The "real" Al McWhiggin is a character in Toy Story 2. He looks like this:
According to Wikipedia he´s partially inspired by Wayne Knight (Newman in Seinfeld) who also does the voice of Al McWhiggin.
He is lazy, he collects toys and he... is not a very nice man at all. (He steals Woody, and he want´s to sell him to a Japanese toy museum.)
Pixar have made quite an effort to make him abominable:
I can´t help thinking that this is the way Pixar thinks and want other to think about us collectors of childrens toys. Even though they clearly make toys that just collectors care about (Golden McQueen, the special edition-cars like John Lassetire with surfing board etc.)
The message is plain and simple: Toys are for kids and should be played with.
But... Look what happens then:
These are two of A´s cars. Just look at those marks! I know that they´re made when A was having fun with his toys. But... It doesn´t feel good inside of me when I see this...
I often see the wording "Never been played with" in description texts to different cars out on eBay.
This is a profoundly sad thing to say about a toy.
I know that.
But... well, I wouldn´t buy an opened item without that text.
To prove I´m right:
I might be sick in several ways. But I´m right. Right?
I don't agree at all. Al is not a nice guy, and although he's the only collector portrayed by Pixar in any of their movies, he is not an accurate representation of what collectors are like, especially Cars collectors. There are always a few bad seeds, and Pixar represented that with Al. John Lasseter, director of Cars, definitely doesn't think all collectors are like that. He has a collection of Cars diecast himself, just like you and me. It is a little sad to see a car destroyed by play, especially a rare one, but Cars are made to make us happy. If it makes us happy by putting them in a cabinet in the garage and not playing with them, that's just as great as if it makes us happy to smash them together. :)
ReplyDeleteWell put my friend! Well put!
ReplyDeleteI can relate, I try to explain to my boys to take it easy on their Cars, but I know they are having fun chipping the paint off, chewing the mirrors off and so on. That's what being a kid is about and that is why I have my "stash" in the garage too!
ReplyDeleteThomas: the garage is such a beautiful place! :)
ReplyDelete