Friday, June 25, 2010

Wishing for Wizard World

The NY Times highlights the new Wizarding World at Universal Studios in Orlando, the Harry Potter themed experience, with a brief article. The article, as one might expect, highlights the economic crisis that has hit the theme park industry (ticket sales are down), and the hopes Universal has for the Potter park to draw crowds. But what caught my attention was this passage:

Blythe Passantino, 21, followed with a tearful admission of her own: “I really wanted to live here; it was so much better than our real lives.”

Really? Let's consider the problems Harry encounters. His parents are killed by a demonic entity. That same demonic entity hounds him throughout the story. Other wizards plot to hurt him in horrific ways. Harry and his friends get hurt; some die. Die! Harry gets himself into all kinds of trouble--very frightening trouble, if it were all real. Is Blythe's life really worse than that? I doubt it.

What Blythe really wants is what only a fictional character can have: Control. Whatever is so bad in Blythe's life (and it is possible that her life is really quite dreadful, or just common and humdrum) cannot be wished away with spells. Ultimately, she will have to make decisions that change the bad things in her life, seeking real life help if she needs it. No magic will help her, but a good grasp on reality might.

Or maybe I am missing her point, and she just wants to work in a theme park?

4 comments:

Lindsay said...

Nah, she just likes dirt flavored jellybeans.

Seriously, though, that is disturbing!

Blythe said...

Haha I cant believe I never found this blog, I found so many others. God I hate the New York Times. Can you say 'misquoted'!? I hate finding this shit when I google myself.

MacBeth Derham said...

I hate the Times, too, Blythe, and I am very sorry you were misquoted. I am sure you are a fine and reasonable person, and the Times just finds the worst moments to exaggerate. Egads.

I bet Wizard World is very well done and captivating--it actually sounds like fun.

Blythe said...

You can say that again! I mentioned something about how when I was a kid I wanted to go to Hogwarts and the Times completely took that and ran with it. Which was pretty annoying because I actually feel quite blessed and happy with my life and that quote hurt some of the more important people in it.

The Wizarding World was very nice. I took my sister for her high school graduation..best family trip ever.