More Negative than Positive Chat?

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 7:10pm

I truly love theater. Musicals, dramas, comedies, it doesn't matter. I just love live theater. It's what I hope to do with my life, if I'm lucky enough. I joined this site a few months ago, and when I found it, I thought it was great. However, I read more negative things on this board than anywhere else. I'm sure I've posted about this before, but it's really starting to get offensive and juvenile. This board has people attacking other's for what they enjoy and like. I don't understand. Just because one person doesn't like "Brooklyn," that doesn't mean ANYONE has the right to verbally bash that individuals intelligence, taste or anything else. You're allowed to have a differing opinion, that's what keeps boards like this afloat, but can't we word our opinions in a more respectful, tactful manner? Just a suggestion to everyone on this board who feels they their opinions and reviews are somehow superior, giving them the right to insult someone's opinions and many others' hard work. Thanks for reading.

-Vincent

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 7:14pm

Thank you for opening my eyes...I will now be searching for Jesus...
Updated On: 3/20/05 at 07:14 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 7:17pm

What's the fun in that? Want a life in theatre? Get used to it.

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 7:19pm

God, so true. Get used to being pushed around, and having others view themselves as superior, or else you will NEVER EVER make it in the theatre, EVER...
Updated On: 3/20/05 at 07:19 PM

[mattvcrewse]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 7:47pm

I agree. You have to get used to it. Theatre folk are far more bitchy and vicious than others. HOWEVER, I have noticed the larger proportion of negativity. I've found myself recently doing things like defending Schwartz, whom I hate, just for a change. Also, I hate it when people say stupid things like "was" and "Oz" do not rhyme. It's WAS not WUZ!!! Sometimes people do need to be corrected. Sometimes I need to be corrected.

But Schwartz and I are sworn enemies. One day we will meet in epic battle. Claymores, magic, the whole nine yards.

[Chloe]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:34pm

"Easy to be hard,
Easy to say no..."

[paradox_error]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:36pm

*plays violin*

[paradox_error]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:39pm

What I really don't like is how quiet the board has gotten. You have 100 people online and none of the topics are moving...

Sometimes this board is like the West End Board!

[wildcat]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:47pm

In what universe are theatre people so vicious and bitchy? I've been in the industry for over forty years and by and large they are the most generous and kind people I've encountered in any walk of life. It's the people on the fringe that make my skin crawl.

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:49pm

wildcat i agree 1,000% with that.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:51pm

Love you, puddytat!

Although amateur theatre/youth productions can be pretty awful, from experience...

[wickedfiyeroofoz]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 8:57pm

its true...it is kinda negative on here. but i contribute to that sometimes, so oh well.

[Chloe]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 9:12pm

My experience is with the film business rather than theater, but I assume there are a lot of similarities. Like wildcat and Marquise, I find that the craziness is more to be found on the fringes, while I've had overwhelmingly positive experiences working in the mainstream.

However, I think the negativity comes more from the fact that we're not relating to each other face to face. It's the same with people driving. It's much easier to go with those negative or hostile impulses when we're without the constraints of socialization.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 9:13pm

I think there's just as much positive as there is negative...I mean, most poeple that like Brooklyn just keep there mouth shut. It isn't exactly fun to be in the minority on this board.

Now I DO agree with Paradox that this board moves soo slowly sometimes! But I love it anyway!

Posted: 3/20/05 at 9:22pm

I personally get sick of people whining about how negative things are. Suck it up! We can't all have what we want! People in Hell want ice water. People at Brooklyn want earplugs.

I want to hear it all. Phony gushing, bitter backstabbing, suck ups and professional bitches alike, sound off!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 9:48pm

The reason why Broadway.com did away with their Message Boards was because of all the personal attacks and hatred.

A few days later, BroadwayWorld.com was born, and everyone moved here.

So good things come out of the negativity.

Personally, it doesn't bother me because I don't let it.

An opinion's worst enemy is another opinion.

Now eat dirt and die!

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 9:58pm

I think it's because so many people have so many different opinions, everyone has an opinion, so its like you can never satisfy everyone. But I like it that way, it helps me learn more.

