Stand-by Joined: 3/22/22
Decided to keep my tickets for May. Really want to see Fishbourne and Rockwell in action. Sadly, my excitement level has significantly dropped since Mamet opened his big mouth. Lots of conflicting emotions.
joevitus said: "But you're saying you won't deign to watch what you otherwise would have been eager to see because of an unrelated personal opinion. This sort of politicization of art and artists is exactly what most liberals have fought against forever. And now here are liberals taking up the tactics of Bible belt Republicans. God."
An unrelated personal opinion would be if he thought cole slaw was disgusting. Going on a major network to espouse violent queerphobic rhetoric is something that can cause actual, real harm to people, which absolutely reflects on the work he's produced. Conservatives are afraid of their kids being queer, while queer people are afraid of being killed, and I think those two things are, perhaps, very slightly different.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/18/07
joevitus said: "
If AB--or any Mamet work--espoused a belief you don't support, I'd understand and support your unwillingness to attend a production. But you're saying you won't deign to watch what you otherwise would have been eager to see because of an unrelated personal opinion. This sort of politicization of art and artists is exactly what most liberals have fought against forever. And now here are liberals taking up the tactics of Bible belt Republicans. God."
Joevitus - You are worse than David Mamet; you are an apologist for those in power. At a protest, you'd stand on the sidewalk and tell the protesters not to upset the Power Structure.
Mamet's 15 minutes for his idiotic thoughts are going to last longer than most of his recent plays.
I am sorry I saw American Buffalo when we visited 2 weekends ago. Had I known how vile he was I wouldn't have spent my money.
Would love it if one of the actors in the show spoke out.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/21
"Profiting" is about more than money on some levels.
If this production is a success, even if Mamet gets not a single cent, he profits in that it burnishes his status and reputation. "Look, even with his controversial statements, people still want to see his work." Of course without his three stars the show might not have attracted an audience.
But a preserved or enhanced reputation can help him mount future productions, attract stars to perform his work, or obtain additional work, even at this late stage of his career.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/27/19
Likely not the NYT coverage the production was hoping for today:
Oh wow!! I wonder how this will effect the box office?
Understudy Joined: 11/20/13
From the NY Times:
"As Mamet Returns to Broadway, His Claims on Pedophilia Get Spotlight"
"The playwright fueled outrage with his claim on Fox News that teachers were “inclined” to pedophilia as he promoted a new book that decries “the Left’s anti-Trump psychosis.”
Someone (not me) scrawled “David Mamet is an a..hole!” in chalk on the walkway in front of Circle in the Square and to that, all I have to say is, I love NY.
The photo is making the rounds all over social media.
He’s probably loving all the free publicity this is getting.
Featured Actor Joined: 2/4/11
This was very helpful. AB just got crossed off the list for my final spot. I'm tired of being called a dumb tourist for not being from New York.
Updated On: 4/15/22 at 09:27 AM
Honestly, I'm surprised that this hasn't been picked up more in the media. I haven't heard any mention of this on any of the cable or network daytime talk shows, and something like this is usually covered. I'm especially shocked this hasn't been covered on "The View", where they usually talk about controversial subjects such as this (and Joy Behar is a former teacher - she always weighs in about issues involving teachers).
But reading the NY Post article, it doesn't sound like he gets much (if any) money from American Buffalo so why promote it so much now?
Why did the other revival (with Cedric) fail so bad? What's the difference here?
People aren’t talking about this because David Mamet isn’t relevant in the mainstream tbh
Featured Actor Joined: 3/8/22
TotallyEffed said: "People aren’t talking about this because David Mamet isn’t relevant in the mainstream tbh"
Exactly. Playwrights just aren't as relevant as they were in the mid-twentieth century. I wish this wasn't the case.
Mamet probably peaked in the cultural zetgeist thirty years ago. That being said, he's about as close as you could get in this day and age to a "household name" playwright.
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