Branson Landing: Seduced By The Dark Side

I am sitting on a hard metal bench wondering what Jesus would think. The episode where he drove the moneychangers from the temple comes to mind. This is our modern religion—shopping. Branson Landing is an open-air mall along Lake Taneycomo in Branson, Missouri. 

Being an on-again, off-again local, I know the story of Branson Landing's construction. The huge government sponsored bond issue, the special sales taxes, and the promise of increased business for local businessmen. Of course, they lied. Most of the stores are big chains. Business dropped when the mall was completed—there are only so many tourists. 

There is just so much money in a tourist’s pocket, and whatever falls out in the Mall is not available for country music shows. Attendance at those is down 20% I am told. Yakov Smirnov actually had to come out of retirement and star in a show in his own theater. Poor man. 

My guess is that eventually it did provide more of a “destination” like they promised, but not for the locals. Unless you are Paris Hilton or a Marriott heir. 

While it is pretty to sit and look at the lake, building the Mall in the flood plain without the proper permit might not have been the smartest thing for the City Fathers to do.

The choo-choo train is running down the middle of the street, but I doubt most of us shoppers, myself included, could fit inside the cars—not with all the funnel cakes we just ate. 

My wife complained that she could not find me in the crowds doing our religious duty. People are actually buying custom Teddy bears, and buying gourmet olive oil at Devo Olive Oil Co, fighting the crowds all the way.

I know I sound like an old curmudgeon, but don’t misunderstand what I am saying. There is nothing wrong with shopping. Stacy bought a fun hat and her first perfume! It is the whole system that is corrupt. From our shopping intensity to the profit mania that depopulated our industrial areas, from the top to the bottom it is corrupt. 

Again I wonder what Jesus ...

Oh wait, the musical dancing fountain show with the lights and fireworks and the igniting of propane is starting—never mind. 

Comments

[Eric Anderson]

So Devo gave up the music business and went into olive oil? Who'da thought? They couldn't get no satisfaction, I guess.