Mark Steyn: Death of a salesman

The Spectator (U.K.) ^ | 02/19/05 | Mark Steyn

[aculeus]

The playwright’s most lucrative year was 1984, when Dustin Hoffman starred in Salesman on Broadway. Miller may have disliked shows, but he understood show business. He and Hoffman cut themselves in as co-producers with Robert Whitehead, who did most of the actual producing. After the opening, the other two strong-armed Whitehead into agreeing to a dramatic reduction of his share of the take — Hoffman and Miller would each get 45 per cent of the production’s profits, leaving 10 per cent for Whitehead. ‘Arthur likes money,’ said Whitehead.

[texasbluebell]

LOL! Well, if anyone deserves to be proud of himself, it's Mark. Echo or no in his accent!

[7thson]

No, he wrote it to say that just as those in the 1600's were wrong about the witches, they are wrong in the 1950's about the communists. He said the threat from witches was non-existant, comparing it to the "supposed" threat of communists in the 1950's. There was no threat from witches in MA or elsewhere. There is no threat from communists here or elsewhere. But in the 1950's all you had to do was read the paper and pay attention to the news. Eastern Europe, China, Korea - it was all there. Steyn is saying the analogy did not compute.

Just because he did not explain it fully to your satisfaction or the way you would have, does not mean that others failed to get the meaning. I am still waiting for your national column.

[somerville]

Steyn didn't go to college. But he did go to a private school in England.

I think he lives part time in New Hampshire now.

[texasbluebell]

Steyn didn't go to college.

He didn't? Now I'm really impressed.

[Slings and Arrows]

If I have to read "plays," give me Oscar Wilde.

Amen. I keep "The Importance of Being Earnest" on my PDA in case I need a quick laugh.

[Logophile]

It requires some perverse skill to be able to demolish even Marilyn Monroe as a stage presence, but in his multiple attempts Miller never failed to snuff her candle in his windiness.

Good line.

[expatpat]

I love Steyn and believe Miller to be over-rated (Williams and O'Neil are way better), but this is cruel!

[George Smiley]

Stein is a master of the "bitch-slap bon mot".

And that one is priceless.

[George Smiley]

I always get Normal Lear and Arthur Miller confused. I have trouble keeping all of the "entertainer" commies seperated.

That's because you've got those rose-colored glasses on.

Take them off and they appear in all shades of "Red", ranging from light pink to burgundy.

: ^ )

[expatpat]

Sent me scurrying back to Gore Vidal.

Whew! Either you're kidding -- or you are in need of help.

[TheBrotherhood]

"Why all this focus on gloom and tragedy in literature -- and in literature classes?"

The intent of Death of a Salesman was and continues to be just that - the spreading of doom and gloom into Christian societies. It ain't no literature; it's just a trashy propaganda piece intent on the destruction of Western culture by its enemies.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: " There were no witches in MA nor ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD!"

Oh contrair! Have you never been to Salem Mass. It is full of them dar...what do you call that witchy religion.... Oh yes Wicker. It is full of that Wicker religion, so is Neu Orlen'.

[Republic If You Can Keep It]

"Did you miss this line?"

"Not at all"

Yes, friend, I'm afraid you did. You missed much of the article.

[q_an_a]

great artilce thansk for posting it.

[lawgirl]

love steyn BUMP. DOAS is so sanctimonious and preachy I can hardly stand it.

Capitalism rocks.

[7thson]

Calling yourself a witch and conjuring like Samatha Stevens is two different things. There are people who call themselves Wickers but in the sense that scared the bejesus out of the good folk of Salem, could they do magic. No! They couldn't even do tricks!

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "Steyn didn't go to college.
He didn't? Now I'm really impressed."

Oh please this is most likely the single biggest reason all common sense hasn't been educated out of him. Please tell me you forgot the sarcasm alert.

[blanknoone]

It is the 'or elsewhere' that you keep adding that I object to. The Crucible was not at all about the dominoes falling elsewhere. It was a defense of the communist inflitration of our government. It was not about whether communists existed 'elsewhere' it was whether they existed in our government. And to that extent, the Eastern block becoming communist is irrelevent.

[rcocean]

I'm sure if Hitler had lived; he would have repudiated Nazism.

Yes, well, maybe we were a little hard on the jews.

Sorry, I killed millions but we all grow and learn as we get older.