I’m listening to This American Life #38: Simulated Worlds.  I have to disagree with Umberto Eco when he said “the urge to create these miniature simulated worlds is a very American impulse.”  I think we might have taken it to an extreme but it’s not solely an American impulse.  I was at Windsor castle a few weeks ago and listening to this made me think of walking through Queen Mary’s Doll House.  It was an amazing recreation of how the royal family lived in the early 20th century in Buckingham palace.  Dozens of artist sent in pieces they had worked on for the doll house, even the silver in the dining rooms was real.  People are intrigued by history and they fantasize about what it would be like if they could step back in time, not just in America but all over the world.

In act two, with the bit about the tyrannosaurus rex, actually being an awkward and clumsy dinosaur was hilaaaarious.  It was like the equivalent of telling children that Santa Claus isn’t real.

I’d have to say, I wish America was a little older and had medieval castles and abbeys throughout the country side… instead of billboards and 100 foot McDonalds signs.  It took me a while to realize that they were in America at a fake castle.  I’d like to hear Michael talk more about America living the medieval ages, sounds like an interesting concept.