“Welcome, Foolish Mortals.”
It’s a great line. Most who have visited Disney recognize it immediately, and for most of us, just reading the line in print summons up the amazing voice of Paul Frees in our memories. It’s the opening of the Haunted Mansion, the beginning of an adventure…
…and it’s our introduction to our highly ambiguous host…our Ghost Host.
From the time guests see the Haunted Mansion through their time in its foyer, there is a building sense of foreboding. Of course, for theme park guests well acquainted with the attraction they’ve just entered, the foreboding is obvious…this is the Haunted Mansion. But beyond the outside knowledge, there are the remarkable sets, the dour butlers and maids, the hanging cobwebs and sepulchral music. But, with the exception of the sign on the way in, how do we know exactly what we’ve gotten into? We need a guide, someone to tell us what on earth is happening and guide us on our way.
The Ghost Host (self-identified), serves that function, acting as the unseen host for guests visiting the Haunted Mansion. He joins the Hitchhiking Ghosts as being one of the few spooks to directly interact with guests, but unlike the Hitchhiking Ghosts, it is not easy to get a “fix” on his intentions. The Hitchhikers are playful, whimsical; the ghost host is…well…what exactly is he?
From his opening line, X Atencio’s script for the Ghost Host places him firmly in uncertain territory. He greets us, yet makes fun of us by calling us “Foolish,” and immediately separates himself from us “mortals.” He doesn’t seem to be on our side, but he is guiding us, right? Well, actually, he’s hosting us, which by definition means he’s entertaining us while we’re in the house. That’s not quite the same as guiding…hosting could mean he wants us to stay…
So what do we actually know about our “friendly” Ghost Host – perhaps the most developed and yet most ambiguous character in the Mansion?
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