This is a picture from my freshmen year when my boss photo-shopped my co-workers and I into this because of the High School Musical 2 hype!Oliver is starving.
Everyone in Rent has HIV or AIDS.
Les Miserables-miserable people.
Wicked, uhh a green witch?
The Phantom is creepy but every girl wants to be in his Opera!
Tracy Turnblad is "pleasantly plump."
Roxy Hart is on death row!
BUT what do they all have in common? They are all singing! They are all dancing! So what does this mean in relation to media? I think that musicals are an outlet through which societies address social issues light-heartily. A movie with no singing or dancing about fighting poverty, HIV and AIDS, tensions with sexuality---probably wouldn't make it very far. Rent's interruption of music gives some feel-good and comic relief. Hairspray's entertaining approach to racial issues makes it easier to look at the terrible segregation of the media in the 60's(not that long ago)!
Also, musicals function as a means through which all of the female existence experiences the love story that will never happen. Zac Efron is never going to burst out into song in High School or on the Corny Collin's show and confess his love for me. No hot hunk from the wrong side of the tracks of the West Side is going to turn to Maria and say that she is all he sees...Honestly, I don't know how I would react if a man/boy expressed such strong feelings towards me. I would probably be quite freaked out and think he was a bit stalkerish! Picture this-someone nicknamed Cry Baby, although handsome, cries, collects his tears in a glass, sings to you, then drinks his tears. Although some of you may not get my reference, youtube CryBaby with Johnny Depp. Although romantic on the screen, not in reality. So what does that say about our thoughts of gender? It's okay for the cinema to portray the sensitive emotional male who is romantic enough to sing to a woman, but in a more realistic version of reality, he would be homosexual or a cerial stalker/killer. I am not proposing any solution, just contemplating it.
Anyhow...I love musicals...They truly are the best version of reality because a light tune and dance step or two always lighten the mood. So sing and dance through a day, wake up and convince yourself you're on the stage. It's more fun that way!
Are you proposing that tomorrow's group presentation be a musical instead of a powerpoint?
ReplyDeleteI too agree that musicals are a fascinating cultural artifact that is directly related to media and more importantly representation through the media. Musicals can often deal with harsh realities in a way other forms of media cannot. For instance, The Sound of Music is a true favorite of mine, and although maybe as a child I never really understood the important historical angle of the film, it really connected with me and today obviously I know more why it's such an important film.
Also, I think musicals have a special way of sticking with you because the songs get into your head. When Disney stopped making musical kids movies, I think they made a serious mistake. Our generation will never forget the words to the Little Mermaid "Look at this stuff, isn't it neat, wouldn't you think my collection's complete? wouldn't you think 'she's got everything?'"
An impact this deep is something all media should hope and dream for.
Also, Corny Collins rules (but I will confess I much much prefer the non-musical John Waters version to the recent)
Margaret, do you have any idea how happy this makes me? All the HSM movies are my favorite movies of all time. I LOVE Zac Effron. I may or may not have taken a picture with him at the wax museum last summer, in reference to todays lecture.
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