Femogynists UNITE!

Sarah Palin endorses Nikki Haley for SC Governor

This article is arguing that Sarah Palin and Nikki Haley are true feminists and that the "screeching" left-wing non-lipstick toting women's rights advocates are "femogynists" I KID YOU NOT.  I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but chuckle at their motto "walk softly. but carry a big lipstick." DOES ANYONE ELSE FIND THIS WILDLY PROBLEMATIC??

In other news, Dillon and I took all of the Exodus International Conversion Therapy pamphlets from the LIBRARY. YES, they were IN THE LIBRARY. We're so subversive.

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Blargh Blog!

After starting rehearsals for Lincoln: Upon the Alter of Freedom (the new theatrical experience, Dinner.Drama.Destiny... and the 3592 other subtitles for the show) I have fallen down on the blogging job. But, I plan to return! I just haven't had time to peruse the news for good topics. That's all. Happy Monday!

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Let's go exploring!

I love this. It's the last Calvin and Hobbes in 1995. Exploring - that's what my game plan is.

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Branding Broadway

Warning: I'm not promising to present any new ideas or answers in this post... I'm also no authority on these subjects... I'm just typing some stuff that I'm interested in.

Back when I was in college (a whole week ago) the relationship between marketing and artistry was brought up quite a bit by people in the Arts Marketing class... and although I didn't take the class, I lived with someone who did so I got the cliff notes version and found it interesting.

So today when I found this article in the NY Times I was thrown back to the good 'ole days of flip cup, dancing in basements, and sitting around talking about branding with theatre management extraordinaire Reed Wilkerson. The quote that stood out to me the most in this interview with the New York Times theatre critics Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood was when they were talking about the celebritization (I made that word up) of Broadway and how the productions that have been monetarily successful on Broadway in recent years were the ones that utilize the "depressing star factor" as Isherwood calls it. To quote Brantley, "On Broadway you’ve got to start off with a brand name today. Clearly, audiences want something that they’ve seen before, or at least they know what they’re getting into, the way they would pick up a certain brand of ice cream or a piece of J. Crew clothing. And then, if they’re surprised by something, all the better. Which is not a climate conducive to experimentation."

Disheartening right? But why do audiences respond this way? Brantley says it's familiarity that audiences want. Are they responding to images of these "stars" that are put in front of them daily by the media? They become familiar with Jude Law so going to see him in Hamlet makes the foreign Shakespearean language itself seem more familiar. It can be argued that modern theatre, as a whole, produces that same feeling of something "foreign" because it isn't part of mainstream entertainment anymore, due to the popularity and accessibility of TV and movies... plus, the tremendous ticket prices in commercial theatres. But theatres don't just use star-power. They seek to make the audience comfortable with continuity in logos, season selection, and the theatrical experience as a whole. When you're fighting an uphill battle to get people in the seats you want to make the audience as comfortable as possible. When looking at it like that... yeah! Audiences need something familiar to latch onto in order to get butts in the seats! Like Vanessa Williams in Into the Woods:

Or P. Diddy in A Raisin in the Sun:

Or Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury in A Little Night Music:

But what about the idea that producing a live performance speaks to audiences in itself and it shouldn't need celebrities to do it!? The idea that theatre can speak to some core part of human beings. I have trouble articulating what it is about theatre that does that. It has something to do with another individual being vulnerable in front of us, telling the audience a story. Is that notion outdated? Idealistic? Call me an idealist and slap me silly, but I think there is something special about theatre that can move audiences to change, think, reflect, engage, and a bajillion other inspiring verbs. But, in the world of Broadway where breaking even on a lavish production will take a ridiculous number of performances can you afford to take a risk on the "magic of theatre?"

My answer, in the case of Broadway, is no. So, my semi-educated, probably naive opinion is that branding is what gets people in the door and the experience itself, the "theatre magic," if you will, is what keeps them coming back. Balancing these is essential, especially in commercial markets. Showcase Kelsey Grammar or Jude Law or P. Diddy on the billboards use modern aesthetic conventions like projections, hydraulics, laser beams, ushers on segways whatever... BUT provide a product that causes the audience to understand something in a new way, or feel something that needed to be tapped into, or relate to a situation... that's what keeps them coming back. If a star is there just to be a star... and not to tell the story in an exciting, engaging, moving way it's a sell out.

This conflict will probably be why I work in non-profits for the rest of my life. Helloooooo 501(c)3 forms! (Also... if you made it all the way to the end of this post... I'm impressed, it was longer than I expected. :o))

Well... I had good intentions...

I had lofty goals for this evening that involved how to reconcile loving classic musicals (which often times are sexist) with feminism... but then I got a little tipsy. Sooooo, I'll save that for tomorrow night. And until then, enjoy the following links! :o)

Pandemonium (if the link is working!)

Interesting... Troubling or encouraging?

Who doesn't love cute pomeranians??

ENJOY!
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A love letter to Detective Olivia Benson

Huffington Post: Law and Order Cancellation

DON'T WORRY. When I heard about Law and Order being cancelled I swept a silent tear from my cheek when I realized I might not be able to see Mariska Hargitay on television every week on SVU. Let's be real... she's amazing. Who wouldn't miss this:

BUT, never fear... Law and Order: SVU was picked up for another year.

So long, Law and Order... but I'll take my Ice T with a dash of Mariska.

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**Addendum**

After writing this approximately 15 minutes ago... I realized that the cancelation of Law and Order has lessened my chances of getting a job in NY by like 30%. Everyone works on that show. Crap. (At least I still have Mariska)

If the Straight Jacket Fits... Whatever

You should probably read the Newsweek article before this blog entry...

