A little worried about the Rent movie response...

Well, I am 15 and love Broadway, and I just saw Rent. I cannot wait for the movie because I am a huge fan of the original cast and am SOO excited about them reportraying their roles on screen. However, I KNOW that some people in my school will go and see the movie and come back to school all "oh Adam Pascal he's so hot!" or "woah, there was a man dressed up as a woman!"..and I am kind of nervous about people missing the whole meaning of Rent and people just going to see the movie due to 'hotness' of some of the actors..I think this response'll only happen among teens or ages 13-17ish, but I know I'll get kinda aggrevated if my school turns into a huge Rent forum where they like it for the wrong reasons and then go around singing Rent songs like Christina Aguilera.
That's what happened in my school when Chicago came out..EVERYONE started singing Chicago songs all pop-ish and ruining everything and that's why I can't stand the movie..I hope Rent's response is more with the morality factor and only mature people will go to see it and come back loving it :)

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I don't know if you guys read what I posted after I visited the set, but this is sort of what I'm talking about in my reservations about having to give up the show to the rest of the world. I'm becoming more and more comfortable with it, partially because I know they're on the right track, but sometimes, it's still there. I know I'm elitist and I know it's a broad generalization - even still you all should probably get the point - but I have this notion that theatre people are just... well, more insightful than the average movie-goer. I think I may still have a little bit of trouble with the entire country's teenagers singing the songs and stuff, but I also know I'm being a little bit selfish. You have to wonder what Jonathan would've wanted, and, with a message like his, maybe he would've wanted it to get so widespread. It's an important thing for people to see, anyway.

That said:
1. Yes. Teenage girls are going to think Adam's hot. Why? Well, because he is. And hey, I condone that, as long as it's not the only thing they're going to get out of the movie, which, unfortunately in some cases, will hold true.
2. As for the "LOOK, A MAN DRESSED AS A WOMAN!" sort of things, yes, kids are going to be kids. They're going to be the immature little twits they are and think it's funny, or gross, or weird. Unfortunately, we're going to have to deal with it, because it's hard to change the views of the closed-minded. I have a younger brother who pulls that ALL the time.

RENT has always been a bit of a phenomenon with teenagers, and I think the movie is just going to take that to a more mainstream level. There have always been people who love it because they really get it and take something from it, and there have always been people who just think Roger's hot, or know they should say things like "ohmyGod RENT is the best thing ever. It like... changed my like... life." It's going to be frustrating, but I don't think there's any way to avoid it.

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Updated On: 3/20/05 at 01:44 PM

I just hope that it turns out to be more of a 'wow that movie really touched me' rather than a big Hollywood hit like Chicago..

I still can't believe that Rent was so moving..I cried so much during the second half of the show.

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I'm really worried about that too! Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do. We will all still have each other to talk to!

And yeah, little girls are all going to be like "Adam Pascal's so hot!" but we know that Adam belongs to us... bwahahahaha!

Well think about it this way...Don't you think Larson would have been thrilled with the opportunity to share the show with the rest of the world? And also dealing with the content the show will most likely get an R rating and therefore in a way alienate the teen audience unless they find a fantastic way to sneek in. But try to look at it in a positive light that no matter what the audience takes away from it, at least the message is out there and peope can see the brilliance and passion that the show has to offer.

I feel how everyone else feels, but like Emcee said I realize that I AM being selfish. Its just something we are all going to cope with.

When previews start playing and if kids in your school start saying how they want to see it, encourage it and say "Its an excellent show with a great message".

Many might not get it, but some will. At the very least they can go in knowing its MORE than just pretty faces and shock value.

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Sneaking into an R rated movie isn't exactly a "fantastical" feat. Kids under 18 can definitely find ways to see it - the R rating isn't going to keep the younger teenagers away from this movie. That's a pretty naive comment.

I do agree that no matter what the general public takes from it, the message is going to be immortalized, and that's pretty cool.

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I'm not sure why so many are worrying about the 'Adam is so hot' new fangirls. There are many, many fangirls now who behave in exactly that way. All you need to do to find proof of that is to read through any Rent forum on the internet, including this one. It's always been that way and always will be with Rent. There have always been obsessed Rent fangirls, from day 1, and there will continue to be those annoying people, who, though they may 'get' the message of Rent, are still annoying and obsessive. It's not limited to teenagers either. Some of the more annoying obsessees that I see posting on forums these days are well into their twenties. :)

To be completely honest, even if the fanbase DOES expand, and the squealing is more obvious in places other than the internet, that isn't going to change anything for people who have seen otherwise. You know, unless the explosion is so big that when he starts performing again, you'll have to be up and ready to buy tickets the MINUTE they go on sale, I'm not sure you have to worry beyond the prospect of annoyance.

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Ok so I'm in the shower thinking about what people were saying about this, and I was thinking...merchandicing...what the hell are they going to do. I see it now you walk into your friend's bedroom and there is a big ass poster of Adam as Roger on their wall or one of Rosario. I see merchandise being individual posters and the one regular film poster (which I am totally going to buy). Not sure what else yet, this was just a ponder moment.

I hate fake RENTheads...they arent cool. I am a new fan myself, but not fake. I am very loyal to the OBC and the show itself and uber estatic for the film. But the people that dont understand are going to make me a little upset and frustrated

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Updated On: 3/20/05 at 02:48 PM

ME TOO!!!

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