OK, here’s the scoop. There is a nude cruise ship that sails out of Port Canaveral, also the home of both Disney ships. They began about a month ago, doing live nude entertainment beyond the three mile limit. Within 2 weeks the port authority notifies the marina they sail from that they can’t sail because they aren’t a dinner cruise as licensed, even though there is a buffet served on board. The main arguement given is that Port Canaveral is trying to promote a ‘family atmosphere’. Disney has alot of influence in the port area now, and I am guessing that a lot of pressure is from this source. The Canaveral Star is the name of the vessel that offers these cruises, but I have yet to see any overt advertising in the area, no huge neons proclaiming “LIVE NUDES” or anything else that would let you know what this 250-300 passenger boat does. I does however, dock across from the Disney cruise terminal.
My point is this: If there are strictly gambling ships that sail from the port twice a day, and large liners that offer gambling, all beyond the three miles, what difference does it make what happens 3 miles out? Should there be this censorship of a legal business? I don’t intend to patronize the Canaveral Star ($20 table dances, $300 one hour private staterooms), but I will defend their right to free enterprise.
(sorry I don’t link well… http://www.floridatoday.com July 1, 2000 for story)
Disney’s been getting really scary lately. Its like they want to monitor and control all thought within a certain radius of their enterprises.
Because they try to promote a “family” oriented image, they seem to be able to get away with this. Who’s going to argue with the company that invented Mickey and popularized Snow White and Pinocchio? Anyone who does question their motives gets the “right wing freak” treatment. “Leave Mickey alone, you fascist! He’s trying to make things nice!” Also, it seems, a lot of the consent is tacit. It’s as if people are saying, “Well, it’s Disney, it must be OK.”
But it’s not. Disney is a large corporation, and they have controlling the largest piece of the pie in mind. Same as the company I work for. Same as the company you work for. They are capitalist men and women, not furry little woodland creatures and asexual dwarfs. Their main interest is their own interest, not your family’s or mine.
Don’t get me wrong, I think a lot of the entertainment Disney cranks out is top notch. But we must beware. They are a huge corporation, and their operations must be viewed the same we would view the operations of Standard Oil or IBM.
[hijack]Considering the crap they’re producing now, Uncle Walt must be spinning in his urn (contrary to rumours of freezing, he was cremated)[/hijack]
[hijack of thread title] Why was it that Donald Duck never wore pants, but always wrapped a towel around his waist when getting out of the shower? [/hijack]
Mickey wears shorts, but Donald only wears a shirt. Where the hell does Donald keep his genitals?
I had a friend who swore that there could be paralells drawn between Star Wars and Disney. Dreamworks as the Rebel force, Mickey as Darth. ::whaaaaahooooohaaaaoooohaaaa:: “You have disappointed me for the last time, Eisner! Tee hee!”
I say we protest by all going to Florida and getting on the Disney boat, and gleefully strip at the three mile mark and pretend we got on the wrong boat. Who’s with me?
It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that Disney had expressed disapproval to the appropriate city leaders.
But, barring positive evidence, I don’t see any reason to assume that it has happened. Most city leaders do perfectly fine on their own of censoring nudity.
Everyone should read their state and local laws regarding strip clubs, they are pretty funny. In Texas (if I remember correctly) the statutes actually describe the manner in which a tip can be given to a stripper (money extended from the fingers of an outstretched arm, retrieved by the outstretched arm of the stripper).
Nice that the city leaders are on top of nudity. Er, I mean…well, you know what I mean.
The point is, the nudity is apparently going on beyond the three-mile line. Doesn’t this mean the city leaders can do precisely dookie about it? Unless they can do something at the boarding point, it’s beyond their jurisdiction, isn’t it?
I just wish Disney would keep it’s four-fingered, white-gloved mitts off of things that don’t really concern it.
told me that she just found an ad for the Canaveral Star.
They are now offering free boarding on the Thursday night cruise to area residents. My wife said she’d go on the cruise with me, what do you think? A little first hand, in depth, investigation into the “Nude Cruise”?
later, Tom
::smiling wickedly!::