the Magic Kingdom. Throughout, the use of obvious facades and utilitarian architecture exposes the artificiality of the studio backlot theme, undercutting the notion of a “real” fantasy world. Twister and E.T. in particular feature behind-the-scenes studio props juxtaposed with “realistic” themed environments.

The design of many of the individual attractions is decidedly post-Modern. Most obviously, the Men In Black building borrows from a grab bag of architectural icons (the St. Louis arch, the World’s Fair towers) and aesthetic styles (science-fiction, 60’s kitsch). The Jaws preshow takes the premise of the film and explodes it by suggesting that the movie was a fictionalized account of real events. The queue video takes turns these “real” characters from a film famous for it’s dramatic tension into comic foils in a satire of talk shows, tourism, and children’s entertainment. And the Kongfrontation queue line broke down the barrier between artist and audience by inviting guests to participate in creating the graffiti that lined the walls.

Post-modern elements are not confined just to the original Universal park. They can be seen in fine form next door at Islands of Adventure. The “legend” of Port of Entry, IOA’s answer to Main Street USA, reads like a post-Modern manifesto: a melting pot where adventurers and explorers from all time periods and cultures have come to share ideas and build a new society. The Lost Continent takes the sacred myths of Greek, Arab, and Celtic culture and recycles them as pop-culture thrills. The entire Marvel comic universe, particularly the creations of Stan Lee, can be read as a post-Modern reaction to the Modernist DC superheroes. Rather than feature blandly heroic icons engaged in a black-and-white battle between good and evil, Marvel gave us ordinary people burdened by extraordinary powers, struggling with the demands of normal life in a morally ambiguous world. Jurassic Park is more self-reflective than a funhouse hall of mirrors: a theme park based on a film based on a book about a theme park. The success of IOA with critics and guests can be seen as proof that post-Modernism is no longer distracting or confusing, but rather is something that can be understood and enjoyed by Middle America.

Finally, we return to Universal Studios and the thesis of this article. The new Shrek 4D attraction, while not the first post-Modern attraction, is certainly the clearest and most deliberate expression of the aesthetic. From the moment you enter the queue until you exit the gift shop, you are engaged in a world that seeks to subvert traditional notions of what a theme park attraction should be. Much of this attitude can be attributed to the source material. Consider the ways that the film “Shrek” promoted the post-Modern agenda:

1) Juxtaposition of unrelated genres and historical references: Shrek takes a traditional fairy tale milieu, and mixes in a wide range of references from music, film, literature, and pop culture.

2) Irreverent disregard for authority and cultural myths: Shrek inverts the traditional fairy tale notions of the noble prince, helpless princess, and evil ogre. On another level, the film is a thinly-veiled attack on Michael Eisner and the Disney company, both respected symbols of American corporate culture.

3) Suspicion of dominant Western culture in favor of “authentic” non-Western culture: The plot of the film, based around Farquaad’s failed attempt to subjugate the fairy tale creatures, can be read as an indictment of Western efforts to oppress indigenous populations.

4) Playful acceptance of alternative cultural and sexual standards: The relationship between Shrek and Fiona, and between Donkey and the dragon, represent a rejection of the traditional romantic ideal found in most fairy tales.

Universal could have chosen to ignore these complex elements and use the Shrek characters for an amusing, if unchallenging, thrill ride. Instead they created an attraction that depends on humor based on these very aspects. This is unsurprising, since the same creative team that made the Shrek films was responsible for the attraction, a rarity in theme park entertainment. You will find clever, self-aware moments throughout the show. There are so many Star Wars references you might think you’re watching a Kevin Smith film, not to mention nods to Blues Brothers, Sleepy Hollow, and many more. The Disney-esque characters are abused mercilessly, especially poor Tinkerbell. Even the traditional notions of good-vs.-evil are subverted by the apologetic executioner.

Before I continue, I have a confession to make: “Shrek 4D” isn’t perfect. Yes, the film is very funny, the in-theater effects are effective (if a bit redundant), and the preshow and queue are witty. All the individual elements are very good to excellent. But they aren’t integrated as well as they might have been. The biggest problem is the muddy transition between the preshow and main show: while they are both very well done, they don’t connect seamlessly. If fact, the end of the preshow sets up a premise (being tortured by the ghost of Farquaad) that the main show does not follow up on. This leads to confusion of identity and perspective in the main film. The design of the main theater itself also could have been better renovated from the original Hitchcock space. The space is minimally themed, and is not large enough to accommodate the crowds drawn by this popular attraction. Some of the in-theater effects are overused to the point that they loose their surprise value by the end of the show. And the screen is significantly smaller than the one at “Mickey’s Philharmagic,” but this is made up for by the razor-sharp digital projection and the use of clever lighting effects on the walls. These problems don’t stop Shrek from being a great attraction, but they do hold it back from being a perfect one.

I also have to disagree with Jim Hill’s assessment that the improved queue is primarily responsible for Orlando’s “Shrek 4D” earning higher guest scores than the Hollywood version. Orlando’s queue has many brilliant touches, but they are not presented as well as they could have been. The queue itself is a simple outdoor switchback that has not been significantly changed from the Hitchcock days. The addition of castle-like architectural touches is mostly superficial, and the extended queue area is fairly barren. The video loop shown on the overhead monitors is also disappointing: it consists solely of material found on the Shrek DVD, contains frequent advertisements for the movie (available in the gift shop), and is so brief that you may see it 3 or more times during a typical wait. Finally, the best visual gags are positioned late in the queue were you are likely to rush past them.

