Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of "Prince Faggot"- Page 4
Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of "Prince Faggot"
#75Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 5:40am
binau said: "I don’t think you can suddenly pretend that it is unfair to reduce the show by its title when it’s doing exactly what the artists are intending it to do. It is intentionally provocative and shocking. That is the point of it. It’s designed to an elicit a reaction, and well yes I’m giving you my honest reaction.
I think it’s homophobic, offensive to British culture, vulgar and low class.
How would Americans feel if Europeans wrote sexualised plays about Obama’s children with an offensive title such as ‘first slags’ or something. They would be outraged and so they should."
Bear with me -- are you upset about the title or the context of the title? Because, if you don't know anything about the play -- for arguments sakes, you just saw the title and no description about the plays contents or the context of the title -- would you still be upset by the title? (Aside from a personal dislike of a controversial pejorative.)
Is it the word -- which, together with Prince, could mean potentially any prince of a certain persuasion -- or the context it's used in, that upsets you? If we're strictly talking about titles, devoid of any context, it's telling if your mind went straight to that particular prince. It's a provocative title, but so was Shopping and F*cking.
#77Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 5:51am
I’m not sure if this answers your question but let me know if it doesn’t - what upsets me is the use of the word faggot and the idea of speculating about the sexuality of and sexualising of a real life child (I assume it is about prince George because that is what people and the NYtimes are claiming but let me know if it’s actually completely fictional in which case fine, just get rid of the word faggot). The idea of writing a play about a fictional gay prince is not offensive and sounds like interesting material.
If you’re asking what would I assume if I saw a play titled ‘prince faggot’ without any context, I wouldn’t immediately assume it was about a real life child because I wouldn’t have thought anyone would dare do such a thing.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Updated On: 6/24/25 at 05:51 AM
#78Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 7:00am
binau said: "How would Americans feel if Europeans wrote sexualised plays about Obama’s children with an offensive title such as ‘first slags’ or something. They would be outraged and so they should."
First Slags is an amazing play title and I would absolutely see it. If we’re doing 1:1 comparisons in this hypothetical, however, it wouldn’t be about sexualizing children because that’s not what Prince Faggot is about either, so I wouldn’t be offended.
Also, I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a French extreme horror movie, but Americans certainly don’t have a monopoly on the “sick and depraved” market. Sarah Kane would also like a word in honor of the theatrically distasteful. What a boring, out-of-touch assessment. But I guess look at the source.
#79Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 8:57am
I still think anyone who wants to strongly opine about a title and concept of a show should have a good understanding of the show prior to slinging arrows from the opposite side of the world.
Sincerely,
A Proud American Faggot
#80Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 9:14am
I agree that if I should accept the word ‘faggot’ as anything other than a vulgar homophonic slur it does indeed make me extremely out of touch. I’m happy for you, genuinely, if you don’t find the word triggering. I don’t have a good sense how well the reclamation of the term has made it outside the USA (I genuinely don’t know). For me, it’s the equivalent of an N word for gay people.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
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Broadway Star Joined: 4/20/15
#81Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 9:15am
binau said: "I don’t think you can suddenly pretend that it is unfair to reduce the show by its title when it’s doing exactly what the artists are intending it to do. It is intentionally provocative and shocking. That is the point of it. It’s designed to an elicit a reaction, and well yes I’m giving you my honest reaction.
I think it’s homophobic, offensive to British culture, vulgar and low class.
How would Americans feel if Europeans wrote sexualised plays about Obama’s children with an offensive title such as ‘first slags’ or something. They would be outraged and so they should."
It wouldn't have been pretty. And there would have been a lot of "pearl clutching" (to borrow someone's turn of phrase) on this very board.
Outrage is often very selective.
#83Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 10:13am
I guess even the reliably anti-woke free speech advocate binau has to draw their line somewhere.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#84Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 11:17am
Jordan Catalano said: "I saw that Madonna attended the show the other day and posted a photo of herself with the cast - that’s got to be exceptionally cool for them."
Makes me imagine the original cast of Oh, Calcutta! posing for a photograph with Mae West.
#85Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 11:24am
The slur ("pejorative" seems too weak a word) in the title is tough for me, too. I'm not sure why, though. Yeah, I hate the word. But the title of Larry Kramer's book doesn't offend me and never has (I'm not a fan of the book--but the title never "triggered" me in any way). Maybe because it came out when I was a kid and so was always "in the past" for me personally? I guess I'm saying I don't want to condemn this play for its title even though the title grates on me, personally. I find it a deeply unpleasant word.
#86Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 11:31am
To be clear this would still fall within the bounds of what I'd consider free speech, I'm simply expressing my emotional reaction to these ideas.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#87Jesse Green NYT's Critic's Pick review of
Posted: 6/24/25 at 12:24pm
binau said: "To be clear this would still fall within the bounds of what I'd consider free speech, I'm simply expressing my emotional reaction to these ideas."
Totally valid.
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