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Original poster

London Planetarium - A tragedy and a sign of ongoing dumbing down

41 replies

DaddyCool · 01/02/2006 15:28

check it out.

The London Planetarium is now going to be called the London Auditorium and will show a presentation on celebrities and celebrity-ism.

what a load of crap

OP posts:
Original poster
DaddyCool · 01/02/2006 15:30

and I heard an in depth moan-fest on radio 2 about it at lunch time. what a shame

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 01/02/2006 15:32

yes I saw this on the news - I love it there (and so do my kids)

it's all about money isn't it (unfortunately) - one of their excuses was that they need vast amounts of money to upgrade the technology and there is already a massive plantetarium thing being built in Greenwich (I assume with the Observatory). The problem is that for anyone who doesn't live in SE London, Greenwich is a bit of a pain to trek to!

How lovely though that Mr and Mrs General Public and tourist are far more interested in celebrities than anything else. I just cannot understand it all - but then again, I'm someone who doesn't watch X-factor/Big Brother etc. and judging by the ratings they got, there are obviously millions and millions of people drawn to this sort of drivel nowadays!

mumatuks · 01/02/2006 15:32

It's a load of rubbish but everything is dumbing down now. I heard how they were simplifing the weather so it down't have too much technical weather speak in it anymore!

spacedonkey · 01/02/2006 15:32
Angry
Misspiggy · 01/02/2006 15:37

I can remember taking DS1 there when he was 7 and he was mesmerised by the whole experience and loved every minute of it. If that's the reaction of a 7 year old, who are they dumbing down for FGS?!

georginars · 01/02/2006 15:39

I heard someone from the pLanetaruim on the radio, she said that although they have tried to encourage people to go, and have included it in the Madame Tussaurds ticket, people just aren't going. It is such a shame, I loved it when I was a kid (and hated Madame T's, thought it was rubbish)

Gem13 · 01/02/2006 15:40

I went there 25 years ago with my school and all I remember was lying back in the chairs and watching the light show while 'Beatles' muzak played! That wasn't so high brow then!

SorenLorensen · 01/02/2006 15:43

I've never been to the London Planetarium but the one at Jodrell Bank is deadly. Forty minutes of a droning American voice and bad graphics showing "The Plough" and "O' Ryan's Belt" My SIL fell asleep and started snoring, and she wasn't the only one.

Earlybird · 01/02/2006 15:43

Must confess that dd and I have never been to the planetarium. But, it's not due to a lack of interest. I assumed that it was always mobbed with the same people who line up outside Tussaud's, and couldn't bring myself to fight the crowds. What a shame.

When is it closing? Is there still time to go?

mumatuks · 01/02/2006 15:48

SL you just reminded me of a fond memory.
My parents took us to Jodrell bank yonks ago. I was about 9 and my DB was 5. They used a red arrow pointer to show out the constolations of stars. It was deadly quiet unitl my DB shouted out "oh look a rocket!!"

Yes, he meant the red pointer arrow!

He's 21 this year and will probably die of embarrasment if he knew that was on here!

Enid · 01/02/2006 15:49

I'd watch the slebs

SorenLorensen · 01/02/2006 15:49

It's still the same show, mumatuks

mumatuks · 01/02/2006 15:53

LOL SL!

foxinsocks · 01/02/2006 15:56

Enid!!

I can't understand this fascination with celebrities - I've really tried to understand but I just can't. I mean, they are basically normal people who are either good looking or good actors/sportsmen. When they go home at night, they do exactly the same things as most other people - they fart in their sleep, they have parrot breath in the morning and then they go and do their jobs (acting, playing sport whatever) and come home again. I have admiration for people who are good sportsmen/actors/actresses but I can't see why people would want to spend their spare time looking at their waxwork or watching a 'presentation' on them.

Marina · 01/02/2006 16:03

The management of Mme Tussauds are a bunch of venial idiots DC so I am but not surprised at what they have done here.
There will be a super-sounding exhibition on astronomy and chronology at the revamped Observatory in Greenwich Park eventually

snailspace · 01/02/2006 16:46

Message withdrawn

Caligula · 01/02/2006 17:03

Oh well, Greenwich was always better. And cheaper.

Troutpout · 01/02/2006 19:48

I love Jodrell...i napped both times i went...
bliss

FrannyandZooey · 01/02/2006 19:51

The planetarium is fab and one of my most exciting childhood memories is going there. I am really dreadfully sad to hear this news. I am considering leaving the country in disgust, actually, this is just another sign of the sh*t state we are in.

swedishmum · 02/02/2006 00:49

I looked at the website recently - seems you can only go with Madame Tussaud's. Can't be bothered with that at all. I was very shocked. Dd2 was doing the planets so thought it would tie in but have no interest in media hype famous people.

Kathy1972 · 02/02/2006 10:19

If you can only go with Madame Tussauds then no wonder people aren't going - it's a completely different audience!
Might have made sense in the days when Tussauds was more educational (more kings & queens, fewer celebs) but given that Tussauds is all about celebrities now, if they did market research among that lot of visitors about what they wanted to see in the Planetarium of course they'd just ask for more of the same.

ixel · 15/02/2006 21:05

Let me ressurrect this thread, that I've just stumbled on!

The reason Tussuads is so shit now is that with every influx of new management, they just look at MTs and the Planetarium in the context of the rest of the Tussauds group, ie places like Chessington and Alton Towers. But obviously these are not going to attract the same customers, and neither should the prices be the same... you can spend all day in a theme park, but an hour maximum at Tussauds.
They also just look at entrance figures and secondary spend etc, and no longer consider whether or not people actually enjoy themselves, ie enough to recommend and/return.
And by cutting down drastically on guiding staff, they save wages, but make it impossible for the general public to get quality help if they need it.

And I HATE the sneaky marketing etc, such as automatically charging for extras such as the Chamber Live unless you specifically request not to pay... but not making you aware that there is such a choice.

Oh, for the old days , when it was a quality exhibition not just a series of shop points to walk through, with caring staff, good management, good value.

Er, sorry if any of you work there and I've offended you

stitch · 15/02/2006 21:09

fifteen odd years ago we went to the planetarium and i remembered being impressed
took the kids to it in the spring and though, what a load of crap.

stitch · 15/02/2006 21:11

thought

ixel · 15/02/2006 21:12

It is shit. The plan was to make the shows shorter and shorter to enable a higher turnover of paying customers. But what can you do with a 10 min slot,thats actually any good? By the time you've settled into your seat, its over.

I reckon they're def on borrowed time now; so many people used to visit based on reputation. But now the new reputation is taking over, except for foreign tourists who aren't any the wiser.