How horrible is this girl's taste?- Page 2

[Marquise]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 1:43am

PerhapsACreamPuff wrote:

"How exactly is it more acceptable to bash a professional than some girl with a stick up her ass who thinks she's the best thing to happen to music theatre criticism?

..but CreamPuff, she never claimed to be the best thing to happen to music theatre criticism, she's entitled her opinion.

[Dawg]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 9:21am

I'm sorry, but Rent is a gay musical and no not all musicals are gay. Not even all musicals are gay as in "happy."

But Rent quite clearly has, as I recall, half of the principle roles which are gay characters. So yes, it's a gay musical.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 10:08am

I don't agree with her on everything, but I agree with a lot of her choices. She's smart and articulate.

She's Okey Dokey by me!

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 10:09am

You may not agree with her taste, but I thought she did a decent job of backing up her statements. Were she to post here (and maybe she does?), it would probably be an asset to the board. She clearly has been exposed to a wide range of musical theater. The fact that she's seen that many shows (and please note, most of them tours..) gives her opinions credibility, IMO. No, I don't agree with a lot of what she says, but at least she makes a statement and then supports it with her reasons for feeling that way. At least this isn't someone bellowing the best and the worst based on exposure to having seen nothing more than, say, Rent and Wicked.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 10:24am

Maybe I'm wrong, but a "gay musical" implies to me that the plot centers around actually being gay, which Rent does not do. Yes, it has gay characters, but that does not make it a "gay musical" any more than because Falsettos has straight characters, it instantly becomes a "straight musical". Focus on the plot and theme of the show. Is it about being gay? That will answer your question. Counting the number of gay characters to determine the sexuality of a musical is just immature. Since HALF of its main characters are gay, then using the same method, it would stand that Rent is actually a bisexual musical. Either that, or it could be equally be a straight musical. By why stop there? Why not count the rest of the characters to get a more accurate assessment? SHEESH!

As for the comment about Rent being "Cats with AIDS", that is not only offensive and ignorant, it is ridiculous. Other than being international hit shows with a cast and a musical score, Rent and Cats have absolutely nothing in common.

One more thing.....there is no such thing as a "wrong opinion". There is a difference of opinions, but who can say that someone else's opinion is "wrong"? I disagree with some of her choices for worst musicals, but if she didn't like them for whatever reason, she didn't like them. It certainly doesn't make her wrong.

Honestly!

[Dawg]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 10:38am

"Cats with AIDS" is clearly a joke. Someone is having fun with that, so calm down.

And I beg to differ, but Rent is a gay musical. There are three couples it focuses on. First being Roger and Mimi (a straight couple with HIV and heroin issues). Maureen and Joanne (and while Maureen is a switch-hitter, she is quite clearly, currently in a lesbian relationship=gay couple) and finally, arguably the most important "love story" in the show-Collins and Angel. While they are not struggling with coming out or any such thing, they are quite clearly in a very hot, very sensual and very loving gay relationship. While the musical has other themes, and could easily be called an AIDS musical, a youth-angst musical, a stick-it-to-the man musical, a freeloader-what's-wrong-with-you-just-pay-your-damned-rent-like-the-rest-of-us musical, it can also be called a gay musical.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 10:52am

As a gay man, from the first time I saw the musical, I never saw it as a gay musical. Nor any of my friends or family, straight or gay. Though it does possess gay relationships, it is not about being gay, or gay-specific issues. That is the whole point. It pays equal respect to all relationships and those affected with AIDS and drug-abuse being careful not to specifically link these afflictions or addictions to any group. To call it a gay musical is to invalidate its entire meaning and intent.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 11:01am

Hey, whatever floats her boat.

[Dawg]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 11:04am

While it's a nice thought that you, your family, and your friends, straight and gay, celebrating diversity and a rainbow of fruit flavors may not consider it a gay musical, you'd find the opposite among many other viewers. And the fact that you feel calling it a gay musical would "invalidate it's entire meaning," just goes to show us that we have a lot to learn about tolerance, diversity and internalized homophobia (the gay movement's biggest issue).

