My Conversation with Crush

When we were at California Adventure, the Heads insisted that we go see Turtle Talk with Crush, the turtle from Finding Nemo, at the Imagineering studios. We had never even heard of it, but the real-time animation technology was AMAZING!   It is set up like a small theater, but there is a huge screen instead of a stage that looks just like an aquarium.  Then Crush swims onto the screen and starts talking, only he isn't talking to us, he is talking with us - like conversing one on one with the audience members.  He is hilarious.  He swims around and his facial expressions and body movements go right along with his conversation with zero lag time.  I don't know how they do it.

So the very first thing Crush does is pick Alex out of the audience.  "Hey, you, dude in the front with the gnarly racing stripes, what's your name dude?"

Then a cast member brought the microphone over to Alex .  "Alex."

"Hello Awesome Alex!  Where you from dude?"

"Palm Springs" replies Alex, a bit taken aback by being addressed by a cartoon.

"Palm Springs!  I so totally loooove Palm Springs, dude!" he says as she does a back flip.  "I don't know where that is, but that's sooo cooool!"

Then he asked Alex if he was having a good time at the park, and who brought him here.

"My parents," answered Alex.

"OOOOHHHH, the parental unit.  Hey, can I talk to the parental unit of Awesome Alex? Where are you?" he asks as he looks out into the audience.  We raise our hands and he points us out with his fin to the guy with the microphone.  "Let me talk to the mom, dude.  Hey, what's your name?"

"Rachelle"

"Rip-Curl Rachelle, awesome to meet you, dudette!  So how many offspring do you have, Rip-Curl Rachelle?"

"I have six sons!"  I announce proudly.

Even Crush was impressed.  His eyes and mouth opened wide in utter shock!  What a face! "DUUUUUDE!" People in the audience gasped and cheered.  "That is totally righteous, dudette!  But you are just starting.  I have 240 offspring!"  Then he did a few more flips - proud father.  "Hey, do your kids ever ask you questions that you don't know the answers to?" 

"All the time."

"Cha, me too, dude!  My youngest offspring, Squirt, is always asking me questions about your world on land, and I don't always have the answers. I so totally know what you mean, Rip Curl Rachelle."

"I hear ya, Crush.  High five."  I raise my hand like I want a high five.

"We turtles say 'high fin'" he says has he raises his fin to do a high five with me!

I was high-fiving a cartoon character, and talking with him like he was a real person!  SO cool!

Oh, and by the way, sea turtles happen to be my favorite animals on the planet, ever since I swam with some while snorkeling in Hawaii a few years back.  And Crush happens to be my favorite character from Nemo, so this little conversation was a real treat for me!

Crush asked a few more audience members a few questions, and referred back to Palm Springs once.  Then he asked if anyone in the audience had a question for him.  Of course all my boys raised their hands frantically.  "This little dude in the awesome yellow shell."  He pointed to Derek in his yellow raincoat.

Dennis, knowing Derek all to well, turned to me and whispered, "Derek doesn't have a question."

Sure enough.  The cast member brought Derek the mic.  "What is your name, dude?" the turtle asked.

"Derek"

"Drop Off Derek!  What is your question, dude?"

"Uh."

"Go ahead, ask me anything."

"Uh."

"Focus Derek dude.  What is your question?"

"Uh, I forgot." (He never had a question.  Why do kids raise their hands even when they don't have a question or the answer?)

"Cha.  Drop Off Derek is having a Dory moment.  That's OK dude."

Then he asked the Baylen, the Head's son, for his question.  He asked about where Squirt was.  Crush said Squirt was in school.

Poor Derek.  His one chance to ask an animated turtle anything and he draws a blank.  As we were walking out of the theater everyone in our group supplied Derek with all sorts of good questions he coulda', shoulda', woulda' asked.  Oh well.

Don't worry Derek.  We all have those Dory moments. But next time maybe you shouldn't raise your hand until you have actually thought of a question.  Just a suggestion.

Cha, Crush.  You so totally rock, Dude!