• TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    There’s all these iconic photos of Walt Disney where he’s pointing at stuff with a two finger point. I’ve heard that some within the company say that this is the example by which their resort employees always use the two finger point to direct guests.

    In reality, he was holding a cigarette and the photos have been airbrushed. He died of lung cancer in 1966. Pointing with two fingers is just seen (kind of universally across cultures) as being non-accusatory. Like, say you saw someone talking to someone else and you cannot hear them (or it’s in a language you don’t understand); they’re pointing with one finger in your direction, you may be inclined to think they’re talking about you. If they’re using the two finger point, you’re less likely to think that… it’s the same for airliner flight crew.

    • AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      I’m a former cast member, can confirm. During Traditions (company culture and job orientation/training), they’re taught to point with two fingers for exactly the reason you point out, and Walt Disney is shown pointing like that in the slides. They don’t tell you, but most people eventually figure out, that there’s a cigarette photoshopped out of his fingers.

      • TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Traditions! That’s what it’s called! Couldn’t for the life of me remember.

        Where’d you work? I was a monorail pilot down in Orlando.

        • AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works
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          2 months ago

          I was in DAK Dinoland attractions for a while and then I worked in merchandise for a few years in the same park. A friend of mine was a monorail pilot around 2008 or so. Were you in the college program?