Censorship on the BroadwayWorld Boards- Page 7

[Steve C.]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 11:54am

As a relative "newcomer" and possibly "younger poster" I must also concur with some other posters. I am so impressed with the knowledge and smarts of several posters; Joey, Kad, Carlos, EricM...Jordan's wit and humor. I have never felt insulted or shamed. These guys are so theater smart and witty. When I come across a troll I know what to do. The new "guidelines" are changing our opinions on why we read and post on BWW.

This should be entertaining, informative and fun, like intermission at a show...instead it's turning into "standing in line and waiting to get in" and then being told the show is "sold out". 

Updated On: 5/16/16 at 11:54 AM

[10086sunset]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 12:20pm

As a true "newbie" PJ has been nothing but kind, nice and supportive...

I respect his position on the Murin nonsense and agree with it.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 12:24pm

Steve C. said: "As a relative "newcomer" and possibly "younger poster" I must also concur with some other posters. "

A newcomer?! In the time since you've joined, a baby could have been conceived, born, and finished up second grade! Don't sell yourself short!

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 12:32pm

I've been on this board about a year and everyone has been very nice and helpful. A few snarky comments here and there but I just ignore them for the most part. 

 

I mentioned this in a prior post about a show closing, but I think it's worth mentioning here. For those of us who don't live in New York but come to see theater occasionally, threads discussing how long a show will last are extremely helpful in allowing us to plan our trips. For example, although I didn't REALLY want to see Tuck Everlasting my last trip, thanks to these boards I knew it would probably be my last chance so I decided to see it. Now I come to New York a lot more, but it was particularly helpful when I came 3-4 times a year. 

 

Since many of the posters here are very knowledgeable about theater, it's easy to assume that someone should just be able to look at the grosses and know if a show is near the end. But that's not the case for some people who read these boards and are just casual theater goers. I knew nothing about it when I started posting here to ask for recommendations on what show to add to my line-up. Now I know a lot about how grosses work, what operating costs roughly are, and that things like Tony nominations, touring potential, and licensing possibilities may affect whether and how long a show stays open. So this board has always been informative for me. And I've found for the most part when I ask questions, the responses are useful and respectful. 

 

I think the vast majority of the people who post about if/when a show is likely to close experience regret for those involved and say it's a shame they didn't make it. There are only a handful of people who seem to want certain shows to close for whatever reason. (Finding Neverland actually seemed to be the best example of this, and to my knowledge, none of the "why doesn't this show just close" posts were deleted. 

 

So I would hope BWW doesn't eliminate all discussion of possible show closures. This sharing of information can be extremely useful in planning theater outings, and by and large I don't think should be seen as attacking the show, casts, or creatives. 

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 12:34pm

THIS ^^^ is what Patti Murin doesn't understand.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 12:44pm

This thread has not been eliminated.

 

Baby steps...?

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 1:17pm

You know - I think what people who do not understand why PJ, Namo and others were so upset was because this site helped create its own community of interesting and diverse people who all loved theater. For me at least, this place, though virtual, helped me connect both virtually and in the real world with interesting, thoughtful, crazy and brilliant men and women who added much more than their knowledge of theater to my life.  The way that the entire board was dismissed by Murin initially as being nothing more than a cesspool of snark belied my personal experience with this board.  

The conversations on the impact of AIDS to the arts community, searing, first hand experiences on coming out, sharing pain from depression, joys of love, deaths of loved ones and beloved board members, crazy political fights ... all of this happened in threads on this board.  Sometimes people went too far, sometimes the snark became vicious, and sometimes people were hurt - but that happens in all communities.  And often, the community itself, with a bit of time, would self correct the outrageous and obnoxious.   

One of the things this board has taught me is to make sure I have my facts right before respond in a thread - to think before I hit "Post Message" and to understand that I am going to be held accountable for my post if I cannot back it up.   And I, (like many I believe) took great pains to speak fairly and honestly about our experiences, positions, and opinions.  That is why the blanket statements about the boards being a cesspool irked so many.  It was marginalizing what was much more than a place to just talk about Broadway shows - and ignored much of the magic that made BWW so interesting in the first place.

I don't visit this board or post nearly as much as I did in years past in part because those voices I found interesting, thoughtful, outrageous or obnoxious have been auto-tuned or exiled.  I get why it happened, this board, at its core is a commercial enterprise, and Rob has to walk a balance between the professionals in the theater community and the fans.  I personally believe he may have tilted a little too far towards the professionals for my personal tastes, but ultimately it is Rob's call as to what is the best course to continue the boards viability and profitability.   It is a marvelous resource if you want to information about theater - but, in my opinion, it used to be so much more than that. 

 

Updated On: 5/16/16 at 01:17 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 1:44pm

^^^This too, Ms. Murin.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 3:24pm

The one feature I'd really like on this board is a like button- several posters have been spot on!

You Want It When- that was a great post!

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 5/16/16 at 10:59pm

Well, I wouldn't hold my breath on getting that apology. She feels (among other things that I didn't get a chance to read in detail) that she didn't do anything wrong.

 

So , whatever I'm done.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 12:26am

Why is it that someone can post ALW is being a little bitch, but can't say that about all beef patty....that alone high lights the amazing double standards.

 

Updated On: 5/17/16 at 12:26 AM

[KCW]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 7:17am

Not to be rude, but that kind of thing never gets deleted. I find it kind of funny that this is the one thread you are looking at, because name calling can be rampant on other threads. Also, when's that like button coming out. I'm assuming it would hurt too many people to have a dislike button, but I think alot of us would like that too.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 9:55am

7 pages into a topic ostensibly about censorship on the board, and the only time any moderator speaks up is to say you can't call ALW a "little bitch." Amazing.

Updated On: 5/17/16 at 09:55 AM

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 10:04am

Kad said: "7 pages into a topic ostensibly about censorship on the board, and the only time any moderator speaks up is say you can't call ALW a "little bitch." Amazing."

 

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 10:17am

The moderation on this board is indeed strange.

[10086sunset]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 12:09pm

Kad said: "7 pages into a topic ostensibly about censorship on the board, and the only time any moderator speaks up is to say you can't call ALW a "little bitch." Amazing."

 

Bravo....

Updated On: 5/17/16 at 12:09 PM

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 5/17/16 at 8:33pm

Well I don't think I have anything to add that hasn't already been expressed - quite articulately, but I would like to say that I have found this board to be an immense resource for info on theatre in general.  I too only get to come in 2 times a year (if I'm lucky) to see shows, and planning becomes an exact science.  I've learned of shows that I wouldn't have known anything about (Daddy Long Legs for one) if not for this board, and I've been able to make qualified decisions based on posts I've read.  All of your thoughts and suggestions have been so helpful.  Much more so than any review from the critics.

Sure there's snark - its everywhere isn't it?  You just have to wade through it like shark infested waters.... (i jest).  But seriously,  its easy enough to not pay attention to it, or stop following that particular post. It's not really a big deal.

I was really disappointed in Ms Murin's comments.  I don't know her - I've never seen her in anything. I'm sure she's very talented and, ironically, I was looking forward to Nerds.   But to have her attack the BWW board really upset me. And it further upset me that some actors chose to back her up publicly.  Right or wrong, that has made a mark on me and actually makes me want to avoid their shows - which is a shame.

In short, I have made more decisions on WHAT to see rather than what NOT to see based on this board.  

How is that a negative?