Gatlinburg, TN
Your conversation with a listener about the area in and around
Gatlinburg, TN was right on the mark. It is indeed a place exhibiting
the most horrible bad taste, hokey, tourist ripoff, kitsch, missing
not a single fast food, lodging, merchandise or other international
chain spreading American values across the planet.
Much as I hate to admit it, just looking at this place as you drive
by is worth part of any trip to Blue Ridge region. Reminded me, in an
odd way, of the wonderful old Coney Island with Luna Park and
Steeplechase Park when I grew up in the 40's and 50's.
My youthful naivety was shattered when Nathan's Famous became a
franchise and Hebrew National became just another Hormel but with a
Star of David logo and without "miscellaneous pork products" added to
the salami.
Gatlinburg is so quintessentially American/Free Enterprise/ Demolish
and Develop anything however crude if it might make a buck, that it
turns out to be perversely very entertaining. One finds it
embarrassing to sort of derive pleasure from looking at it! If we had
had more time, we would have stopped and worked our way down the line
of "museums", merchandise outlets, mini golf courses, two headed goat
displays, arcades, Native American crafts shops, Houses of the
Bizarre, etc, for a day or two.
I can imagine what a European would think when seeing it! We drove
the whole awful strip and I wish I had turned on the camera and
videotaped every mile through the windshield. If things like this
ever start to disappear in the USA (doubtful) I nominate this place
for preservation as a Smithsonian Extension or National Monument to
the way it was! A latter day Williamsburg, VA if you will.
How can one be so disgusted and fascinated at the same time?
Art
Edinboro, PA
{ Previous Letter
| This Week's Index |
Next Letter }
{ Main Letters Page }
