My Friend Eeyore, June 1970
I had the bright idea of calling today's post "My Friend Eeyore", only to find that Blogger auto-corrected it to "My Friend Eyesore". Hey, he's not that bad. Sure, he smells a little, but what do you expect from a donkey?
It must have been exciting for guests to walk through the turnstiles, only to be greeted by a big celebrity like Eeyore, who is notable for being the only donkey to win the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He's a triple threat, plus one! That little boy is not happy to see the award-winning donkey, but that's not going to stop his mom from getting a photo to remember. Notice the sign over the tunnel, which I am guessing said "Disneyland Welcomes Friends of All Nations". Say, that's mighty neighborly! I'm from a nation, it just so happens.
Eeyore continues to mingle. In spite of his usually-morose demeanor, he really does love people. With a nice salad and a baked potato with the works! Ha ha! See what I did there? Because he... oh forget it, you people don't understand my sophisticated sense of humor.
16 comments:
Major-
Sorry, Eeyore... my eyes were immediately drawn to the lad with the 'Abe Lincoln' stovepipe hat, and the little girl next to him, wearing that odd pattern of 'colorful circles'-? adorning her outfit.
Thanks, Major.
In the first pic, I like how the little kid on the left is sucking his thumb.
Most of the people in the area are ignoring Eeyore. Maybe they already had their turn with the big celeb?
In the second pic, everyone is still ignoring poor Eeyore. You can tell by the expression on his face that he is devastated.
Are those white things on the ground to the left, trash? Or just specks on the slide?
The red-shirted kid is looking where that disembodied hand is pointing. No doubt a real celeb is nearby, like Donald or Goofy.
Are these folks entering the Park or leaving? If they're entering, than that red-shirted kid will be swan food before the day is out, because... well, you know.
Thanks for the Donkeys, Major.
Some fancy footwear in the first photo. Cute saddle shoes...dress shoes with socks (male and female)...and even three barefooters.
I like the shirt on the gentleman on the right, in photo 2.
Thanks, Major.
Something’s strange...it’s either my cell or the blog or me - ‘cause I entered my info, but that previous comment came through as Anonymous. Oh, well. Let’s see how this one posts...
Lou & Sue
Funny how when you look up images of Eeyore from the "Pooh" films, he doesn't have large blue bags under his eyes, like his DL counterpart. Who designed that costume? Those eyes make him look a little creepy. Maybe that's why your auto-correct came up with "Eyesore!" Perhaps those are supposed to be painful lesions around his eyes.
That banner over the entrance tunnel reminds me of a sign that used to hang in the Silver Dollar Saloon, at Knott's Berry Farm. It read, "All Nations Welcome.....Except Carrie!"
Eyesore! Mrs. Chuck’s favorite Disney character. And I”lol admit that I have a soft spot for the gloomy old donkey, myself. I can’t tell from the pictures - had he lost his tail again in this version of the costume?
I never noticed how the retaining walls on the opposite sides of the tunnel portals from the floral Mickey were painted “Go Away Green.” Apparently, the paint did its job quite well.
Nanook, at first glance, that kid does look like he’s wearing a stovepipe hat, but if you zoom in, you can see it’s just a standard-issue Disneyland cowboy hat that blends in with the color of the trousers of the man behind him. That’s called “adaptive coloration,” and it helps cowboy hats survive in the wild.
TM!, that Knott’s banner is hilarious. I wonder if younger generations would even get that? “Hmmm…is that a Stephen King reference?”
And you’re right about Eeyore’s eyes. Get that guy some Visine! Oh, wait - that only gets the red out.
TM!, I was just reading about Carrie Nation (your comment above made mecurious), and apparently "All Nations Welcom Except Carrie" really was a widespread saloon slogan during the early 1900s.
Forgot the link to a 1910 postcard of the slogan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Nation#/media/File:Carrie_Nation_postcard.jpg
Nanook, the thing about stovepipe hats is that you can store a lot of stuff in them. Sandwiches, fidget spinners (remember those?) a matchbox car, you name it!
JB, maybe the guests are afraid that they are imagining a giant stuffed donkey. “That’s the last time I eat a leftover hoagie at 3 A.M.”. But guess what? It wasn’t the last time at all. Because hoagies at 3 A.M. are the most delicious hoagies of all. I can’t stop saying “hoagies”. Not sure what that stuff on the ground is, maybe popcorn? I was thinking that there is probably another character nearby, judging by the way the crowd is positioned in the first photo. We see lots of people leaving Disneyland as the sun is setting, a situation that boggles my mind.