[mattvcrewse]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 10:02pm

wildcat

You're right. I failed to mention that the theatre folk who are successful are kind and generous. You've got to be fun (and reliable) to work with to make it. Ironic how I mentioned in that erroneous post how sometimes I need to be corrected... Thanks.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 11:16pm

You cross paths with professional bitches too.

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 3/20/05 at 11:23pm

Mostly every post here proved my point, thank you for that. Wildcat, I couldn't agree more. It's the people on the fringe, not the people who are actually in it. Oh, well, I'm off my soap box now that my point was made. Take care!

-Vincent

[eslgr8]

Posted: 3/21/05 at 3:06am

Well, I for one agree with you, Ordinary Jukebox 1. I keep posting the same thing: good and bad are subjective, nothing more than OPINION, not fact. But so many posters here treat their own opinions as if they were the only truth. What irritates me is when someone posts a positive comment about a show, then someone disagrees, and failing to convince the person who likes this or that show, keeps coming back and trying to drill into his/her head that he/she is WRONG! Ebert and Roeper disagree, and defend their opinions when they disagree, but they know when to say, "Well, we just disagree," and move on. I would definitely enjoy seeing less meanness and bitchiness on this board.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 3/21/05 at 9:09am

OrdinaryJuke: I have to say that you will probably go through what many of us do on these boards. That is that you will just have to stay away for periods of time to blow all the toxic fumes off your body.

These boards and internet boards in general have gotten really nasty lately and we used to be able to talk about theater without a) assassinating an actor or another person posting about that actor or b) assassinating a show or c) wishing bad things on shows before they open, or after they open or d) criticizing and name calling the opinions of others.

I'm sick of it and I've just started looking at the boards less. But as someone who has been involved in theater a long time I do have to disagree that theatrical people are just bitchier than most people. They are NOT. Theater is a microcosm of the rest of the world and all you have to do is look around you on this planet and in this country in the past few years to see how venom and nasty mean-spirited ignorance has become pervasive in our society.

Some of it is the anonymity of the internet and if we had to say these things to others' faces we certainly would be too cowardly to do so...but we feel free to skewer others from behind the veil of the ether that is the internet.

Don't be discouraged from expressing your opinions here or anywhere else.

As Sondheim said 'speak up, get sore...do something more than just deplore'

[SamIAm]

Posted: 3/21/05 at 9:12am

Paradox: Maybe there is a connection between how quiet the boards have gotten and how sick people have gotten of trolls and slammers who can't abide anyone's opinion other than their own and are willing to get into name calling to shout the dissenting opinions down.

I'd rather go have coffee with another theater buff and talk about real issues (whether we disagree or not) than to deal with the childish behavior on some of these boards.

OR

maybe everyone is just on spring break and that's why the boards are quiet. Who knows.

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 3/21/05 at 1:18pm

"I truly love theater. Musicals, dramas, comedies, it doesn't matter. I just love live theater. It's what I hope to do with my life, if I'm lucky enough. I joined this site a few months ago, and when I found it, I thought it was great. However, I read more negative things on this board than anywhere else. I'm sure I've posted about this before, but it's really starting to get offensive and juvenile. This board has people attacking other's for what they enjoy and like. I don't understand. Just because one person doesn't like "Brooklyn," that doesn't mean ANYONE has the right to verbally bash that individuals intelligence, taste or anything else. You're allowed to have a differing opinion, that's what keeps boards like this afloat, but can't we word our opinions in a more respectful, tactful manner? Just a suggestion to everyone on this board who feels they their opinions and reviews are somehow superior, giving them the right to insult someone's opinions and many others' hard work. Thanks for reading.

-Vincent"


I agree!! If you say/spell something wrong people go crazy... We all need to respect each others opinions also and not critisize!
Perfect example is those Wicked threads.. Wicked is a very popular show and whenever a new Wicked thread pops up, theres always a sarcastic/mean comment.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/21/05 at 1:39pm

You're right Vincent. This board has really gone downhill. Not like The Golden Era of mid- to late-December.