If you need to use your phone then go outside at intermission with the smokers BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY AN ADDICTION . Then there’s no confusion if someone is using an assist device.
100%. So sick of the bullsh*t excuses. And when people mention Yondr pouches, people clutch their cell phones and run away screaming. Yes, it takes a little longer but tough sh*t. A penis in a Broadway production should not be the only reason why they are used. Producers are pathetic and weak. Enough.
Sutton Ross said: "If you need to use your phone then go outside at intermission with the smokers BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY AN ADDICTION . Then there’s no confusion if someone is using an assist device.
100%. So sick of the bullsh*t excuses. And when people mention Yondr pouches, people clutch their cell phones and run away screaming. Yes, it takes a little longer but tough sh*t. A penis in a Broadway production should not be the only reason why they are used. Producers are pathetic and weak. Enough."
Wait a minute - now people are required to put their penises in a Yondr pouch? Ouch.
Here's where a little humility can help. Even if she feels wronged by all the hate messages and the double standard, could she not have at least said, sorry for assuming Sammatha was recording the performance?
Not feeling sorry about making a false assumption about someone with disability is the problem she was called out for in the first place.
She is also asking the "disabled community" to figure this out with the theaters, as if she was not part of it. The disabled community and theaters have figured it out, with the closed captioning device. She could, and could've encouraged other performers to, be part of the solutions, rather than walking away.
From a P.R. standpoint, she definitely should have publicly apologized, if for nothing more than to de-escalate the situation with the haters. I believe that post was from Facebook, but it must have been taken down. Obviously, though, screenshots don't forget.
TaffyDavenport said: "I totally agree with her, but the "I AM NOT SORRY" is re-infuriating the mob."
Which pretty much proves her statement that she owes the mob no apology or humility. Production should've done much better job protecting her from violence threats and hate she received online. Theater community showed its true colors in this case.
TaffyDavenport said: "From a P.R. standpoint, she definitely should have publicly apologized, if for nothing less than to de-escalate the situation with the haters. I believe that post was from Facebook, but it must have been taken down. Obviously, though, screenshots don't forget."
I disagree. She owes public and especially racist haters no apology. I'm sure she's sorted this with Samantha privately. Nobodys entitled to have any details about it. Good on her for standing her ground and revealing people's true feelings.
Pashacar said: "Yes lol in what world is this not an awful response in almost every conceivable way?"
It's the expected response from the person who was called the most awful racial and fatphobic slurs for days now without anyone except Samantha trying to stop it.
Edit: Samantha tried to stop it but a little too late, after much harm has been already done. The internet mob still harasses Lilias for "stopping the show" and "public humiliation".
With the explosion in phone recordings in theater these days, it is reasonable for Lillias to assume the device was a phone. She quietly said no taping during an applause break and didn't stop the show. The end.
The only people who need to apologize are the people who keep taking all these videos from the front orchestra seats and posting them everywhere. They are the ones who created this environment where performers are stressed and distracted by all the phones being held up. And House staff too. You better believe the next time somebody is recording and is asked to stop, they're going to say "IT'S A LISTENING DEVICE HOW DARE YOU (insert racist fatphobic comment here)"
The Twitter mob and some of BWW earnestly wanted this to be more than it was. They wanted to hear how Lillias embarrassed this poor woman and had the whole theater laughing at her and shaming her. Because that's what we do now; we just go from outrage to outrage.
100% Gibson. The people saying it was awful or not enough are ridiculous and have never been called racist names and had death threats launched against them. Despicable.
White should not have received threats or racial slurs thrown at her for what she did. I personally did not see any of that, but I’ll take people’s words for it that she experienced that, and it’s insane that that would be the response to her actions.
However for something to be a double standard, the same thing had to have occurred. Patti LuPone did not call out a disabled person for using a device to make theater more accessible. And most people just learned days ago that she called out a hired photographer. And for what it’s worth, I think what Patti LuPone did was downright idiotic, like many things Patti LuPone does.
But Lillias White did something wrong and has something to apologize for as well. Whether she stopped the show or not, she made a disabled person feel uncomfortable for doing nothing but trying to enjoy the show. Disabled people are marginalized as well, ESPECIALLY in theater. Would it hurt White to have some grace and say that?
I honestly didn’t think White should catch heat for this before, but this response deserves some. It’s REALLY bad.
BroadwayGirl107 said: "But Lillias White did something wrong and has something to apologize for as well. Whether she stopped the show or not, she made a disabled person feel uncomfortable for doing nothing but trying to enjoy the show. Disabled people are marginalized as well, ESPECIALLY in theater. Would it hurt White to have some grace and say that? I honestly didn’t think White should catch heat for this before, but this response deserves some. It’s REALLY bad."
But how in the world do you know that she didn't do it privately? And if she did, why do you think that you or anyone else entitled to this information? It's baffling that so many people feel they are entitled to Lilia's public apology. Being hard of hearing is an invisible disability, especially in the dark theater. How in the world Lilias could have known that the person is not just sitting with her phone on? What about actors feelings, they are being constantly recorded and photographed by idiots who wouldn't even bother to turn the flash off? What would be graceful for the Hadestown production and Samantha herself to reiterate what really has happened and not just once, as she did in that long lost Tweet. At this point, every article that's being posted based on that initial Instagram video and tweet is a slander.
gibsons2 said: "TaffyDavenport said: "From a P.R. standpoint, she definitely should have publicly apologized, if for nothing less than to de-escalate the situation with the haters. I believe that post was from Facebook, but it must have been taken down. Obviously, though, screenshots don't forget."
