Thursday 14 October 2010

Still better than the film, though.

Here's an extraordinary thing I drove past in France:


Now then. I suppose you could argue that that's not a specific sinking ship, it's just a generalised, fictional sinking ship; a ship from which all the passengers definitely escaped on the plentiful lifeboats, and actually found the whole experience rather fun and invigorating. But I'm not convinced - the black and white design, the funnels, the rounded stern - I'm pretty sure that what we have here is a jolly inflatable representation of the violent deaths of one and a half thousand people. 

So, if les enfants have been especially good recently, why not treat them to a fun-filled afternoon on a bouncy disaster? Shriek with glee as you slide all the way from the deck to the sea, just like hundreds of passengers who slid to their deaths in the freezing ocean as the ship's stern rose into the air! Children of all ages love it, apart from 53 children in 1912, who didn't love it so much. And don't miss our forth-coming attractions: the Challenger shuttle firework display, and the Twin Towers helter-skelter.

43 comments:

Unknown said...

Well said. I have a darker sense of humour than most people, but that is a bit insensitive.

Leonidas said...

I find it highly unlikely that they're intent was such. I've seen that exact same inflatable ship slide in Minnesota. If it is, it's insensitive and jerk-like. But I find it much more likely that somebody took a generic boat design, turned it diagonally and made money off it being an inflatable slide design.

Nicole Leigh Shaw said...

Right, generic. Um, cause when I see half of a giant ship nearly perpendicular to the horizon, I think, "Gee, that doesn't remind me of anything. Nope, no bells."

Amy K. said...

Wow. And if the kids shriek when they slide down the ummm, boat (!), I think it would give me nightmares for quite awhile. Gah!

Anonymous said...

At least it's a sinking ship and not an aflame zeppelin.

Sierra Night Tide said...

Who in the world thought that a sinking ship would make a great inflatable on site promotional item or even an inflatable slide?

"Did your ship sink? Come get anther from Lucky's Boats & More!"

Anonymous said...

Well, I live Tennessee and we had that same exact thing at a festival last year and I thought.. how interesting. And shook my head.

Jonathan said...

I enjoy the way you write. Its intriguing and invigorating. Keep it up.

~JON
lifeofakidnamedjon.blogspot.com
Comment. Follow. Enjoy.

AskWayMore said...

I guess better off this than your kid being around some pervert in a Chucky Cheese costume.

Dog Bowls said...

Looks like certain death if you get trapped in the center tube/tunnel.

mamasmental said...

Oh John!! You get everywhere!!! Or is that... I get everywhere?? I was on the dashboard of my blog when I saw the name John Finnemore, I thought "there's only one of them" and here you are! Anyway you have a blog of note out of a gerzillion bloggers and it made me smile, well not the grotesque bouncy disaster but the fact that your here. I shall follow, I know youre terribly busy but maybe you could check mine sometime too... Beyond the Boob :) See ya xxx Nicki (Stowell btw)

S@G@R -- NIT Agartala said...

thus it proves.........evenything happens for good ....just we have to look at it

Anonymous said...

I can totally see what you mean . . . maybe it's fun for the kids, but it's definitely a bit too much dark humour for my taste!

Richard O. Smith said...

Right. As per John’s directive, his long-serving blog followers – us Johnny-Come-Earlys – have put the kettle on to welcome all the new readers. I’ve only got 5 mugs though – could be a problem.

Disappointingly, I also notice that the odd advertiser has also found their way here too. Which is a perennial danger for any blog, whenever some chancer with a new book to plug starts posting direct marketing quotes.

"I was expecting Richard O. Smith’s new book OXFORD STUDENT PRANKS to be a jape-filled jamboree of jollity, but it turned out to be full of sex and violence as well. All human life is here, served up with a light touch and keen sense of the ridiculous." - Author & presenter of BBC2’s An Intimate History of the Home, Lucy Worsley.

So we’ll need to be vigilant about that.

Max said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Gail said...

Haha....yeah, that's pretty crazy.

The Real Handbag Shop said...

We love your style! Jana & The Real Handbag Shop Girls x

Sarah said...

I enjoy reading your blog & am SO glad I found it. I'm pretty sure that if I were to see & hear children sliding & screaming down it that I would have a little trouble sleeping as well.

Carry on & continue to blog! I look forward to reading more. ^_^

@Richard - Thanks for the welcome!
@ Nicole - LOL My thoughts exactly

This Mid 30s Life said...

Wow, such sensitivity and good taste.

Silvertongue said...

Haha, they have that exact thing at the fair where I just recently moved from. The funny thing is that my sister wanted so badly to go on it, but the line was too long!

AER said...

I've seen a similar thing in America as well. Yeesh.

Cold Case dvd said...

I enjoy the way you write.

Kristi said...

It is kind of insensitive, but no matter how much I protest, I still think it'd be a fantastic "slide."

Julia said...

We have one of those in the U.S at a pumpkin patch near our house.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
shoxnzshoe said...

It is cute! we can experience the Titanic

Anonymous said...

Instead, perhaps a birthday party parachute jump from the fuselage of a flaming Concord?

john horse said...

This is obviously a metaphor for our sinking economy. However, unlike movies the Titanic where it was women and children to the lifeboats first, in today's world its wealthy shareholders first.

On the other hand, maybe I'm reading too much into this.

Shelly said...

Hey, when it comes to entertainment, even disasters are fair game.

alicia said...

pensé que era una broma del autor del blog, algo de humor negro., pero de verdad está como una diversión para los niños? me parece demasiado raro.

Barbara L said...

Ha, you made me laugh! Not just a little chuckle but a for real LOL laugh. Thanks!

Gareth Hurley Blog said...

chill out man. it's only an inflatable! the saying "too soon" springs to mind.

my folks originate in County Cork yet there are jokes on TV about the Irish famine all the time.

I am Welsh, yet there are jokes about sheep couplings with Welshmen on TV weekly it seems.

My uncle died in WW2 at DDay. I have heard and laughed at WW2 and DDay jokes.

I have broad shoulders and can cope.

Sometimes we can be a little too sensitive for our own good.

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That electronics would be on a total history on banks and a few & mixed income on 45's.

Bradleyeaei said...

I enjoy the way you write.

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Anonymous said...

Just read this and wondered if you had heard about when it got really tasteless?

When Antrim Council had it in a park, over the centenary of the sinking. Fabulous timing! Don't believe me?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17756036

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