Patti Murin takes on BWW Chat Boards...

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 5:44pm

"I am officially asking you, Broadway World, to take down your chat boards. Create a whole new website for them that has nothing to do with the incredible content you generate. But placing that negative bull**** next to a joyous article about a Broadway show opening does not make any sense to me. To be clear, I’m not asking for them to be shut down forever. Everyone is entitled to express their opinions as loudly as they want, just like I am right now. But they should be their own entity entirely, because much of the time, they are not in the spirit of creating, and cultivating art, and supporting people who are taking real risks to do what they love."

 

https://pattimurin.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/the-one-where-patti-takes-on-the-chat-boards/

 

Many users here get called out by name: Broadway Concierge, JM226, Smaxie, Gypsy101, LightsOut90, ClydeBarrow, neonlightsxo, Call_Me_jorge, Islander_fan, CATSNYRevival, and mailhandler777

Updated On: 3/10/16 at 05:44 PM

[Pootie2]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 5:54pm

Who's Patti Murin?

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:03pm

Hi Patti I like you I just didn't want this to happen to you!

[pupscotch]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:04pm

We just got ROASTED. But she's completely correct, too many people on these boards are super negative about shows they haven't even seen! Unless you've seen it, be optimistic!

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:06pm

Only the people who said stupid things got "ROASTED" and they deserved it.

[rikem]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:08pm

They aren't exactly being "called out by name" when they're hiding behind anonymous screen names.  Patti Murin for President!!!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:08pm

I understand where Murin is coming from, but there is a lot of good discussion and sharing of information here and to shut down the chat boards is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The good far outweighs the bad; you just have to be able to sift through it all and you'll find it. 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:12pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "I understand where Murin is coming from, but there is a lot of good discussion and sharing of information here and to shut down the chat boards is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The good far outweighs the bad; you just have to be able to sift through it all and you'll find it. 

 

"

I agree. For folks who don't have theater loving friends, this is a Godsend.

[Blockhead24]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:12pm

I really like Patti but something about this just bugs me.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:13pm

This is public, as well as if and inevitably when Patti sees this post...

 

I am truly sorry. It's embarrassingly easy for me (and, if I may say so, others) to get sucked into what seems to have become an almost inherent bitterness on these boards, and the words I wrote that Patti included provide a sadly perfect example of it. In our partial credit, it was rather clear from an outsider's perspective that all was not as should be with that production from the get-go—but that doesn't change the meaning of Patti's words. I'm embarrassed and sincerely apologize.

 

EDIT: And further, I agree with Whizzer wholeheartedly that the good outweighs the bad on here. To borrow from one of Murin's roles themselves...if you let me, I'd like to try to help. I'd like to try to be... BroadwayConcierge the Good.

Updated On: 3/10/16 at 06:13 PM

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:15pm

She didn't want to shut it down completely. She just asked to transfer it to a separate website so it's not in everyone's face (the side bar) and to keep things separate from each other.

Also, I think she hit the nail on the head. Go Patti!

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:17pm

Right. Ms. Murin mentions that this is a place for theater lovers to share opinions, excitement, and passion for this industry, and then goes on to base the rest of her article on the bad seeds that ruin it. Which, don't get me wrong, after what she's been through, I understand her anger and frustration. But this is a valuable resource and a community for many of us and a haven for likeminded people to share and discuss their passion. 

 

Though as a performer, I have always felt there would come a day I'd have to stop coming here if I got big enough. 

 

I respect Patti a lot for her passion and plea for positivity. But it is here, if you keep looking.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:18pm

Well, bless her heart, whoever she is!

 

Myself, I find this board rather even-handed, especially when compared with the rest of the internet. Ms. Murin should check out any sports-chat site.

 

Even when some posters here are highly critical of a show or performance, there are invariably others who balance the thread with opposing opinions. That's kind of how free speech works.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:18pm

Instead of transferring to a domain or subdomain, then why not remove the side bar? I certainly have lots of elements blocked in my browser to avoid clutter. Moving the boards wouldn't change anything if content is still remotely scripted into the side bar, if that's the main issue.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:22pm

Valentina3 said: "WhizzerMarvin said: "I understand where Murin is coming from, but there is a lot of good discussion and sharing of information here and to shut down the chat boards is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The good far outweighs the bad; you just have to be able to sift through it all and you'll find it."

