spatch | (no subject)

Ever wanted to operate Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland? Well, now you can read up on some 1970s-era operating manuals and pretend to be a Loader! Or perhaps a wily Dispatcher! Or maybe you'll choose to live the nomadic life in the Utility section!

I will not be held responsible if you do choose to go over and try to be cool and start yammering on in internal language and whatnot, much like I am not responsible for your well-being if you stroll up to a carny and say "Hey Rube."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

infinitehotel.livejournal.com

Yep, the usage was familiar; I was more curious whether carny culture has managed to retain some degree of homogeneity or if it's disintegrated into a mass of unconnected workers working low-paying jobs without any distinct identity as "carnies".

(I have a disorganized library of books about various aspects and cultures of con-artistry (the Rom, the Travelers/Tinkers, carnival cons, the modern grifter/pickpocket etc.) that I use for writing. Awhile back I was fooling around with a story set in a carnival so I spent a some time researching what I could about the history and culture. A lot of the reason why I haven't finished the story is the language still doesn't sound right to me; all my characters sound like outsiders trying to use the lingo.)

From:

spatch

Well, there are certainly still very well-established travelling shows that still work certain regions. New England is served by the likes of Fiesta Shows (who do the regional parking lot carnivals and the Topsfield Fair) and Conklin Shows out of Toronto (who do larger midways, like The Big E in Springfield) and a variety of smaller, family-operated amusement companies. Whether or not they've retained that culture and in what forms, I'm not sure. The nature of the carny circuit has always been seasonal, but I don't know if it still attracts repeat workers year to year, or if the bulk of it is temporary hangers-on each season.