Grantblings

Real Things vs. Screens

My favorite attraction at any Disney park is, and always will be, The Country Bear Jamboree.  I understand there are those who find it hokey and even lame, but to me it really is a magical attraction and I would take it over many of today’s modern attractions.

You see, to me, real things are always more jaw dropping and awesome than watching computer generated things on a screen.  The Escape from Gringotts ride at Universal in Orlando, probably one of the most state of the art attractions currently operating in the world?  Didn’t do a thing for me.  Why?  Because you are looking at a screen the whole time.  There’s a little piece of my brain that knows nothing I’m seeing is real, so why should I care?

Now, the Radiator Springs Racers attraction at Disney’s California Adventure is just amazing to me.  They build real, life size, animatronic figures of the Cars characters and you can see them.  Right there next to you.  To me, that is just simply amazing.

And before you think that I’m some sort of Disney fanboy who is just hating on Universal, I’m not.  The most recent update to Star Tours at Disneyland, the one that replaced the original movie with new movies where you have to wear 3D glasses and watch a completely computer generated film?  Awful, in my opinion.  Even with the ‘never the same ride twice’ technology.  In the old version of the attraction, you watched a screen, but the stuff you are seeing on the screen is real.  Miniature models shot with a camera.  Sure there’s visual effects, but you’re seeing real things.

Anyway, back to the bears.  I like them because they are real.  People built these big, life sized bears.  And they move and appear to play instruments.  Sure, they aren’t really playing the instruments or singing, but they are real.  Not 1’s and 0’s.

I also have a fondness for country music.  Old time country music.  Blame my Grandma Donny.  She used to listen to country music, like the Oak Ridge Boys, and I used to love listening to it with her.  So, the Country Bear Jamboree is my favorite and has been since I was a kid.

To that end, I have entered the somewhat crowded world of Disney podcasts by creating my own called the Country Bear Collector Show.  A short video podcast where I show off a piece of my Country Bear Collection.

Yes, the show is extremely, oddly specific, but I think that’s what makes it work.  Right now there is no website out there devoted specifically to Country Bear Merchandise and I think that might be what helps this show find some traction.  Find a need, fill that need.

Below is the first episode.  Give it a watch, even if you aren’t a CBJ fan and let me know what you think.  New episodes each Friday.

You can subscribe to the Country Bear Collector Show via iTunes or by subscribing to the Saturday Morning Media YouTube Page.  Also, if you want to see better pictures of the items featured in each episode, you can do so by visiting www.CBJCollector.com.