![]() ![]() NYPL via via Wikimedia CommonsĪccording to Hopes&Fears, the ride originated as the Canals of Venice in London, but it really took off in the amusement park-obsessed United States. The Old Mill at Coney Island's Luna Park, circa 1898. (Rides at this time were also more loosely regulated than they are today, which led to some perilous designs that thankfully haven’t been replicated since.) In between taking a dark ride to hell and losing consciousness on a looping coaster, guests could have a more relaxing-and more romantic-time in the Tunnel of Love. Innovations in ride technology ushered in a golden age of amusement parks. These venues-which differed from carnivals and world fairs in that they operated at a fixed location-began popping up during the Gilded Age and multiplied through the early 1900s. In the Mood for LoveĪt the turn of the 20th century, Americans with disposable income were eager to experience a new form of entertainment called the amusement park. The Tunnel of Love exploded in popularity in the early 20th century, and after serving an important function for courting couples for several years, it disappeared in what seemed like an instant. But the ride was very real 100 years ago. You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking the attraction is a Hollywood invention, like flying cars or human-sized air vents. The ride is ubiquitous in media, though if you ask anyone under the age of 70 if they’ve seen it in real life, they’ll likely say no. Even younger generations have some familiarity with the concept, with Tunnel of Love scenes appearing in 2010s cartoons like The Loud House and Gravity Falls. Baby Boomers saw it in Scooby-Doo, Gen Xers saw it in The Simpsons, and Millennials saw it in Rugrats. The Tunnel of Love has been a TV trope for decades. When they emerge from the tunnel several minutes later, the pair looks much more comfortable than when they entered. As they drift past cardboard cupids and neon hearts, their hands inch closer to each other’s in the dark. What follows has become a pop culture cliché: The would-be couple blushes as they squeeze into a swan-shaped vessel built for two. There they stumble upon the Tunnel of Love-a boat ride that forces passengers to share a snug seat as they float through a dimly-lit enclosure. When two characters are about to get together on a television show, they may find themselves at an amusement park.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |