Any shows that offended you?- Page 5

[Ariella]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 7:34pm

^ It IS rape in the original story, but SA decided to make Melchior a hero (to make the show more "approachable" or something?). There are a lot of poorly disguised stereotypes and oversights in the show that make it sporadically ridiculous if not all-out offensive.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 7:40pm

Roscoe, I am very sorry for you.

[me2]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 7:42pm

Pippin, I told you I was green.
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[Roninjoey]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 7:57pm

Come on... Spring Awakening is tame compared to a lot of other things you see on television and in movies. Is the show really that shocking? You guys are easily shocked...

I don't really see the point in getting offended by things. A lot of the things you guys are saying offended you (such as Man in the Chair's unspecified sexual orientation) seem to be specific choices made on the parts of the artists involved to give you something to think about later. Basically it seems like a lot of you are offended by having to think about certain truths/situations in life, hear certain words, see certain things...

That said, sometimes blatant bigotry DOES offend me. The ending of the stage version of The History Boys offends the hell out of me. One gay character dies, the other is confined to a wheel chair, and the third one, the perfectly adjusted, apparently happy, well rounded and amazing Posner, is condemned to a lifetime of unhappiness frequenting internet sex rooms. This is an amazing young boy and the play offers us all evidence that he's going to lead an amazing life but he's condemned to suffer because he's gay. It's a bewildering stain on what should have been a great experience.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 8:49pm

If what we find offensive was the reality in that time period, we should take that and learn from it.

Thanks avab, but I didn't need the lecture. I never said I wished for musical theatre to whitewash history.

My problem is that in a show like South Pacific with an underlying "Isn't racism wrong?" message has the gall to turn around and open the second act with the minstrel-esque Happy Talk. It's disingenuous. Racism is wrong and Nellie shouldn't judge De Becque because of his first wife, but we'll still make the Polynesian woman with the broken, accented English a punchline and hope no one notices the double standard. And apparently, you haven't. Regardless of the societal problems during World War 2, that doesn't excuse the "Do as I say, not as I do" message written into the show.

Updated On: 8/23/07 at 08:49 PM

[jean6]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 9:33pm

Hairspray..............it may place take in the 60's but it is shown in 2006..





Some things need to be told so that we are all aware of what life was like. ie...slavery,injustice to women in the workplace, etc. etc.

however,kids who are learning disabled existed in the 60's 70's 80's until present day. There is no excuse to slam them. They get this each and every day from their peers.

I feel this was a poor choice to portray a normal teen and suggest that they were learning disabled. It makes the kids of today who are LD feel even worse about themselves.
Updated On: 8/23/07 at 09:33 PM

[Stewpot]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 10:04pm

BroadwayEnthusiast2 writes:

"I don't want my kids seeing Curtains because the use chairs to represent penises."

Now, normally I am the first to pick up on such a thing, but apparently I missed this one when I saw Curtains. Can someone explain?

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 10:08pm

I know someone who use to work at a Theater Company and that company brought in a show to be commissioned for their theater. Needless to say that after seeing the show, that certain employee, quit after he saw the opening performance, he was very offended they had to hire someone new the next day.

[galindagirl2]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 10:20pm

Broadwayenthusiast, parents have the right to protect their children from inappropriate content...that's why we have movie ratings. Once kids reach a certain age, they're given more leeway to determine what's appropriate or acceptable for themselves. But until then, between the ages of, oh...say 0-10, it's their parents decision. I believe moms and dads should be allowed to keep their young children's unbelievably impressionable minds from experiencing foul language and sexual content, without being harassed and marked as close-minded or hard-nosed for doing so.

[Stewpot]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 10:25pm

No. I mean I missed seeing the penis chairs when I watched the show. When did they appear?