"The Making of Me" was an educational show inside the Wonders of Life pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot Park – a pavilion dedicated to health education, and a show about making humans. Seriously, at Epcot, a Disney Park, there was a video all about the process of making babies. Not only was the process of creating the baby included in this movie, but also the process of fetal growth and childbirth. As it's a sensitive topic, there was a warning sign outside the theatre, which read:
Dear Guest, ‘The Making of Me’ explores sensitive subjects of human reproduction and birth. This film contains spectacular images of fetal development, as well as live footage of the birth process. We ask that you use discretion when deciding whether you and your family should view ‘The Making of Me.’ Thank you.
The show played approximately every fifteen minutes in the Birth Theatre, which could be found in the centre of the Wonders of Life pavilion; towards the back near Coach’s Corner and Sensory Funhouse. The famous actor Martin Short was the star and narrator of the film.
The opening scene fades in from blackness as Martin Short says, “It happens to everyone. One day you are walking down the street and you think to yourself, ‘Where did I come from?’ ‘How did I get here?’ ‘What’s it like being born?’ For me, it began right here…” Then, we see Martin Short inside an early 1900s American hospital where all the new babies are on display in the nursery. He introduces us to his father, well, the newborn baby who will grow up to become his father. Martin explains that he has travelled back in time 60 years or so, and nobody else can see him right now.
Viewers then travel a little further into the future to meet Martin’s mother as a young girl, who gets caught playing with her mother’s makeup and gets in trouble. Then viewers see Martin’s teen dad in a high school classroom, who at this point in his life looks exactly like Martin himself. Once all the students leave the classroom, Martin walks over to the chalkboard to explain female egg cells and male sperm cells. There are drawings that appear on the board of these things, but nothing too graphic. He tells viewers that the combination of a sperm cell and an egg cell is what makes a baby in a mother’s stomach. However, Martin’s parents haven’t even met yet, and that has to happen first.
Viewers are then treated to the scene of a high school dance, where Martin’s parents are actually on dates with other people, and seen kissing those other people. Don’t worry though, Martin’s parents see each other on the dance floor and it is love at first sight. It all feels very Back to the Future. The scene transforms into their wedding ceremony. There, it is revealed to Martin’s dismay, that they do not want any kids yet. Instead, his parents enjoy young married life by water skiing, competing in dance competitions, etc. before deciding it is the right time to start a family.
Martin’s parents are then seen kissing in their bed, but nothing too graphic is shown. The camera pans up to the ceiling and then to the roof outside where Martin Short is sitting. He explains that most people would rather do this part “in private.” In a gentle, easy-to-understand way, Martin explains that it is this “closeness” between a man and a woman that results in sperm meeting the egg. After that, viewers see real photos and videos of a fetus inside the mother’s womb at various stages of development. Along the way, viewers learn not to smoke, drink or do drugs while pregnant to keep the baby healthy.
Eventually, viewers see the mother in labour at the hospital, but nothing below the stomach is shown until the baby is born. When the camera does pan down, a blanket covers all sensitive parts. This actually looks like real footage of a baby being born.
At this point, viewers hear the voice of a young girl replicating Martin Short’s first line in the film, “It happens to everyone. One day you are walking down the street and you think to yourself, ‘Where did I come from?’ ‘How did I get here?’ ‘What’s it like being born?’ For me, it began right here…” She is seen in a more modern American hospital and she introduces us to the baby who will eventually become her dad. We know that this baby is the host of the film.
You can imagine yourself taking your child to Epcot one day, where you fail to notice the warning sign as you walk into the Birth Theater. After watching the film with your family, you spend the rest of the day answering many uncomfortable questions that you were not prepared for. You just wanted a fun Disney family vacation, and you unknowingly walked into this. Yeah, that might cause some controversy. Regardless, the show was still well-received overall and remained a staple of the Wonders of Life pavilion experience until its closure in 2007.
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