"F*ck RENT"? Are they kidding?- Page 2

[MA1970]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 9:59pm

I saw the show a second time last night. THe "F**K RENT" thing is in a song. it goes something like "my attention is on paying the rent. F**k rent" so it's not even talking about the show RENT. I think it's a clever double meaning though. Saw RENT . Loved Rent. loved Apathy. And they do their music live unlike that horrible Charles & Diana which is canned music. ARGH!

[One Song Glory]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 10:53pm

That makes sense.

Posted: 7/30/05 at 10:58pm

I can honestly say I don't have a "most beloved" show during the last ten years.

[One Song Glory]

Posted: 7/30/05 at 11:03pm

That's only an opinion to some people but RENT is a beloved show to many people.

[Mr. TN]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 12:35am

Let's see. Rent opened in 1996 and won Four Tony Awards. It has been playing to average and sometimes slightly below average houses for the past few years. Recently, I've seen it drop below 50%. The Lion King opened in 1997 and won Six Tony awards as well. It is still playing to sold out houses and grossing well over a million dollars a week most weeks. I don't think Rent ever grossed that much. And I don't think The Lion King is going to close anytime soon, let alone before Rent. That is just one example of a show that beats Rent in awards, popularity, and staying-power. Not to mention the 12 Tony Awards that The Producers won in 2001. I would not call Rent THE most beloved musical of the last 10 years. Maybe one of, but not the number one. Plus, as a neutral party, I have a feeling that the Wickedites are going to soon outnumber the Rentheads of they don't already. And get ready for the "Spammers"

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 2:55am

Sorry, but I don't buy it. The Lion King may be popular, but it is far from the "most beloved" show of the past or any decade. It is a must-see show, yes. A very safe, family friendly one that attracks tourists from every small town in America who flock to see it because of the safty-net that their familiarity with the movie provides. Do they enjoy the show? Of course, yes. But it is an entirley different kind of appreciation than that kind that Rent enjoys from it's fans, and from many people who certainly don't qualify as "Rentheads", but appreciate the show nontheless (I consider myself one of them).

As for Wicked and Spamalot, I think that the latter is comparable to The Lion King in the fact that it is a must-see show that will apeal to a lot of people who will see it, enjoy it, and that will be that. Of course some Monty-Phython lovers may return multiple times, but I doubt that they will be able to form a following that could possibley come close to qualifying Spamalot as "the most beloved show of the past 10 years".

And while I will say that the crazed Wicked minions are steadfast, and will surley keep the show running for a while-- the show, depsite it's attempts as social commentary, is far too generic and detached (at least in any real way) from modern culture to leave any lasting impression on the broadway musical as we know it. While I wouldn't say that Rent "changed the broadway muscial as we know it", like some would like to claim, I would say that it merits more than just a footnote in the history of the musical theater, as well as that of pop culture, while Wicked doesn't even merit that.

Wicked, from what I gather, is just as despised as it is beloved, and while Rent certainly has it's detracters, I can't imagine that anyone could find it in their hearts to not recognize at least some of it's good points. Anyway, I think history (*broadway history*, anyway) will prove my point better than I have.
Updated On: 7/31/05 at 02:55 AM

[Urban]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 3:27am

Rent jokes come and go, but enjoying Rentheads foam at the mouth over somebody saying a Rent Joke is priceless and never will go out of fashion.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 4:07am

I agree with Mr.TN.

And I disagree with the assertion that having an extremely devoted core of supporters means that something is THE most popular. Besides, since when did being the most popular mean that a work of art is the best?

[Mr. TN]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 9:14am

My comment was based off of the phrase "based on awards, popularity, and staying-power." On awards, I'm sorry but Rent just did not win a large amount of awards. Four Tonys does not put it at the top for awards. Granted Wicked didn't either, but that wasn't my point. Lion King won 6. Producers 12. Others have won 6,7,8 in the past years. As for popularity, there is no other way to show populatiry than how many people see the show. When a show doesn't sell out the Nederlander every night it cannot be called the "most beloved show." I'm sorry but the show does not sell tickets. Or at least as many as the Lion King or The Producers do. And I have a feeling that The Lion King (yes, based on tourists and Disney) will be around for much longer than Rent. I didn't say anything about Rent's changing the face of musical theatre or it's merits as a show. I merely stated numerical facts that can be used to disprove that Rent has the most awards and is the most popular show on Broadway because it really is not and hasn't been for a while. Now, when the Rent movie comes out, I'm sure the sales will skyrocket but then again a month later The Producers movie is released so still, Rent will not end up outshining any shows. I personally do not like Rent and don't think that it changed anything for musical theatre. But that was completely not my point in my original comment. Simply put, I don't think that people should make Rent into something it is not. It didn't win an overwhelming number of awards and it sells half of the seats of other shows. And not to mention the staples that are were already present before Rent came along. I'm sure B&tB, POTO, Les Mis (before it closed), and Cats (before it closed) were all outselling Rent or could be considered "more beloved." But that is up to personal opinion. I don't have statistics on those shows at my hands.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 10:13am

RENT doesn't sell seats?? excuse me, but attendance was at 85% this week, which was the SAME as the Producers. The Lion King probably WIL Lbe around forever, but that doesn't mean it's superior to RENT. You're right, other shows have won more Tonys, but RENT won the PULITZER and I think that counts for something.