Anonymous, somehow going barefoot in Disneyland seems like a real bad idea for so many reasons. “Give it to me straight, Doc”. “Well, I regret to tell you that you have Pixie Dust Foot”. “Tell my wife I love her”.
Lou and Sue, oh it’s YOU!
TokyoMagic!, the blue bags under the eyes IS weird, I didn’t really notice until you pointed it out. He probably ate a hoagie a few hours earlier. They should have also made his actual eyes very bloodshot, and they could have had mucus leaking out of one nostril. That’s what I would have done anyway, but nobody ever listens to me. I like that sign at Knott’s, just think how many people have no idea who Carrie Nation was. “I think she flew across the Atlantic upside-down”.
Chuck, there is just something about gloomy Eeyore! Definitely a unique character for kid’s literature. I choose to believe that he had his tail (held on with a nail, of course), the thought of him not having it is too disturbing. Good point about the “go away green” retaining walls, I didn’t notice them at all! I knew that that kid wasn’t wearing a stovepipe hat, but I like the idea so much! With Mr. Lincoln in the Opera House, they should have definitely sold souvenir stovepipe hats, with a rolled up copy of the Gettysburg Address inside. Thanks to my chromatophores, I have adaptive coloration wherever I go. Maybe Eeyore is in a fight club, but he can’t talk about it?
Chuck, we all know that prohibition is the best thing and that nothing bad ever comes out of it. I was recently looking at prohibition-era pinback buttons, and was surprised that there were some obscure candidates for President who wanted a return to prohibition as late as the 1970s.
Zooming way in, I think that’s a black cowboy hat rather than a stovepipe; it kind of blends in with Dad’s pants and creates an optical illusion. Great vintage kids today! The barefoot boy st left looks like he’s got a hangover. And Sore-Eyes, I mean Eyesore, I mean Eeyore, is my favorite, too. I wonder if they added the eye bags to make his mood more obvious since he can’t talk.
This must have been a hard costume to wear. The swag belly in front and the droop snoot must move the Center of Gravity a foot out in front of your feet. Looks like the viewports are the character eyes though, so that helps somewhat. I would have hated the 3 Little Pig costumes where you look out the hat. No wonder they have handlers now.
The Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon in Kentucky has some Carrie Nation Memorabilia, including a hatchet, lots of pictures, and a placard proclaiming “Lips That Touch Liquor Shall Never Touch Ours.” No worries, Carrie, safe on that account.
I was going to wear my black stovepipe hat today, but these comments are making me opt for the go-away green one instead.
Thanks Major and team.
JG
I also love the disembodied hand in the last picture, giving directions to the young boy in red. I was going to make a "Go West, young man" joke, but I don't know which direction the fickle finger of fate is pointing to.
Melissa, I think that finger is pointing west, young man. And that finger is very fickle as you might know.
Nice pics, but I can't get past going barefoot in Disneyland. In all my trips I can't say I ever witnessed someone doing that. Growing up in Tucson, you never went anywhere without at least flip flops. I can't wrap my head around going barefoot in the park.
Thanks Major. Eeyore does look kind of creepy in that last pic.
I think the finger is pointing north, proving just how fickle it actually is.
Melissa, yes, a cowboy hat for sure. Like I said to Sue, I can’t imagine letting a kid run around without shoes, so many bad things could happen. Plus… doesn’t that pavement get hot? Give the kid some footwear!
JG, I think any of those costumes would be hard to wear, the airlessness and heat, difficulty seeing, and so on. Maybe the costumes are lighter than they seem? Or maybe the cast members only had to do brief stints before they were allowed to take a nice break backstage. One would hope, anyway. I’ll have to look up Oscar Getz, why does he have a museum in Bourbon, Kentucky? Poor Carrie Nation, she looks like zero fun.
Melissa, the disembodied hand is saying, “I don’t care which direction you go, just as long as it is away from ME”.
DrGoat, I’ve never seen such a fickle finger, and I watched Laugh-In. I think that back in the 50’s and into the 60s, parents just assumed that a day at Disneyland was like a day in their local park. There’s horses that poop on the ground, folks! That alone would make me buy some sneakers for Junior. If they are cool enough, he’ll be glad to wear them.
Chuck, let’s call it northwest!
Major, https://www.oscargetzwhiskeymuseum.com/
JG
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