Despite these problems, the posters and signs are worth slowing down to read. As you approach the attraction, take the time to examine all the signage. Even those that seem to be standard warning signs contain subtle (and not so subtle) gags. The running theme is a tweaking of theme park conventions, with a fairy tale twist. The “Lancelot” parking section sign is an obvious lift from the film. But the safety instructions posted to the right of the queue entrance, though easily mistaken for a boilerplate warning, contains detailed instructions for dwarves, fairies, and other magical guests. The faux newspaper posted in several areas (headline: “Lord Farquaad Rises From His Grave: Still Very Short”) is filled with clever news items that both set up the show and give guests a chuckle.

Better still are the satirical movie and attraction advertisements to the left of the building entrance. Several of these are dead-on parodies of the classic Disney attraction posters that can be seen under the Main Street USA train station. My favorite: “The Enchanted Tick Room.” Another poster advertises a flying Donkey ride (shades of Dumbo) that promises “you’ll toss your teacups.”

Once you are in the pre-show itself, take a careful look around the room. In addition to the “Happiest Totalitarian Kingdom on Earth” sign, there are many other theme park parodies. Of particular note is the “Dulac Express” sign, an elaborate satire of Disney’s Fastpass.

But the best part of the queue is the Dulac Community Bulletin Board. Unfortunately positioned so that most guests will never be able to read all the gags, it is a glassed-in board covered with clever notices and advertisements. The premise is that — following the death of Farquaad — an underground fairy tale economy has come out of the closet. The want ads and announcements satirize commercial advertising, personal ads, and images of goody-goody childhood characters.

As wonderful as this Bulletin Board is, there was an earlier prototype that was even more daring. This early version of the Bulletin Board was briefly exhibited during the construction phase of the Shrek attraction. This mockup was quickly removed, and certain elements were changed or removed (for reasons that will soon be obvious) after vetting by the creative and legal departments. Some elements remained unchanged on the final prop that guests see today, but a few of the best gags were sanitized. Fortunately, I was able to document the prototype before it disappeared. And so, we conclude our journey through the post-Modern world of Shrek with some lost-and-found comedy gems. I present here a few of my most subversive favorites:

Tired of your Day Job? Do you want to make more money? Yes! You too can get that career you’ve been daydreaming about when you take Knight School classes. Take exciting courses in Steed Repair, Dragon Wrangling, Mandolin Restringing, Book Keeping, Accounting, Crossbow Repair, or get your degree in either Business Management or Falconry. Call the Knight School of Duloc and ask for Lance. You’ll like him A lot!

Free to Be Happily Ever After: Fairy Tale Survivors’ Support Group. What to do now that you’re out of the Woods.
“It was pretty rough going there for a while… I was a real boy, but that wasn’t enough for me anymore. I guess the low point would have to be when I dropped 20 pounds in 11 seconds after a foolish episode with Geppetto’s belt sander one night. I was hitting the furniture polish pretty hard, but then I took the pledge. Fairy tale Survivor’s support group turned me around, and it can do the same for you.”

Announcement: Lost fire-breathing Dragon. Very affectionate. Loves people and Animals. Answers to the name Mr. Sniffles.

“Single shut-in princess seeks anyone with a romantic spirit and a ladder. Must like big hair.”

Fairy Tale Ale Malt Liquor: You’ll Think You Can Fly (with an illustration of a drunken Tinkerbell)

Announcement: Burned my crops and barbecued my sheep. Please collect him ASAP. Just look for the scorch mark where my house used to be – corner of Maple and oh gawd, he’s coming right for me!

Personal Ad: “Wanna go to Pleasure Island? Single wooden male seeks female who can really work my strings. You must like splinters. Try me, I’ll grow on you… No lie!”

Personal Ad: “Are you looking for Prince Charming? Don’t be fooled by appearances. One kiss will transform your image of me. Love me, I’m tongue-tied. Hop on up to my totally fly pad.”

FOE’S: The Villain’s Tavern
You’ve a hard day at work turning straw into gold, or you’ve spent all week trying a glass slipper on every damsel in the country… it’s time! Kick off those glass slippers, and knock back a cold one in the comfort of Duloc’s foremost Fairy Tale Sports Tavern, Foe’s. Can’t get tickets to tournament day? We’re joust the place for you! Watch the games on our 32-inch magic mirror. And remember, Tuesday night is “Little Wooden Boy’s Night!”

Happy Hour: 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Grumpy Hour: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Sleepy Hour: 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Dopey Hour: 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Drunkenly Calling Old Girlfriends Hour: 3:00am – 4:00am

Single Princess seeks prince or better. Seven little men can’t be wrong! You’ve had the rest, now try the fairest of them all.

Relationship moving too slowly? Well I may be just the thing you’re hungering for, but you’ll have to catch me first! I’m as fast as fast can be. I’ve got something for your sweet tooth.

Like hairy guys? Looking for a Big Bad boy to huff and puff and blow your mind? Not all the guys are wolves, but this one is.

Cottage to Let: 2 Bedroom, 2 Cauldron split-level Gingerbread house, with Gumdrop tile ceilings, cackle lighting, and wall-to-wall frosting – perfect for children (“wink”). Forbidden woods adjacent. Completely remodeled dungeon with all new torture equipment. Above ground bottomless pit. Cavern for dragon. No pets!

And finally, the piece de resistance (how did this ever get displayed in a family park?):

“Tri-curious? Think all the available guys are pigs? Well, why settle for one when you can have three. You’ve had the rest, now try the other white meat.”