"It's a Small World" Parodies

[Dave Kelly]

Over the years, television and the movies have poked fun at "It's a Small World". Does anyone remember any specific examples. I'll start by citing when the "Simpsons" visited "Itchy and Scratchy Land" and "Duff Gardens". Anyone else ??

Dave

[Larry L]

I am gratified to hear that those annoying little Small World puppets are being mocked and parodied.

[Elizabeth Klug]

Hey!! Watch it!! Some of us loved those "annoying little Small World puppets"!!

[Bill Young]

Well it's not a parody, but when Walt Disney died, the Post Office Department issued a commemorative stamp for him in 1968.

The picture shows a smiling Walt Disney and his photo is encircled by the "Small World" dolls dancing, hand-in-hand, back toward a silhouette of the Cinderella Castle at Disneyland.

-photo from www.phil-sears.com

Another interesting thing about the Disney stamp ... the Postal Service has a rule that a person must be deceased for 10 years before they can be commemorated with a stamp (with the exception of Presidents). To my knowledge, Walt Disney is the only person the Postal Service has ever broken their rule for.

Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Young (edited 01-06-2001).]

[Park Bench]

"Small World" is a parody of itself! Yikes!

...There was a "Simpsons" episode where the 64-65 World's Fair Monorail was installed around Homer's hometown (Springfield?) I believe the episode was written by Conan O'Brien.

[Larry L]

Sorry, Elizabeth! I forgot that girls like that stuff!

what does "gggggg" mean, "growl"? Or "grrrr" like comic book characters - or Small World Puppets - might say?

- Larry

[Park Bench]

Larry?

<gggggg> is the sound a Small World Puppet would make in a Dempsey Dumpster!

[Larry L]

)

ROFL!

Sorry, Elizabeth.

[Ray in Pasadena]

Pepsi - UNICEF Pavilion employees were forced to hear the "Small World" song every minute until the ride closed at 10:00 pm.

Today, their brains play back this melody incessantly. It's worse than tinnitus.

[Larry L]

My God! The horror of it!

Ray, since you are in CA, perhaps you can tell me what I saw a few months ago when I was driving north on Rt. 5 between San Diego and LA, near Laguna Beach or something. On the west side of the highway was what appeared to be about a 1/3 scale replica of the Unisphere.

LL

[Bill Cotter]

If I can jump in, living out here in CA - there are a few of those small Unisphere type globes out here. They're the symbol of a chain of retirement communities - Leisure World, I believe.

[Mike Kraus]

Larry, I've seen that one, too, on the way to D-land from L.A.

It seems to be a metal fabrication shop, as there was lots of steel stacked near the building.

Wonder how much they want for a duplicate.............

[TOTHEFAIR]

Hi Dave

Saturday Night Live did a Small World parody years ago, infact I think Eddie Murphy was still with the show. I remember it was about a group of people trapped on a stalled boat as the dolls sang. They can`t stand it anymore, I remember one person is electrocuted after leaving the boat. It was really funny

TOTHEFAIR

[Bill Cotter]

There used to be a large globe right as you exited US 5 for Disneyland. That was the headquarters of Global Van Lines. No idea what happened to the globe when Disney bought the building.

[Ken Thalheimer]

Little known fact about It's a Small World:

All those poor souls forced to hear that song and endure the that tortorous lilt have long since been committed and are no longer among the world's general population!

God, I can hear it as I type!

Sorry Liz

[Ray in Pasadena]

But, Ken, many are still in need of hearing it again, over and over. They keep playing back TAPE I repeatedly. I think it's the message in the song, not the music, that compels one to listen.

[Elizabeth Klug]

(She says sarcastically)

I'm just so glad that you are all having a good ol' time bashing one of my favorite memories of the fair!!! You are really a heartless bunch!!!

[Park Bench]

tsk-tsk, classic symptoms of Post-Small World-Trauma Syndrome.

Ray-you're not helping these poor afflicted souls-Making these hypnotic sounds available again when they all were almost ready to forget.

How can you sleep at night?

:

[Bradd Schiffman]

With apologies in advance to Liz (Liz, I went on this ride for the first time in 1964 and have loved it ever since).

The last time we went on IASM was when we visited WDW last April. As soon as our boat loaded up and shoved off, the woman behind us said "They ought to give everyone who gets on this ride 3 softballs".

[Hoodlock]

Bradd I love it, three softballs knock them down and win a Waltsicle. I tell you back in the day, the employee did everything they could to turn fluff into potatoes. They would put the tapes on backwards and no one would know the difference. Chip and Dale would spike their coffee just to get through the day.

[Dave Kelly]

My Goodness. Little did I realize my post would stir up a hornet's nest. The three times I recall riding IASW, I enjoyed it. I went to Disney World 3 years ago and rode it once again.

I did notice a difference from the 1964 NYWF IASW (which currently resides in Disneyland). It seems that the mouths on the anamatrons at Walt Disney World did not move with the lyrics of the song. Also I noticed at WDW that the ride was a montage of noise with the music underneith and you did not really hear the actual song until almost the end. I thought I remembered it differently until I saw the "Disneyland at the World's Fair" film on the Disney Channel and that confirmed it.

[Ken Thalheimer]

As a 14/15 year old at the NYWF I had no interest in IASW. However, years later, when my daughter was young, I went through it as DismalWorld. I have to admit it was cute.

However, the softball idea DOES have a certain ring to it!

[Neil Shapiro]

Hmmmm, let's see -- I will be maing my 22nd trip to Disney World in February. Every time my wife and I (with or without the increasingly aging kids) go to Small World at least twice a day and we stay about five days. So, lessee, at a MINIMUM I have been through that ride 220 times! Gee.....

[Park Bench]

Neil-

We care about you. We're here for you. We can get you help.

Uncle Walt's "Bench"

[Larry L]

JUST SAY NO TO THE SMALL WORLD PUPPETS!!!

Let the tragic fate of Neil Shapiro stand as a warning to those who are young and innocent and just want to see the small world puppets only once - just one little tiny time - "just to see what all the fuss is about...it won't happen to me...I'm strong..."

JUST SAY NO!