Featuring actors Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, author J.K. Rowling, composer John Williams, and crass commercialism:
VIDEO: Harry Potter Theme Park Opening
By NIKKI FINKE | Saturday June 19, 2010 @ 6:10pm PDTTags: Actors, Studios, Theme Parks
This article was printed from http://www.deadline.com/2010/06/video-harry-potter-theme-park-opening/
COMMENTS (28)
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Why is it “crass”?
You’re a broken record with the ‘crass commercialism’. Get over it, Nikki.
Okay, Nikki, we get it. Crass commercialism. Unlike every other theme park attraction at Universal… The Simpsons, Men in Black, Jaws, Dr. Seuss, Jurassic Park, the entire Marvel land, Nickelodeon, even Barney and E.T. Every attraction comes out in a gift shop. Same at Disney. I don’t know if you just haven’t been to a theme park in years or you’re just anti-Potter, but all of the major theme parks are full of commercialism. Even the smaller name parks are promoting DC Comics brands or Looney Tunes or Snoopy. Crass commercialism is what theme parks do.
I can’t wait to see you post about this again and say crass commercialism. “Crass commercialism” is becoming the new “TOLDJA!”
Nikki’s not anti-Potter, she’s just anti-commercialism. Big difference. Although if she’s against it, she might as well hate J.K. Rowling. She approved the theme park, after all.
“Crass commercialism” is becoming the new “TOLDJA!”
lol. man, I hope not. I’ll take “TOLDJA!” to “crass commercialism” any day.
couldn’t most of the hollywood product this site reports on be considered crass commercialism?
Look, we know you have no sense of humor, joy, or imagination. Since you run a commercial website, who are you to say what business is crass or not?
Nikki, don’t hate. Celebrate.
You’re right, it’s crass commercialism. And it’s no worse than the constantly lousy, derivative, idiot movies that Michael Bay makes; the dumbdumb movies that Jerry Bruckheimer makes; the chewing-gum-for-the-eyes that Joel Silver makes, and the horrendous crap that Rothman puts out at Fox like ‘The A-Team’.
So let’s be in agreement here. It stinks, but then, so does the cinematic product of the people I listed above. ‘Harry Potter’ is not alone by a longshot.
I forgot to add that the HEIGHT of crass commercialism are the MOVIES BASED ON TOYS, like TRANSFORMERS. If that’s not 100% mercenary greed, nothing is.
Sure beats Disney’s guest list for their fountain show debut at California Adventure last week… (Teri Hatcher and John Stamos along with all the Disney Channel players were the highlights.) I guess the voice cast of Toy Story 3 was too busy…
Sorry but I have to join the parade here, Nikki but why are you obsessed with a bloody silly theme park?
Or for that matter, why would someone bother with a theme park that has (according to wikipedia) only one actual supposed “unique” ride and two refitted roller coasters? I mean I dig roller coasters as much as the next guy, but can’t I get them at almost any other park?
I suppose it’s for those fans/nerds/geeks who really want to pay a pricey ticket so they can fulfill some sort of fantasy of being in that world and pay $10 for crappy non-alcoholic “butterbeer.” The worst part is how they’re serving British cuisine.
Dear Lord! British food is notoriously….well, not so good. Combine that with theme park food usually quite awful and tasting like cardboard…my taste buds lack the capacity to imagine such a travesty.
Totally crass. And I totally wanna go.
Isn’t that what Hollywood is? Crass Commercialism, to make money and as much as possible, after all it’s the stockholders of Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Fox that keep the studios going. Everyone expect a return, stockholders in the form of dividends, and stock worth.
The days of kings running Hollywood are long gone, there are no Carl Laemmeles, Adolf Zukors, Louis B. Mayers, Harry Cohns, and Warner bros in Hollywood, they are large multi national media companies expected to please guests of the parks, as well as stockholders, from Harry Potter’s butter beer, to Disney’s mouse shaped ice cream bars, it all revolves around money, and if you please the guest along the way, fantastic!!
I’m not really into Harry Potter, but this looks pretty cool! I love theme parks.
Not sure what the big deal is about commercialism – it’s a big money making franchise, that’s what it is -commercial. It’s no less commercial than all the other moving parts in the Harry Potter market.
Commercial, yes. Crass, no. Maybe Nikki never got any toys when she was a kid. Sad.
I have to agree with the others. This doesn’t seem to be “crass commercialism” to me. It’s what theme parks do. It’s what they’re all about. Do you think theme parks in general are crass? Maybe visit one some time. They’re fun.
What does commercialism have to do to qualify as crass? We need to be told! I think, the crasser the better! Has anyone here actually been to Potterland yet? Is it any good? What happens if that Gulf oil slick hits? My money’s on “Oilikus Slikus Disappearus!”!
Can’t we get back to the classic non-commercial theme parks.. you know, when they weren’t so crass…?
I’m thinking something like “The Wearisome World of Ren Faire”… Jacob’s ladders, boil lancing, and all the mead your kids can drink.
Huzzah!
If it weren’t for “crass commercialism,” Nikki wouldn’t have a job.
Seriously, Nikki. This is the business we work in, get over it.
Wow! I can’t wait to go. Looks like a really fun amusement park.
Wow… snowy rooftops in Florida….
And where was Emma Watson?
Crass commercialism is the plight of 21st century life. I’m just glad there are still people that recognize the reality that surrounds them. We live in a society where billboards have become the general public’s art galleries. When commercialism becomes our number one escape, there is no escaping, just the illusion of freedom.
Harry Potter is this generation’s DisneyLand and I for one am happy to see that kids (big and small) can go and let their imagination run rampant. Crass Commercialism? So what? Every form of entertainment is crash commercialism. TV started as a means to sell soap and movies today are made to sell toys. If the worst thing that can happen is someone can go and spend a day in a place where they can believe that good trumps evil and loyalty to friends is the pinnacle of human conduct, then I for one am happy for crass commercialism. Hell, it beats that damn, “It’s a small world”. Count me panning my trip to Olivanders. I can’t wait to see what wand selects me.
It seems pretty obvious why it is ‘crass’. As it is an extension from the original creation (a book), it is, arguably, something that IS but IS NOT what it is…yeah, confusing.
I’m not saying a lot of people won’t make money from it, or that it is evil…but anything derived from something else for the purpose of making additional revenue from the original, is crass to some extent.
I’m not trying to rain on anyones parade of dollars here, but all the studios do, for the most part, is crass commercialism. Extend the ‘brand’, push it into new places. Now some people may very much enjoy those places the brand is shoved, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an exploitation of the original work. It may be done well, or poorly. It may be fin or not. But it is not the original work. So what is it?
Have you read the books lately? The plots are only so-so, but the eating and shopping scenes are inspired. I for one can hardly wait to go eat and shop in the theme park version.
“Crass?”
Do you have ads on your site, dimwit?