JLP Controversy — Page 2

So JLP set out to create the most self-consciously woke show in Broadway history, and it was ultimately undone for not being woke enough? As Alanis might say, Isn't it ironic...

InTheBathroom1 said: "Just saw that the social media page posted an apology which largely seems to be dismissed by those who found issue with it. I don’t think there’s a way to win with this one. But ultimately, angry teens and 20-somethings are not the ones buying tickets. I don’t think it’ll have much of an effect."

Correct.

gigi1234 said: "i believe the uproar is over the fact that the production originally cast a cis-gendered woman as a non-binary character, then changed the role to be cis-gendered in order to keep Lauren Patten in the role once they reached broadway, & then ultimately lied and said that the character was never non binary in the first place. i never saw the production at ART so it's difficult to say if the character truly was originally written as non-binary or if it was a misunderstanding that gotblown out of proportion, but many people who saw it in boston are pretty adamant about it. Any one think there's a possibility of Lauren stepping down from the role?"

Patten is the breakout star of the show. She's probably going to win the Tony. There is a 0% chance of her being replaced.

Although the Brooklyn Rail article comes across as an exercise in navel gazing, it does underscore what I think of as the show's fatal flaw. Paulus and Cody tried to do way too much and cover every hot-button social issue -- the opioid crisis, racism, sexuality, sexual assault, cross-racial adoption etc -- in a way that lacked nuance and understanding. Jo is an underwritten character and a lot of the controversy that people are ginning up could have been avoided if the character arc was clearer. At the end of the day, JLP is a mess of a show.

You know how decades passed and basically every gay character was played by a straight person and while it’s not always done that way anymore, it’s still a thing and people don’t generally freak out because they’re actors and actors act as someone other than who they are?

Updated On: 4/14/21 at 10:28 AM

dramamama611 said: "I "enjoyed" it in Boston, and yes the character was seemingly played as non-binary. But everything said here about the book is 100% spot on,a hot mess. Ive never had any intention of seeing it again because of that. But I enjoyed the musical numbers - even if totally over-choreographed. The harmonies were pretty awesome, imo."

Just out of curiosity, what elements of the production in Cambridge made it seem to you that Jo was conceived as a nonbinary character? On Broadway, I never imagined the character was anything other than a lesbian with a somewhat butch presentation, and some of the plot points raised in the article in question here are certainly not exclusive to trans and nonbinary people. The article also cites language from reviews, which is not always a perfect barometer for accuracy.

Updated On: 4/14/21 at 10:46 AM

AC126748 said: "gigi1234 said: "i believe the uproar is over the fact that the production originally cast a cis-gendered woman as a non-binary character, then changed the role to be cis-gendered in order to keep Lauren Patten in the role once they reached broadway, & then ultimately lied and said that the character was never non binary in the first place. i never saw the production at ART so it's difficult to say if the character truly was originally written as non-binary or if it was a misunderstanding that gotblown out of proportion, but many people who saw it in boston are pretty adamant about it. Any one think there's a possibility of Lauren stepping down from the role?"

Patten is the breakout star of the show. She's probably going to win the Tony. There is a 0% chance of her being replaced.

Although the Brooklyn Rail article comes across as an exercise in navel gazing, it does underscore what I think of as the show's fatal flaw. Paulus and Cody tried to do way too much and cover every hot-button social issue -- the opioid crisis, racism, sexuality, sexual assault, cross-racial adoptionetc -- in a way that lacked nuance and understanding. Jo is an underwritten character and a lot of the controversy that people are ginning up could have been avoided if the character arc was clearer. At the end of the day, JLP is a mess of a show.

"

perfectly put. while this latest outrage is purely manufactured and faux, the only reason it has any legs at all is because these characters were so underdeveloped and the plot so desperate to MAKE A STATEMENT that it said absolutely nothing at all. I loved the music but 1500 New Yorkers nodding in earnest agreement that rape is bad, and feeling so proud of themselves for it. Shudder. A real disservice to the music.

if im following this right, though, the "controversy" is that the most lauded element of the show- Patten- isnt ENOUGH of whatever it is they want. no one-- ticket buyers, producers-- cares.

Thought this post from Dominique Morisseau was interesting.

https://www.facebook.com/dominique.morisseau/posts/10158718441726998

"I am NOT canceling my people. None of my people. Not for mistakes. For mis-steps. For art that doesn’t go the way that I wanted it to go...

...This does not mean that I don’t recognize lateral harm. This does not mean that when there is misogyny or anti-trans, anti-queer, anti-black, anti-aapi, anti-indigenous, anti-latinx, anti-mena harm, that I will stand for it or turn the other way or be gentler on the offenders because they are also marginalized.

But when I see artists attempting to make change. Take up space. Make art that shifts the paradigm, I will not cancel them for coming up short to my own scale. Who says my scale is not also broken? Who says my scale isn’t filtered through my own trauma? How can I lack grace for my own peoples and call myself anything other than another oppressor?"

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "Thought this post from Dominique Morisseau was interesting.

https://www.facebook.com/dominique.morisseau/posts/10158718441726998

"I am NOT canceling my people. None of my people. Not for mistakes. For mis-steps. For art that doesn’t go the way that I wanted it to go...

...This does not mean that I don’t recognize lateral harm. This does not mean that when there is misogyny or anti-trans, anti-queer, anti-black, anti-aapi, anti-indigenous, anti-latinx, anti-mena harm, that I will stand for it or turn the other way or be gentler on the offenders because they are also marginalized.

But when I see artists attempting to make change. Take up space. Make art that shifts the paradigm, I will not cancel them for coming up short to my own scale. Who says my scale is not also broken? Who says my scale isn’t filtered through my own trauma? How can I lack grace for my own peoples and call myself anything other than another oppressor?""

This is a great post.

PS, I vaguely remember Patten appearing on some queer podcast a while back and talking about how she likes to shop in the men's sections for clothes and her general exploration of gender nonconformity. She's also posted a bunch about wanting to play male roles. Has it occurred to any of these folks that perhaps she's on her own journey of understanding her identity similar to the character isn't ready to talk about it for any number of reasons that are completely valid? Can't a queer person have space to figure themselves out?

Between this and Tootsie, I feel that those who are trying to cause an issue are people who are stirring a pot that need not be stirred simply because they can.

I agree with Jordan’s comment that, years ago, there were straight people who played characters who were gay, it is called acting for a reason. For example, I’m a fan of the show Modern Family. It won the GLAAD media awards due to its wonderful depiction of a gay couple. But, while Jessie Tyler Ferguson is gay, Justin Mikita, who played his husband on the show is not. Yet, that didn’t stop the praise the show got for how those two characters were depicted. In fact, I remember watching an interview with the cast from the Paley Center. It was there where they said that the running joke on the set is that Justin is only “gay for pay.”