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Monday, September 27, 2010

Coney Island


Coney Island was the largest amusement park between 1880 until WWII. It was an escape. Coney Island was a place to be anyone you wanted to be, to forget about the daily trials and struggles and come together for the sole purpose of fun and entertainment. There were such rides as the Wonder Wheel (a Ferris wheel) which was built in 1918 and the Giant Racer which was built in 1911. The Giant Racer was the largest rollercoaster of its time. Coney was a place where things were created that had never been done before. The Luna for example was an electric fairyland that consisted of over 250,000 electric lights. Something like that was fresh and beautiful to everyone. There were many and various activities for entertainment. Whether it was a ride, show, performance, weird and quirky phenomenons or the beach, Coney was the place to be. It equalized society while they were in attendance. There was no upper or lower class but simply people having a good time. Check out this site to see some original and quite interesting footage of Coney Island. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coney_Island_(ca._1940s).ogv



Nowadays we still have many forms of entertainment. We have modern amusement parks all over the world. In the U.S. alone there are more than 400 amusement parks and attractions. In 2006, all of these attractions accumulted to 11.5 billion dollars of revenue. This in no longer one little island but a growing and popular industry. There is the infamous Disneyland and Disneyworld which have become the "must see" and climax of every young child's life. Obviously the culture has changed with the times and the specific types of rides or shows that make us laugh are considerably different, but they still have similar aspects. We look to go and do things that aren't possible in everyday life. Whether it be plunging from heights in a rollercoaster or spinning rapidly around in circles, we enjoy it. The thrill existed at Coney and still today. We like to participate in things that might push the limit or attain a rush that is not achievable in everyday activities. However, it would be unrealistic to say that nothing has changed since Coney. The amusement parks of today are not as open to the public or have that ambiance of a community coming together. The parks today are quite expensive and it has become a privilege to attend them. Classes can actually be separated. At certain places, special passes are offered at a considerably higher pass that allows you to skip the line and get right on the ride. Not everyone can afford these types of passes. Everything and anything at a park also is not accessible to all. All the merchandise, food and beverages are priced very high. Although the element of fun is still present, some things are just not quite the same. Certain aims of the creators of these places have altered.



These types of amusement parks and entertainment have been around for a while. It can unify us in the desire to have fun and forget about life for the day. It shows that basically it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from or what your favorite color is, humans seek entertainment and thrills. It is interesting to see the developments and similarities between the then and now of this industry.

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