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/18/04 at 11:34am

"While it's a nice thought that you, your family, and your friends, straight and gay, celebrating diversity and a rainbow of fruit flavors may not consider it a gay musical, you'd find the opposite among many other viewers."

I'm sure you can find just about anything true among many viewers of Rent. It doesn't mean they actually paid attention to the story or theme of the show. It just means they may have focused on one aspect without analyzing the whole. Your comment about celebrating diversity is actually one of the strongest themes of the show, not homosexuality. Did you not pick up on that?

Homophobia? Where did that come from? If you want to call Rent a gay musical, go ahead, but it doesn't change the fact that it's not. It's just ignoring the actual themes of the show and boiling it down to a narrow-minded view of the sexual preference of some of its characters (and the idea of celebrating diversity as your belittling comments show). If the musical's story is not about being gay or centered on gay lifestyle, then how is it a gay musical? The two gay couples in the show were never the central story line. The heterosexual couple was the axis upon which the entire story revolved.

Examples of gay musicals:

Faggot
Lovers
Joseph McCarthy is Alive and Living in Dade County
Gulp!
In Trousers
Boy Meets Boy
I Like Me Like This
March of the Falsettos
La Cage aux Folles
In Gay Company
Ten Percent Review
In Search of the Hammer
The Return of the Hammer
Dirty Dreams of a Clean-Cut Kid
Falsettoland
An Unfinished Song
All That He Was
Get Used to It
The Ballad of Mikey
Cruisin'
Fairy Tales
Most Men Are
Only Heaven Knows
The Gay 90s
The Last Session
Pageant
The Boy From Oz
Naked Boys Singing
The Rainbow Room
A New Brain
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ship in a Bottle
Bed, Boys and Beyond
Cowboys!
Prodigal
Dirty Little Showtunes
Portraits
Pinafore!
The Big Voice: God or Merman?
The Pink Files
Convenience
The Sissy Show
A Man of No Importance
Pyrates

[InTheMoney]

Posted: 9/19/04 at 4:11pm

I'm with KuhnKrazy - HOW THE HELL CAN YOU SAY MARTIN GUERRE IS THE SAME STORY AS MISS SAIGON?!?! And how is Les Miserables the same story as Miss Saigon?!?! Here is someone not looking past the romance part of the story to all the other characters!

[NoDayButToday2]

Posted: 9/19/04 at 4:25pm

okay a few things to say
1.) I do not consider RENT a gay musical. I dont mind if other people do, but when it being a 'gay musical' is an INSULT, then I get mad, even though I'm straight.
2.) I totaly do not agree with the list of musicals she hates. I think people should be able to find SOMETHING good in most musicals. And she hates so many! I wouldnt mind so much if there were some decent reasons why but there really arent a lot.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/19/04 at 4:30pm

I am with Mister Matt on this one. RENT is not a gay musical. If the story was based just around Angel and Collins......then yes, it would be. But, the main characters are actually the straight people. Mark---the narrator (straight)........Mimi and Roger (straight). The other characters are vastly important, but the show is really Mark, Mimi, and Roger's story (this is based on La Boheme after all). And about all this Lloyd webber sucks, RENT sucks, Sondheim rules blah blah blah......Give me a freakin' break. Yes, Sondheim is great and important but so is Webber and a lot more. If broadway was just intellectual, "smart" music..then it would not have as many fans and it would get boring quick (for example, the "Twist ending" movies that are flooding the movies now). You need fun, light musicals as well as thought provoking ones. That is the great thing about Broadway. You have such a diversity of musicals and plays to choose from which can satisfy anyones taste. And I am sorry to all my Sondheim fan out there (and you know I love you) but I am getting tired of hearing how he is so great and everyone else is horrible. If we were going to pick Great composers, I would say Rodgers and Hammerstein because they re-invented broadway. They made it what it is today. That is greatness. But, Sondheim fans bash them too. IT gets old. Ok, I am finished now