I disagree. She owes public and especially racist haters no apology. I'm sure she's sorted this with Samantha privately. Nobodys entitled to have any details about it. Good on her for standing her ground and revealing people's true feelings."
She most certainly has not reached out, most likely because she’s very clearly not sorry. And claiming her other castmates were unaware of the device is not only an immature cop out, it isn’t even true. At least one cast member reached out and said otherwise.
But how in the world do you know that she didn't do it privately? And if she did, why do you think that you or anyone else entitled to this information? It's baffling that so many people feel they are entitled to Lilia's public apology. Being hard of hearing is an invisible disability, especially in the dark theater. How in the world Lilias could have known that the person is not just sitting with her phone on? What about actors feelings, they are being constantly recorded and photographed by idiots who wouldn't even bother to turn the flash off? What would be graceful for the Hadestown production and Samantha herself to reiterate what really has happened and not just once, as she did in that long lost Tweet. At this point, every article that's being posted based on that initial Instagram video and tweet is a slander."
Something about the words “I AM NOT SORRY” in all caps would suggest that she is, in fact, not sorry.
People realize that Lillias White could have been positively intentioned and meant ZERO harm but still have caused some, and therefore have something to apologize for…right? If you crashed your car because of bad street signs and hurt someone, would you get out and say “I am not sorry, the signs in that street were bad” or “I am so sorry, it was an accident.” Are people seriously this allergic to acknowledging that harm can be apologized for EVEN when it wasn’t intentional?
gibsons2 said: "BroadwayGirl107 said: "But Lillias White did something wrong and has something to apologize for as well. Whether she stopped the show or not, she made a disabled person feel uncomfortable for doing nothing but trying to enjoy the show. Disabled people are marginalized as well, ESPECIALLY in theater. Would it hurt White to have some grace and say that? I honestly didn’t think White should catch heat for this before, but this response deserves some. It’s REALLY bad."
But how in the world do you know that she didn't do it privately? And if she did, why do you think that you or anyone else entitled to this information? It's baffling that so many people feel they are entitled to Lilia's public apology. Being hard of hearing is an invisible disability, especially in the dark theater. How in the world Lilias could have known that the person is not just sitting with her phone on? What about actors feelings, they are being constantly recorded and photographed by idiots who wouldn't even bother to turn the flash off? What would be graceful for the Hadestown production and Samantha herself to reiterate what really has happened and not just once, as she did in that long lost Tweet. At this point, every article that's being posted based on that initial Instagram video and tweet is a slander."
Almost every thing said in this comment is either factually incorrect or an absolutely braindead take. Lillias not knowing the device wasn’t a cellphone is what it is. But the “it’s a dark theater” excuse does not cut it here. I was there, she was in the front row and the device looks like a whole tablet. It does not even resemble a cellphone. And even if it did, there’s an entire team of people whose job it is to monitor situations like that and handle them. That’s not Lillias’ job. Plus she still made a mistake that hurt a real person and that deserves an apology that has yet to come.
The fact you’re making this Sam’s responsibility is abhorrent. She is a victim receiving constant hatred and vitriol herself, and owes nobody anything. If you can’t find her clarifying tweets, look harder. They aren’t “long lost”.
But how in the world do you know that she didn't do it privately? And if she did, why do you think that you or anyone else entitled to this information? It's baffling that so many people feel they are entitled to Lilia's public apology. Being hard of hearing is an invisible disability, especially in the dark theater. How in the world Lilias could have known that the person is not just sitting with her phone on? What about actors feelings, they are being constantly recorded and photographed by idiots who wouldn't even bother to turn the flash off? What would be graceful for the Hadestown production and Samantha herself to reiterate what really has happened and not just once, as she did in that long lost Tweet. At this point, every article that's being posted based on that initial Instagram video and tweet is a slander."
Something about the words “I AM NOT SORRY” in all caps would suggest that she is, in fact, not sorry.
People realize that Lillias White could have been positively intentioned and meant ZERO harm but still have caused some, and therefore have something to apologize for…right? If you crashed your car because of bad street signs and hurt someone, would you get out and say “I am not sorry, the signs in that street were bad” or “I am so sorry, it was an accident.” Are people seriously this allergic to acknowledging that harm can be apologized for EVEN when it wasn’t intentional?
"
Something tells me that after being called an n-word who should be shot, Lilias doesn't feel like being gracious in public. Making her a punching bag for racists hopefully will have its consequences
gibsons2 said: "What would be graceful for the Hadestown production and Samantha herself to reiterate what really has happened and not just once, as she did in that long lost Tweet. At this point, every article that's being posted based on that initial Instagram video and tweet is a slander."
It's appalling to suggest that it's Sammatha's responsibility to diffuse the heat. She is the victim here. She was made to feel horrible by the comment from Lillias, even if unintentional.