Image problems

This morning, I wrote a post at the TOC Blog offering up two possible views about the crazypants musical number on last night's Oscars telecast. (Here's a YouTube link if you didn't see it.) The less-generous of my dual takes was this:

Okay, it’s not as eye-searingly offensive as Rob Lowe and Snow White, but still. This is why people hate musicals. Dude, Baz, Top Hat was 74 years ago, and you’re using it as the basis of your argument that musicals are “back”?! Way to reinforce musicals’ outdated image. Plus, this “medley” is a hot mess. Layering Jesus Christ Superstar over Hairspray does. Not. Compute. And only 0.5% of the audience actually knows any of the non-HSM musicals you’re referencing, anyway. Also, Zac Efron looks like a dildo in that tux. You made Zac Efron less hot. FAIL.

This afternoon, I had a conversation about another TOC blog post I wrote a few weeks ago about arts marketing, and the way I think some theaters confuse their communications, mistaking Why Our Art Is Important grant-speak for the Why You'd Like Our Play messages that audiences need to hear. I mentioned my suspicion that there are some cases where theater artists don't know how to react to the reviews we write at TOC because we try to talk about theater not in hushed, reverent Art Tones, but in the same irreverent, pop-culture-riffing way we talk about movies or TV or music.

Later this afternoon, a comment came in on the Oscars blog post that read in part:

A fairer comment would be “this is why SOME people hate musicals”. Speak for yourself, sir. I disregard any posting with the word “dude” in it.

…aaaaannd, scene.

Meanwhile, I posted six new dude-friendly theater reviews to the Theater section today, including Lookingglass's Our Town, Steppenwolf's Art and the House's Rose and the Rime.

Comments

[Adam]

Very accurate observation. Half our marketing problems are caused by treating audience members like they are foundation grantors . . . and speaking to them in the same language.

[Ed]

Wow, he sure told you what was what....musical-hater.

Just confess it. No one will judge you, dude. It's okay to admit you only went to see "Xanadu" and "Caroline or Change" to stoke the flames of your hatred (so that there would be flames...flames...on the side of your face...and by the way when will someone stage that? I'd love to see a stage adaptation of *that* screenplay).

In seriousness, I think it has to do with the dichotomy between a theatre Critic and a theatre Reviewer. I seem to remember there was some Performink article on it. I'll nose around in their Archive and post the link if I can find it.

[Ed]

Ah yes. Here it is:

http://www.performink.com/Archives/specialissues/CriticalCondition/CriticsStory1.html

Part one of a seven part series...from 2001. Wow do I feel old.