Beacons of Hope: Lost Fishermen
Find Salvation in New Lighting
Though the formal opening of Decatur’s downtown MARTA plaza is still weeks away, its recently installed decorative lighting has already made a dramatic impact, providing guidance and, ultimately, salvation to a boat full of Taiwanese fishermen lost at sea for 18 days and presumed dead.
“Oh rucky day!” exclaimed crew chief Long Duc Tran. “Those beautiful rights. So big. So blight. They bling us home!”
Undoing the mistakes of the plaza’s original design, conceived at a time when architects drew their inspiration from the movie “Logan’s Run” rather than from civic spaces that people actually enjoy being in, the current six million dollar overhaul has, in large part, been an effort to draw people back to the square. However, from how far away has always been a matter of conjecture.
Until now.
“No one could have suspected just how effective these magnificent lights would be,” beamed Mayor Floyd. “Welcome, fishermen. We’re proud to have you!”
Noting that Taiwan was "the good China,” the Mayor extended the men a heartfelt invitation to stay and make a new life here, though he conceded that there were probably few fishing opportunities to sustain their livelihoods.
“Still,” he continued, “I guarantee you could do quite well for yourselves in landscaping.”
15 comments:
Satire doesn't mean making fun of people's accents. Good try, jerk.
Although the intent may have been missed, today's post was simply channeling the "fa ra ra" Chinese restaurant dinner in the beloved classic "A Christmas Story" in order to illuminate the true, uhh, grandeur of the new lights. A quick Google check re: that film did not reveal any heated reactions to that particular scene, so we thought we were in good company.
As true southerners, we know our own accents have been used a time or two to comic effect. Can't say it ever rankled us too much.
And to be fair, The Blur does everything in its limited power to satirize all equally.
What say you, loyal Blur readers? Did the General go too far? Chime in now!
Did you go to far? Yes, by several hundred miles. With a name like Long Duc Tran, this gentleman has clearly arrived from Vietnam, not Taiwan.
fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra,
anna n. mouse
Dang! Well, a lack of global knowledge is half the reason we mock local. We should have consulted the official satirical publication of Taipei for factual guidance.
Or better yet, should have stuck closer to our original inspiration -- 16 Candles' famously named Long Duc Dong. At least that guy was supposed to be Chinese.
Centennial Park was having a close-out sale on leftover lampposts.
Don't you recognize that stylish 90's teal?
Goes well with the Chinese granite (never mind that the largest granite quarry in the world is in Elberton, Georgia).
And you thought the merchants behind the fence we’re pissed off in December…
Please, please tell me the Marta Plaza design was not perpetrated by one of Decatur's own - or even Atlanta's own, for that matter - because those lights smack of midwestern suburban strip malls...well, that and Taiwanese fishing lanterns, obviously.
The plaza redevelopment overall is a wonderful project for Decatur.
Nevertheless, mr. jarsol is right on target - those lighting pylons were hideous even 15 years ago !
I don't have a problem with the accent humor, but I have to admit that my pop-culture illiteracy caused me to miss the Logan's Run reference entirely.
I think you're missing the real issue. I can’t believe we spent all that time and money for such hideous results. What do those ugly lights and the deer, tree and southwestern motifs in the tile have to do with Decatur? For a city that prides itself on being an example of urban development it’s a disaster. The square was torn up for almost 2 years, the restaurants and businesses that give Decatur so much of its charm were severely harmed by the loss of business and the city was indifferent. Who designed this project and who approved it? I think they should be held accountable.
What's your take on the new fountain? Personally, I feel the dry-ice look of the "mist" adds to the alien landing zone motif.
I guess there's something to be said for thematic consistency.
Of all the things that Decatur might have needed a new Marta station was not one of them! How do we go about finding out who was responsible for this abomination and riding them out of town or at least to Toco Hills.
Decatur is rapidly losing the charm that made it a destination for people from all over the area. Mixed use projects are not a panacea for all urban ills. Developers like them, county commissioners like them, double the taxation, but they leave a lot to be desired from an aesthetic standpoint. Please note the canyon that is now Ponce De Leon.
We need more Brickstores not more Ted's Montana grills. Stop trying to make Decatur into some otp mall!
Arrgh...
Opps.. sorry slipped off the soapbox.
Manwho
Why in the world do we HAVE that MARTA entrance anyway? Is the one less than a hundred yards away just too far to go to stand around and beg for money? Maybe the new plaza in all its Disney-esque charm (?) will allow us to have MORE festivals that take shoppers and their dollars out of our merchant pockets and put it in the hands of those persons who don't pay the merchant taxes, rents, etc. We should also have MORE poster unveilings, TSHIRT design contests, and other events so that those responsible for these unending festivals can hit up all of us merchants for free food/drinks/prizes and...oh..sorry...gotta run, a customer just walked in to ask me when the next Beer Fest is scheduled.
STRASSER: You see what I mean? If Laszlo’s presence in a café can inspire this unfortunate demonstration, what more will his presence in Decatur bring on? I advise that this place be shut up at once.
CAPTAIN LOUIS RENAULT: But everybody’s having such a good time.
Um, I don't hate the blue-lighted Eiffel Towers which probably shows I am below the Decatur norm for discriminating taste. In the daylight, I agree that the plaza is unimpressive but as I walked home tonight, I found the lights kind of pretty. And they matched the blue in the lights of Siam and Birdis. But they clash with other Sycamore Street lights--perhaps the Downtown Development folks could require that all store signs match the blue of the Eiffel Towers.
Completely agree with comments re lack of thematic consistency for the plaza. But what WOULD a good Decatur-oriented motif be for the plaza? The multi-colored home-house-church logo? Stephen Decatur? Political yard signs? Renovation dumpsters?
This may come as a surprise to anyone who mistakes parody for criticism, but we tend to agree with CSD Junkie. The plaza at night does make a good impression. There's a certain vibe, for lack of another word, that's conducive to lingering. And even during the day, we suggest not being overly harsh right out of the gate. The idea was to make the heart of downtown more welcoming and open to community-wide gatherings. If it succeeds in that regard, we're relatively sure it will ultimately be judged more forgivingly.
Even if the lights do seem to make a statement that's a bit hard to decipher. But hey, that seems to be the Blur's problem, too...
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