comedy4cast #803

Odd News+ for Sunday, August 11, 2024

"Picture-Perfect Problems"

Written by

Clinton Alvord

CAST

(in order of appearance, where possible, otherwise by actor)

ID ANNOUNCER.......................COMPUTER
CLINTON............................CLINTON ALVORD

INTRO: COMEDY4CAST STUDIO

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ID ANNOUNCER

The comedy4cast network. Let's dog ear that for now.

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CLINTON

This is comedy4cast, episode 803: Picture-Perfect Problems.

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CLINTON

It's time, once again, for the Dog Days of Podcasting, a call for podcasters to try to put out a podcast every day in August. For more information and to hear all the shows, go to dogdaysofpodcasting.com.

Here at the comedy4cast studio we've been working on a new format for this year's dog days. Sure, like in years past, there will be an actual odd news story, but that's not all. So, let's get started with "Odd News+"!

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STORY 1: HOROSCOPES

CLINTON

Here are our Odd News stories for Sunday, August 11, 2024.

First up, Odd News+ takes a look at your daily horoscope. If you're a Libra, the dreams you dream tonight may seem rather boring and pointless, but don't ignore them. Be sure to write them down.

With the Olympics ending, Peacock is desperate for new content.

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STORY 2: MAIN STORY

CLINTON

Now lets get to our actual, for-real Odd News story...

Majestic Mt. Fuji. One of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains," and an ever-present icon of the island nation. Thousands of tourist flock to the mountain every year. And, quite frankly, one town has had enough of it.

It's well known that Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture has a picture-perfect view of Mount Fuji. And, for years, increasing numbers of tourists have come to town to take those pictures. Lots of tourists. Many of them leaving behind trash, ignoring traffic rules and even trespassing onto private property in the process.

A small convenience store named "Lawson", in Fujikawaguchiko, is at the center of all this. It seems that if you stand directly across the street and place the store in the foreground of your picture, Majestic Mount Fuji appears to be sitting right on top of the single-story Lawson store, like some odd snow-capped ventilation system.

Once the image went viral, hoards of foreign tourists began flocking to this Kodak Moment spot -- okay, Fujifilm Moment spot, triggering a wave of concerns and complaints from residents.

Fujikawaguchiko tried to politely encourage the tourist to behave. They posted signs in English, Chinese, Thai and Korean, urging visitors not to run into the road and to use the designated crosswalks. Then there was the security guard hired for crowd control. But nothing worked.

Tourists continued to gather, talking quite loudly, beginning around 4 or 5 AM. It became difficult for some residents to simply get their car in and out of the garage.

What to do?

The town decided that if they couldn't make the tourists go away, they would need to make Mount Fuji disappear.

I have to imagine that some high-profile magicians were contacted, but that a Vegas residency was a bit more lucrative.

In the end, a special black mesh net was erected across from the Lawson convenience store. Completed in May of this year, the mesh almost completely blocks the view of Mount Fuji.

While it was a unique solution, requiring no one to be sawed in half, some townspeople had their doubts about the net. One resident said she couldn't imagine how the black screen could help control the flow of people on the narrow pedestrian walk and the road next to it.

And she appears to have been correct.

Less than a week after the screen was installed, local authorities reported that around 10 small openings had already been made in the barrier.

This is why we can't have nice things that block views of nicer things!

Authorities say they will now be attaching QR codes to the barrier, directing visitors to alternative photo spots nearby. But some tourists have already found another spot that offers a very similar view -- a different Lawson convenience store, just a kilometer away, in front of the town government center -- in Fujikawaguchiko.

Good luck with your new net!

SFX: TRANSITION WHOOSH.

STORY 3: MOBILE GAMES & BTS

CLINTON

And finally, coming up next week on Odd News+, they're called mobile games, but they just sit there on our phones, our consumer affairs reporter, Gabriela Ortiz, investigates. Then, back-to-school shopping. We'll explain what a pencil is, and why you're child might need one.

OUTRO: COMEDY4CAST STUDIO

MUSIC: 'END THEME'

CLINTON

That about wraps it up for today's Odd News+. A big thanks to the comedy4cast patrons for helping make this show possible.

Story, voices and original music by Clinton Alvord, Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

Talk to you next time. But for now, that's it. We're done, done, done, done, done. Bye bye!

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