[Marquise]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 10:47am

This argument is patently absurd. Anyone who *is* anyone in the the-8-err knows that "Wicked is far and away *the* most beloved musical of this or any other century for that matter.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 11:17am

Stating that something may not be the MOST beloved in terms of box office success, and using examples to back up that argument seems pretty reasonable to me. Besides, why would RENT have to be the most beloved musical of the decade for it to have value? Besides, suggesting that there is evidence that it may not be THE most popular musical isn't even criticism.

Anyway, I think Princesses is the NEXT candidate for "most beloved" musical of the decade with a built in audience of teen and twentysomething women who are ready to make it the next big thing with a rabid fan base.

Updated On: 7/31/05 at 11:17 AM

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 11:18am

I agree, Marquise, that this argument is "absurd" because there really is no fundamental way to prove which show is more "beloved", even if Mr. TN would like to think that there is. Like I said, I am no Renthead, but that doesn't mean that I can't argue over the shows position (in my view) as worthy of the title of "most beloved" show of the past ten years. Remember we are talking about the title of "most beloved", not "most popular". You just cannot measure a shows "Belovedness" by the number of awards it has won, or even by the exact figures of how many seats it sells. Rent is a cultural phenomenon, like it or not, my friend. Lion King and Producers are broadway phenomenons, yes, but they did not have the same effect on an entire youth culture (or a giant part of it) that Rent did. Anyway, like I said, there is no concrete way to prove any of this, so I see no point in continuing.
Updated On: 7/31/05 at 11:18 AM

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 11:45am

"Rent is a cultural phenomenon, like it or not, my friend."

I know you wern't talking to me, but I feel compelled to say that even this statement is debatable. And you don't have to hate RENT to think so.

But that's neither here nor there. What all of us are stating are just opinions. NOT facts.

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 1:00pm

i think this argument is so stupid. Someone made one comment and all of you freak out and debate about it. RENT being the most beloved musicals, yes is debatable..maybe it is, maybe its not. You can go on forever arguing about this. RENT is a great show, and it has many fans. It's an old show, so I'm sure the same amount of people aren't going like they did in like '98 or so but the fact that people stilll are going says something, and the fact that it has so many devoted fans is another thing, it's probably not the most beloved but to some people maybe it is. It's completely opinion, there are no facts to prove this so just let it drop.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 1:45pm

But what are message boards for if not to argue about things to which no consensus can ever be reached?

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 3:29pm

One of my favourite subtle jokes from the movie version of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is when Yitzak gets cast in a ridiculously obscure tour of RENT (was it Ghana?), and the casting description for all the characters was "hip, young and edgy."

Updated On: 7/31/05 at 03:29 PM

[xM3L24x]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 5:44pm

haha thats true nystateomind04 -- carry on :).

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 8:40pm

rent suckz.

[Plum]

Posted: 7/31/05 at 9:07pm

The fandom_wank incident gave me a whole new perspective on this place. Wank away, folks, and entertain the rest of us. :)

[Mr. TN]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 12:51am

nystateofmind04, you are still not getting why I keep stating these things. I'm not proving that it isn't beloved; it is not to dispute any value of the show Rent. Someone else simply made a comment about Rent being beloved because of the awards, popularity, and staying-power. Those ARE things that can be debatable, which is what I was doing. I said it before and I'll say it again. I personally do not like Rent and I do not think it is a cultural anything. To me it is just another branch off of the rock musicals that have been around since the 1970s BUT my original post had nothing to do with that at all. I was actually saying many of the things you just said. That the show can't be judged by the awards and popularity because the truth is that it didn't win the most and doesn't sell the most seats or is seen by the most people. Every show will be outdone in time. Rent did sell 85% last week but in January it was running at 54% and there was debate on how long it would stay. And I know (trust me I know) that Rent has a large youth fan base. That can't be disputed. Rent is a love it or hate it show. And I believe that it has an equal number of people on both sides. I said nothing about it's merits as a show in my first post. We could start another thread to debate the merits of the show all day long but that would be a neverending argument and has been done many times before.

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 1:59am

"it is not to dispute any value of the show Rent."

And I haven't been disputing the value of the show-- only it's place in musical theater history.

"I personally do not like Rent and I do not think it is a cultural anything."

You get to not like whatever you want, but you don't get to decide what is a "cultural anything".

"I said nothing about it's merits as a show..."

Yet again, neither did I (well, except to note that I doubt that even it's strongest detracters can't find something to like about it, but that is neither here nor there)

My orginal post...

("I'd say that, while I think that the poster of the statement comes off as a bit overzelous in his/her defense, calling Rent "the most beloved musical of the last 10 years" is actually pretty accurate. If Rent isn't, then what is? Sure, it has it's detracters, as it is bound to. But just because you don't think the show's popularity is warrented doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.")

...responded to the backlash against the statement that Rent is "the most beloved musical of the last 10 years", then you took up the notion that the number of awards it has won does nothing to prove this point, and I agree that the awards do not have much to do with a show being "beloved" or not. I took issue when you started naming off other more commercially successful shows that you think deserve the non-existent prize of "most beloved". As far as Rent's cultural identity, I say it has one, and if you want to believe that it doesn't, then you go right on telling yourself that.

And I'm getting a headache, so moving on...

[Mr. TN]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 10:13am

Yes, moving on. I'm sorry you had to be bothered to respond to my nonsense.

[XOsweet_dancerOX]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 11:40am

"F*ck RENT" is quite offensive to put onto t-shirts. It is used as an ironic term in Apathy but should be kept there...

[Mr. TN]

Posted: 8/1/05 at 11:54pm

F*ck anything is terrible to use as a promotion on a T-Shirt. It doesn't matter what the object is, even an unpopular president or politician. I would never allow my family to wear shirts like that.