Well hey hey hey Addictereenos. Wookiee back with more origin story fun for y’all and this time it’s all for an event honoring American independence. For this round of WDTCF, we’ll be looking at the new unique decoration made available with this event, the Lincoln Memorial.
Costing $100,000, you can buy it provided you’re at Level 5 & it improves the Vanity rating of your town. Lincoln is by far one of my favorite American presidents so I like this new addition to my town. For now, he’s part of my Stonecutter complex because behind every secret society is a president or two. (Don’t believe me… Oogle CFR or Skull & Bones and the word presidents, also been a couple Masons).
Anywho… this isn’t a post about conspiracy theories or secret clubs so let’s check out the Lincoln Memorial within the Best. Show. Ever.
Right away when I saw this decoration, I got all nostalgic for the episode it came from. We head way back in the show to Season 3, Episode 2: “Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington”. This episode is a real treat and is a Lisa-centric episode which I always enjoy. Inspired by nature, Lisa writes a patriotic essay and wins a Readers Digest contest. The win means she’s entered in the national contest so our favorite family heads to Washington D.C.
In D.C., Lisa’s patriotism is shaken when she realizes her Senator is a corrupt individual taking bribes from lobbyists. Teary-eyed and with her beliefs shaken, Lisa heads to none other than the Lincoln Memorial for advice.
This scene is actually a tribute to the 1939 movie this episode is loosely based on, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. That movie is a really good one and considered to be one of Jimmy Stewart’s finest acting roles. I found this neat comparison image online and had to share.
I still laugh every time Lisa goes there and can’t speak to the statue because so many people are asking for advice. The next scene at the Jefferson Memorial is also pretty funny.
Lisa: Mr. Jefferson, my name is Lisa Simpson, and I have a problem.
Jefferson: I know your problem. The Lincoln Memorial was too crowded.
Lisa: Sorry, sir. It’s just…
Jefferson: No one ever comes to see me. I don’t blame them. I never did
anything important. Just the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase, the dumbwaiter…
Lisa: Uh, maybe I should be going. I’ve caught you at a bad time…
Jefferson: Wait! Please don’t go. I get so lonely…
For another view of the Lincoln Memorial, we head to “E Pluribus Wiggum” (S19:E10). This episode lampoons the political primaries in the US but the jokes with Ralph Wiggum running for president are pretty great. The very end of the episode features a campaign commercial for Ralph and features him sitting on the Lincoln statue’s lap as if he’s Santa. Priceless.
Well my friends, that sums up this post. If you ever get the chance to go the real Lincoln memorial in D.C. I highly suggest it. It certainly is an impressive site and every time I’ve gone has been worth it. Even the last time where it was so foggy I could barely see 5 feet in front my face. I think this quote from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington sums up the Memorial really nicely.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so thrilled in my whole life, and that Lincoln Memorial! Gee Whiz! And Mr. Lincoln, there he is. He’s just lookin’ right straight at ya as you come up those steps. Just, just sitting there like he was waiting for somebody to come along.”
Keep on tapa-tapa-tapping in the free world. TTFN… Wookiee out!
I want to buy the Lincoln Memorial but it’s not in my menu for purchase! Weird. The fireworks barge is there, cherry tree, flags, etc. i even already bought the Sit n Rotate! Is this a bug i should report to EA? Ive been getting random tasks the last couple days so wonder if something is wrong with my game.
Yes, best bet is to contact EA with the issue. This way if they can’t fix it before the event is over they may be able to place it in your town. 🙂
And no, the random tasks are part of everyday play. It keeps the game going during those “lulls” 🙂
Came across this post in the EA forum. Sorry for the length, but really cool.
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Slightly edited from OP mikepellerin60 and internal quotes omitted:
In my Sign Language class (ASL), we were once told that Lincoln’s hands formed the letters for his initials A.L. This was proven untrue.
The hands appear to be forming the signs for “A” and “L” in American Sign Language. According to the daughter of sculptor Daniel Chester French, this was a coincidence and not French’s intent. French modeled the hands from Leonard Volk’s casts of Lincoln’s hands, as well as casts of his own hands.
While French did not intend to use the hands to form letters, he was at least familiar with the concept of sign language, having previously sculpted a memorial to Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the founder of the nation’s first permanent public school for deaf students. Gallaudet’s son Edward Miner Gallaudet founded the college for deaf students now called Gallaudet University, for which President Lincoln signed the charter in 1864.
So… it’s possible, but he never admitted it. His other sculpture of Thomas Gallaudet teaching a girl to sign has the sign language incorporated much more obviously.
The game designers and Matt Groening must have known this, as they parodied it. Zoom into your Lincoln Memorial Statue. Lincoln’s right hand is making the sign for the letter “M” and his left the letter “G”, for Matt Groening!
That’s pretty neat! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’ll be in Maryland for about six months next year, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to visit the real monument.
My plan with the in game monument is to stick it in my world’s fair area along with all the other random decorations (like the giant bottle and cremation robot).
Oooohhhh… that could be exciting looking with the Freak Show tent also.
I have been to see the real thing, and it is definitely more impressive than the one in the game 🙂
I will probably move it around a bit until I find a real good place for it, at the moment I have it in my museum district.
Does anyone know a good place to put it? I don’t have lincoln’s cabin or the museum.
I would say create an area by the town hall with it. Kind of like in the middle or up on a 3D platform. 😉
Bunny’s idea is great. You could make it part of your town square… use it as one of the character’s personal backyard shrine… create a forest grotto for pilgrims… use it with the courthouse… etcetera etcetera and so forth
I stuck mine in between my courthouse and the DMV.
I splurged on the memorial. I really hope they add the Jefferson Memorial one day. A task to ask for advice would be fun too.
Ooo that would be nice!