What Wellington needs now, in these troubled times, is a giant Wellywood sign.
First there was Hollywood. They had a vision, they had a sign. Just a big old thing made from corrie iron, shoved up on the back of some bloke’s farm. Quite large though, so it could be seen for miles. We could do that. We’re good with corrie iron, and I’m sure the council could run with the budget. Somewhere where you could see it from the airport. Seems to have caught on in Los Angeles – quite a few people have come to see it. Apparently the town has grown quite a bit since they put it up. Can’t just be a co-incidence.
Some time later there was Bollywood, and they must have had double vision. Their sign is not as flash, but the name really seems to have caught on.
Beats 90210 hands down. Hands up, hands down. Shimmy shimmy shimmy. Now shake it. Ooo yeah.
Even Mosgiel has a sign, because, well, they had some spare land and didn’t have quite enough sheep to fill it, so they got a sign as well.
The old towns of Budapest have a sign – imagine that – one sign, for two cities. There’s co-operation for you. It’s definitely orange enough, but just not big enough.
And ‘Sterdam has a sign, where you can do your best Colin Mcahon imitations, ranting bits of the bible at your friends, and scaring the neighbours cats with your giant paintbrushes. Ooh, and look, cyclists without helmets! Sacriligeous. They’ll probably be smoking pot too. How can they allow such lawlessness! This sign should probably be orange too.
And lastly, perhaps now that we’re embracing soccer properly, maybe we can have some big signs at the CakeTin, like this one, rather than the White Power ones we saw. That’s just an ironic slant that won’t go down well with our overseas viewers. Never mind that we’ll go out at the first round – we’ll go out as KKK wielding Nazi lovers, and we can’t have that. Oops, I mentioned Nazis – better stop now. Sorry, must be going!
Mosgiel represent! As an ex Wellington resident and now in Mosgiel (yes really) this is is very funny. Locally we call it Mollywood you know – or maybe thats just me?
Well, if the Loaded Hog is going to be relaunched as a “West Hollywood” style bar, then maybe Wellington should further this theme and put up such a sign.
God, just imagine if someone in the council was actually seriously considering doing this! It’s like thinking that the secret for a town to be a successful film-making centre is simply having a giant “*ollywood” sign in its hills. No, the secret is having lots of film and television production companies who makes lots of films and TV programmes.
I suggest that a better way of honouring Wellington’s film and television industry would be to keep supporting it so that people can keep on making good films and television programmes.
Don’t Forget Foxton!
I have forgoten Foxton. Is it still there?
If so, what on earth for?
I’m torn between a giant sign on Mt Vic. Or an absolutely enormous one above Eastbourne that we’d be able to see from right across the harbour. I suspect North Korea would be able to help us with the technology required to build a suitable huge monumental structure.
Perhaps we could use giant laser to burn name into side of mountain, or even, burn into retina of every worker in your great socialist republic!
We could write the name of some other city in giant letters on a hill next to the airport. Travelers would spot ADELAIDE as they were about to land, and much hilarity would ensue. Obviously we’d need to be careful to pick a city that either looks like Wellington, or one where no one knows what it looks like. Hence ADELAIDE. Or KINSHASA perhaps. But not NEW YORK or PARIS.
Wellywood – why not Kerrywood? Would be a nice civic gesture to her as she departs her mayordom – I mean wasn’t one of her first acts to take down a sign? I understand the remnants are in the Museum of Wellington City and Sea – which by the way is having party this weekend to celebrate its first 10 years …
I have long been an advocate of some eastern suburbs entrepreneur erecting a large sign on the Mapuia ridge spelling out MIRAMAR. Has the advantages of some geographical accuracy, a certain seaside joie-de-vivre and a link to the once and present hub of the NZ film industry. The reference to the Hollywood one would be rather less explicit…
You might also be amused to know that the LA one started as HOLLYWOODLAND – the brand for a failed property development. I’m not entirely sure if the last four letters just fell over by themselves or were quietly removed in the interests of more generic civic pride.
Wow – Wikipedia has a long list of <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Sign#Imitations”other cities who have imitated the Hollywood sign, including Mosgiel.
Ugh, crap HTML.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Sign#Imitations
KERRYWOOD ? MIRAMAR? Why not just spell it out as : JACKSONVILLE?
Or a sign – Caution, here be WETAs.
Judging by Robyn’s list (Wikipedia – why didn’t I think of that?) – then the giant sign thing has well out-done any novelty value and is an overly thrashed and tired old theme – perhaps we should just think of something new. The giant Gollum at the Airport was much more innovative.
oh – don’t give up so easily … giant postcodes dotted throughout the landscape – a number for every hill not just Mt Vic or Mirimar – that’ll be new surely? and better than the giant “t” which mysteriously appears each Easter …
That’ll be Jesus. Wanting you to read The Bible. It’s a wonder he didn’t have a sign saying TB then though… …wait, I see some problems with that.
I'm torn between a giant sign on Mt Vic. Or an absolutely enormous one above Eastbourne that we'd be able to see from right across the harbour. I suspect North Korea would be able to help us with the technology required to build a suitable huge monumental structure.
And bizarrely, this is what Wellington has actually decided to do:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/3426826/Public-split-on-Wellywood
(the giant sign bit, not the huge statue of glorious leader).
I went the other way from Mosgiel to Wellington lol And yup a lot of people call it Mollywood ;)
Bad bad idea