Is Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway on merit?- Page 3

[Dave516]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 2:04am

Well said, Best!

[Rudy2]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 3:44am

I think the real topic at hand here is too limited by the example of Radcliffe.

The real problem, as far as I see it, is that the general public has become increasingly stupid / more easily led. This is exactly what those who stand to make the most cash want, because the more foolish people are, the faster they are to part with their money.

The fact that nearly everything that makes any money anymore is a star vehicle is simply an outgrowth of that. The powers that control us have cultivated a culture that obsesses more over celebrity than talent. That invokes an easy-to-follow caste system, where only certain people generally get ahead, usually because of marketability more so than talent (Natalie Portman, in my opinion, is a prime example), which keeps the amounts rolling in.

Through the cultivation of a public obsessed with celebrity, a certain amount of revenue has been insured. If the choice was to court the public's dollars through something intangible (raw, incredible talent) or someting more instantly identifiable (celebrity), then one can see why the latter was the chosen of the two.

This, of course, does not mean celebrity necessarily excludes talent. I believe Radcliffe to be a decent performer who had the luck of being pushed into the spotlight young and learning aspects of the trade before the majority of actors. I unfortunately missed it, but I respect the discerning opinion of a number of people who found him wonderful in "Equus."

If Ashton Kutcher makes it to Broadway, however...there would be no words to aptly express my utter disgust. It's not impossible to imagine - all it would take is for a sudden craving to pick up (I use those words with emphasis) a Tony to toss on the shelf for his maid to dust every week. Idiots would line up to buy tickets, exactly as they have been brainwashed to do - all the easier to get them to drop their cash.

:::sunny smile::: :)

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/7/11 at 8:06am

Who cares? The reality is that producers invested in Radcliffe to star in a revival of 'How to Succeed.' Audiences are buying tickets because they WANT to see Radcliffe, and based on the wildly enthusiastic response at curtain calls, and the number of shows he's been selling out, he IS succeeding on merit. Broadway has a long history of star vehicles; for the prices folks are paying, why shouldn't they want a star if they can get one? And who decides what is 'merit' anyway? Is everyone with a reality TV show there because of 'merit'? Is everyone on 'American Idol' or 'Dancing With the Stars,' etc., the performer with the most merit? Give me a break!

If you've seen Radcliffe in 'How to Succeed' and found his performance wanting, that's a legit gripe. But I'm sick of the petty and small-minded folks who are passing judgment who haven't even SEEN him in the show, or are automatically writing off other performers from TV/movies without giving them a shot.