The Tron Disney Shoe vs. The Gehry Disney Concert Hall

Jerome Rousseau's Tron Disney ShoeFrank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall

Manolo says, because sometimes the poetry cannot express everything, the Manolo gives you the pictures.

For the Manolo, this is the remarkably original and attractive shoe, one that may, as you may see above, have had the very witty inspiration. (Although, the Jerome Rousseau does not give us any hint of this in his only published comment on the matter.)

“I didn’t want to make something gimmicky,” Rousseau remarked when we sat down with him for a sneak peek. “I wanted it to be something women wanted to wear, not just a salute to Tron—something that conveyed the mood and cool modernity of Tron without falling into a trap of a contrived design.”

The Manolo’s poetry of this morning, however, was occasioned by the almost strangely post-modern marketing confluence of the flimsy video game movie remake, the Walt Disney Company, and the high end fashion designer releasing together the artistic luxury shoe as if it were the Happy Meal prize. What better way to counter the unheimlichkeit caused by this than through the homage to Wallace Stevens?

OCT
2010
21

Six Years of Shoeblogging: Project Runway 4, Episode Eleven

N.B. In honor of the Manolo’s six years of shoeblogging, the Manolo has decided to repost this week some of his favorite pieces.

Back before the Project Runway, the shark did jump, the Manolo regularly commented upon the episodes of the show. Among the most popular of these comments was the fairy tale inspired by elf-like capering of Christian Siriano, who eventually won the whole contest. This post first appeared on February 15th, 2008.

Manolo says, Once upon the time, there was the poor tailor who was in danger of having his head chopped off if he did not complete the fabulously fierce outfits for the evil queen,

and her court…

…jesters, Toothy Orange Bottom and Brunhilde Valkyrie.

The tailor worked for many days without sleep, cutting and sewing, sewing and cutting. But, as the deadline approached, there were as yet fifteen yards of organza to be worked into the designs he had chosen, and the unhappy but honest tailor became worried and began to despair.

Even his acquaintance, the wise wizard who lived down the block, could only offer platitudes.

“Make it work,” said the wizard most unhelpfully, as he left the tailors shop.

“Ayyyyy!” shouted the tailor, “I am doomed. The Queen will have my head!”

The tailor collapsed into his chair near the fire, put his head in his hands, and wept the bitter, bitter tears, knowing that all was lost. After many minutes of sobbing, he fell asleep, certain that the morning would bring his execution.

It was then, while the tailor was sleeping his uneasy sleep, that the most miraculous thing happened.

First, there was the faint sound of tiny bells, followed by the strong scent of Aqua Net and Elizabeth Taylor’s “White Diamonds”, and then, with the audible pop, the tiny little fashion elf appeared out of no where!

(more…)

Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Tron Shoe from Disney by Jerome Rousseau

Disney's Tron Silver Sandal by Jerome Rousseau

I
Among twenty thousand Public Relations brains,
The only thing moving,
Was the eye of the Manolo.

II
He was of three minds,
Like the cottage,
In which there are three singing dwarves.

III
The Disney Tron Shoe whirled in the autumn winds.
It was the small part of the merchindising pantomime.

IV
The hype and the movie
Are one
The hype and the movie and the shoe
Are one.

V
The Manolo did not know which to prefer,
The beauty of the shoes
Or the audacity of the idea,
The public relations chutzpah
Or silence.

VI
PR releases filled the computer screen
With importuning shouts.
The picture of the Tron Shoe from Disney
Crossed it, to and fro.
It’s architectural beauty
Traced on the pixels
The indecipherable cause.

VII
O thin women of New York,
Why do you not covet these silvery shoes?
Do you see how the Tron Shoe from Disney
Walks upon the feet
Of Lindsey, Kim, and Victoria?

VIII
The Manolo knows beautiful shoes,
And designers of great ability;
But he knows, too,
That the marketing people are involved
In what he knows.

IX
When the Tron Shoe from Disney flew into view,
It marked the edge
Of one of many promotions.

X
At the sight of the Tron Shoe from Disney,
Appearing in the silver light
Even the bawds of Hollywood
Would cry out sharply.

XI
The Manolo rode over Malibu
In the glass coach.
Once, the fear pierced him,
In that he mistook
The shadow of his equipage
For the Tron Shoes from Disney.

XII
The press agents are moving,
The Tron Shoe from Disney must be promoting.

XIII
It was evening all afternoon.
It was the blizzard of branded merchandise
And it was going to continue.
The Tron Shoe from Disney sat
In the mind of the Manolo.

P.S. The Manolo’s apologies to Wallace Stevens.

Whose Shoes Wednesday…The Answer!

Manolo asked, whose shoes?

Lucy Ball Smoking

Manolo answers, it is the Lucille Ball!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend Marjorie for being the first to correctly identify this week classic personage of note.

And, many thanks to the Manolo’s internet friend, the Accidental Tangoiste for suggesting the Lucy as the subject.