I agree. For folks who don't have theater loving friends, this is a Godsend."

 

Ditto Whizzer and Valentina! The chance to "talk" about theatre is why I come on these boards. While some of my friends like to see shows, none are as interested as I am on a daily basis. I do try to keep my posts positive and informed (i.e. writing about what I've actually seen) but I can see how it would be easy to get sucked into snark (reading a post through before hitting "post message" helps though).

It seems Patti is suggesting moving the boards not eliminating them, but I don't see either happening.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:22pm

Valentina3 said: "WhizzerMarvin said: "I understand where Murin is coming from, but there is a lot of good discussion and sharing of information here and to shut down the chat boards is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The good far outweighs the bad; you just have to be able to sift through it all and you'll find it."

I agree. For folks who don't have theater loving friends, this is a Godsend."

 

Ditto Whizzer and Valentina! The chance to "talk" about theatre is why I come on these boards. While some of my friends like to see shows, none are as interested as I am on a daily basis. I do try to keep my posts positive and informed (i.e. writing about what I've actually seen) but I can see how it would be easy to get sucked into snark (reading a post through before hitting "post message" helps though).

It seems Patti is suggesting moving the boards not eliminating them, but I don't see either happening.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:29pm

I don't understand the financial sense in moving the message boards to a different web address. I'm sure they drive a lot of traffic to the site and I'd venture to guess that they are a main reason advertisers are willing to pay for ads on BWW. Without the revenue from the ads the entire site might struggle to survive, or at least have to have to limit the content they offer, which would be a huge loss. The advertisers would merely migrate to the new site. 

 

BWW can be like Yelp for the theater world. Why would you go to Yelp to find info about a restaurant, but then have to open up a different site to read all the user reviews? It makes sense that the feedback is an extension of the content provided by Yelp, just as the chat boards here are an extension of the stories posted on BWW. 

[WaltG2]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:46pm

It takes a special kind of person to respond to criticisms on your own website where the odds are that a majority of the people you're replying to won't see it unless it's brought to their attention.

 

That's even more true when those criticisms are levied on a public board that you have just as much right to just as much space as your critics.

 

But I think the worst thing there is that she went looking for criticism, found criticism, and then talked about it like it's all there was. She conveniently forgot to mention all the posts in the "Nerds" thread where people extended their sympathies & called other posters to task for stuff they said. She also conveniently forgot to mention the various rebuttals posted in the Lesli thread--but somehow she remembered Gypsy's post.

 

It's hard to take her post seriously when she explicitly says that she's going out in search of negatives ("to show how bad it gets", apparently) but fails to mention the self-correction of the group or the actual, well-reasoned rebuttals to the claims she's touting.

Updated On: 3/10/16 at 06:46 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:47pm

Speaking for myself as a West Coaster, this site has made a surprising amount of money from me in record downloads and tour tickets. And I wouldn't be here just for the "sunny, sweet and positive" articles.

 

It's the actual discussions--even arguments--about shows that drives my purchases.

 

ETA: I don't mean BWW has made money. That was badly worded. I mean BWW has inspired to me to spend money that was received by Broadway productions. Obviously.

Updated On: 3/10/16 at 06:47 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:48pm

MISTER BROADWAYWORLD, TEAR DOWN THESE BOARDS!

 

 

[WaltG2]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:50pm

Oh, and I forgot to mention the inherent irony for criticizing a board you don't read because they've criticized shows they didn't see.

 

That's probably my favorite part of all of this.

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:51pm

BWW didn't pick this up as a headline yet?!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:51pm

Thank you so much for being so concerned about us and our careers. But did you ever stop to consider that the show is…wait for it….good?

 

Hold it!  Is that one of those "requisite" Hamilton references she criticized?  

[Marianne2]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 6:58pm

^ Totally agree, Whizzer.  While I agree that some comments are rude and unnecessary, and probably have made some, I find more good here. And I don't see how moving the boards away from here will make a difference.  People will still find it and read it. Just not seeing as an option on this site is not going to make the negativity go away. I also don't think it all should.  Because life is not puppies and rainbows. I'm sorry if some stuff was hurtful,  but it's ridiculous to not allow opinions on something that was made public news. I'm sure we all have people who hate something about where we work, but as long as we're happy,  we shouldn't let those people influence us into feeling bad because they don't like it.

[indytallguy]

Posted: 3/10/16 at 7:00pm

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.