Newsweek Article: Straight Jacket

The Advocate with Kristin Chenoweth's Response

Where, where, where to start. This article has gotten tremendous attention and a lot of this scrutiny has come from K. Chenoweth's response. First off, Kristin has been badmouthed in the past for being less than outspoken about LGBT issues when her fan base is so heavily gay (we all know the queens and the middle school Broadway buffs are the ones buying her albums -I probably have one from 7th grade). This attack on a personal friend has caused her to lash out, winning the hearts of her gay fans. BUT, I think she misses the point on some things. (Also, Sean Hayes seems to have gotten mixed reviews from everyone for his performance in Promises, Promises... including the gay community.)

Ramin Setoodeh, the journalist who wrote the article, is gay (according to The Advocate). I'm not saying that makes everything he said excusable (like the suggestion that LGBT actors should stay in the closet... not excusable), but I think it means the article can be read in a different light. Chenoweth, and lots of other irate bloggers, have become outraged over Setoodeh's "claim" that gays can't play straight, but I think his argument brings up more questions than conclusions. Setoodeh is not arguing that gays can't play straight as much as he is saying that when society has placed a label of "gay" on someone like Sean Hayes, it's hard for them to comprehend him as anything else. Setoodeh is bringing this issue up and I think it's an important one to talk about... and it's exciting that it is getting so much attention.

Honestly, he's right. People, unfortunately, do have a fascination with human sexuality; especially sexuality that is different from the majority. This is because of its "newness" in the grand scheme of things. LGBT people are beginning to be recognized for the first time as "normal" people who have the ability to be in loving, committed relationships just like straight people! (WHO KNEW?) This fascination is something that society will overcome in time... or at least I hope it is. When a "gay person" is understood as having the exact same needs and wants as a "straight person" this won't be an issue. We can look at it for what it actually is... Sean Hayes (as a person... not as a gay man...) just wasn't necessarily suited for the role in the eyes of some reviewers. He, as a person, maybe wasn't the best choice, or maybe society can't make a judgement call yet. In the same way Mickey Rourke probably couldn't play the lead in La Cage without raising some eyebrows because audiences couldn't get over his macho persona (however... I might pay to see that.)

It comes down to understanding that "gay" is a label that makes things easier to understand for people who might not otherwise understand it at all. In a recent interview with The Advocate, Cynthia Nixon claims that she is "gay" politically (which is important in this political climate) but that her sexuality is not necessarily label-able. (Cynthia Nixon Interview) Once people understand that everyone is somewhere on the scale between "straight" and "gay" Sean Hayes will be criticized as an actor... not as a gay man. (Cynthia Nixon won her Tony for The Rabbit Hole, playing the role of a grieving, straight, mother, while offstage with a female partner... I'm just sayin')

So, basically, I say to all the world, get over the labels. Embrace the people for people. After all, people who need people are the luckiest people in the world. Don't rain on my parade. And lots of other Barbara Streisand quotes.

In other news... I went to a baseball game tonight and it was terrifyingly heteronormative and all the men there looked alike in their pastel polos, short shorts, baseball caps, and sperry topsiders (with no socks). I felt frumpy compared to all the women. What is this place they call South Carolina?

Until later,
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Potty Prejudice!

Potty Parity Act

On Capital Hill today they passed an act requiring all new government buildings to have a 1:1 ration of men and women restrooms. To which I replied: THAT WASN'T ALREADY THE CASE? We're fighting for equality of genders and the fact that this is even on issue is insane! It is true that (as I heard second hand from Anne's neuroscience class) more men work in government and business and more women work in non-profits and the arts, but isn't that because this is how we've been conditioned? Aren't we fighting to equalize the workforce? I will write more later... I just saw this on the news and I had to comment.

Tonight I think I'm going to write about the Newsweek article about gay actors that is causing such a stir.

Fond regards,
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...The Beginning...

Pearls and Plaid: Non-Labeled Couture...

I exist somewhere in between pearls and plaid and enjoy both on different days and HELL, why not on the same day? Pearls: the symbol of southern femininity. I recieved a pair on the day I was baptised and have continued to recieve them at every major milestone. They're pretty. I like them. I wear them sometimes. Yeah. I do. You know what else I wear? Plaid. I wear plaid and I like it. You can tell me I look like a lumberjack, but there's nothing more comfortable than a big flannel shirt! Anyway... that's what's behind the title of this blog. (I got some help from riley bo biley with it, too)

I've never really blogged... but I'm going to give it a shot. I promise nothing except to provide thought provoking stuff. Maybe it'll be funny sometimes. :o)

This blog is where I am attempting to make myself aware, and the few of my friends who stumble upon this little gem whilst facebook stalking me, of issues in areas I'm interested in. This entire idea started when I was frustrated by the fact that there was no way to reconcile commercialism in theatre and the necessity of $$$$ to produce it and allow it to reach an audience. What do we do as artists in the face of this? The only answer I came up with is that the first step is to be aware of the controversy. We can't do anything unless we're aware of the issues! SO, I want to be aware of the details surrounding all of the subjects I'm interested in. My personal interests obviously lie in theatre, probably some feminism, LGBT issues, issues surrounding religion, and where any or all of those things meet. My plan is to post links to interesting articles and other random things on the interwebs and then respond to them. But that might change... and I may indulge in the occassional rant or funny story... WHO KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS!

Anyway! This is all very exciting. Until the next time... keep it secret, keep it safe.

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