Whoopie's lawn jockey?
Posted on 01/14/2017 9:45:23 AM PST by OddLane
I don't think there's a slight bit of hyperbole or exaggeration involved when I say that Hamilton, the awful musical that millionaire New Yorkers are required by law to throw away thousands watching, represents everything that was wrong with America in 2016. Allow me to make the case.
First, there's the music. I'm admittedly not much of a hip-hop aficionado, but I know shit from Shinola. From my perspective the art form has more or less been going downhill since Strictly Business (the EPMD record, not the Tommy Davidson vehicle), but there have been some highlights worth mentioning, mostly thanks to Ice Cube and an army of Wu bangers.
The point I'm trying to make is that, even to untrained ears such as mine, Hamilton is particularly bad. On first take, I thought it sounded a bit like a University of Iowa freshman—the kind who only listens to "real hip-hop"—attempting his first mixtape. One of my Twitter followers corrected me, however. It's closer to a Braintree elementary school making a rap song for parents' night. The latter description hints not merely at the simple, formulaic quality of the material, but also the cloying, bourgeois quality of it all. From the reference to "ten-dollar Founding Father without a father" to "when the British taxed our tea we got frisky," the whole affair sounds more like something made by precocious children than a professional composer...
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
Interesting article.
“Hamilton” is revered by the liberals, for the way it allegedly teaches us history at the same time it entertains us and creates thought provoking drama.
I wonder if it’s also revered, because they insisted on members of minority groups to be the actors, even though the historic figures portrayed were all white? So that makes it “edgy” or something?????
same way I felt about “Cats”... my wife had me go...it sucked. I like all kinds of music Chet Baker to Incubus and Steely Dan but it was a yawner. In talking to most of my friends that went it was more that “they went” as opposed to “it being good”.
I actually dosed off after working a night shift during the underground scene of Phantom of the Opera..hahahahaha. The music was so relaxing, my wife didn’t appreciate the snore that startled me awake.
Could it be that “Hamilton” is a case of nobody wanting to say the emperor has no clothes??
Meaning, that it’s become accepted wisdom in the liberal and arts communities, that “Hamilton” is a priceless work of art, a classic masterpiece of the theater arts.
And, liberals being the way they are, are afraid to voice dissenting opinions, for fear of being ostracized by their “tolerant” liberal friends, if they voice a dissenting opinion about “Hamilton”.
So, nobody is willing to come out and say that “Hamilton” is not a good play, that their “Poetic license” having only members of minority groups cast as white people doesn’t work, that the “rap” soundtrack doesn’t set well with them, etc.
In short, to be a good liberal in good standing, you have to say that you loved “Hamilton”, and parrot back the opinion that it is indeed a national treasure and a classic play.
What next? An white actor portraying, say, Michael Jackson?
What next? An white actor portraying, say, Michael Jackson?
That's his right, and he may be absolutely right about it.
But the way he writes, he really, really does care about it for some reason, and that might make you wonder.
Middle America has more important things to worry about and isn't obsessing about ticket prices to a show they don't want to see.
Sometimes a play is just a play, i.e. entertainment.
The election of Donald Trump and the leave vote in the United Kingdom aren't just political decisions. They're a cultural revolt against the pomposity of upper-crust liberals who don't have to live with the consequences of their own values. Hamilton is where the modern day Marie Antoinettes tell unemployed forklift drivers to eat cake.
Off in the distance, the sans culotes are sharpening the guillotine. The aloof nobles catching the latest performance of Hamilton have no idea they're about to be cast—much against their will—in a bit part in Les Miserables.
Whoopie's lawn jockey?
” wonder if it’s also revered, because they insisted on members of minority groups to be the actors, even though the historic figures portrayed were all white? So that makes it “edgy” or something?????”
Yet, many of the same people got upset when a white actor portrayed Michael Jackson, a monster in real life.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is a classic example of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.
A vocal student of mine had a role in “CATS” (Rumpletweezer), so of course I went to see it.
The production, scenery, special effects, and musical skills demonstrated were excellent.
And that’s where it ended.
Yet, the audience was ecstatic.
What makes me disinclined to see this play is how much Libs love it. It's become a shibboleth of the artsy and "hip" to claim to love this musical. That always makes me suspicious.
Orson Welles did it first with Macbeth in Harlem I believe.
The comparison to Shakespeare and Sophocles misses the mark. Both of these playwrights wrote for the common man. Hamilton is a rarified bit of pietistic foppery intended for the liberal/progressive elite.
My 13 year old niece is in love with it, has been walking around with her iPhone earbuds in singing it all the time. I finally asked her what she loved so much about it, listened to some of the music. Derivative, mediocre. Sounded like “Glee.” Told her so. Started calling it “Glamilton” and the music “GlipGlop.” She didn’t like it. But, she’s not listening to it all the time anymore. Probably just another passing teen fad soon to be forgotten, like Pokemon Go. I do worry about the distorted view of history that’s likely to stick with her though.
I'm sure the composer feels this is artistic license. I'm also sure he's laughing all the way to the bank.
Black lib playing a white guy. The tards go ballistic if a white man plays a black guy like Michael Jackson.
Sings like one, too. The most soulless black guy I’ve ever heard.
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