| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | AC126748 11:00 am EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | How to beat an idea to death - robbyho 10:45 am EST 11/21/14 |
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| Yes, two vaguely similar pronouncements out of thousands certainly qualifies as "beating an idea to death." | |
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| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | ryhog 11:11 am EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - AC126748 11:00 am EST 11/21/14 |
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| I had the same reaction. I think everyone has pet ideas, expressions and the like, and I think everyone who writes at length recycles them. This seems to me just another round of Brantley-bashing. Not that I think you can't bash him sometimes, and for good reason, but I wonder why the OP has not cataloged the ideas Shaw (and not that Brantley has earned the right to be compared to him) beat to death. | |
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| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | LHarry (lharry@ibj.com) 10:10 am EST 11/22/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - ryhog 11:11 am EST 11/21/14 |
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| Agreed. Let's not assume that a prolific journalist remembers exactly what he or she wrote in every piece. It's possible--very possible--to recycle ideas that one has forgotten were even cycled in the first place. | |
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| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | LegitOnce 10:50 am EST 11/22/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - LHarry 10:10 am EST 11/22/14 |
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| Speaking as a reviewer with a much smaller throughput than Brantley's, I can tell you that i live in constant terror of repeating a turn of phrase too often. I realized not too long ago, for example, that when I was describing someone with a beautiful voice singingly slowly and sumptuously, I invariably used the verb "unfurled." That one has had to be put in the back of the drawer for a while. This is particularly a problem now that everything anyone has ever written is available instantly online. All it takes is a text search for "docents" and Brantley's name and there you have it. | |
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| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 11:07 am EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - AC126748 11:00 am EST 11/21/14 |
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| True. But how often does one see "docents" in a theatre review? ;-) | |
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| re: how often does one see "docents" | |
| Posted by: | Audview 01:45 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - Chromolume 11:07 am EST 11/21/14 |
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| "But how often does one see "docents" in a theatre review?" Docents of times. Bad pun, but I couldn't resist. Sorry. | |
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| re: how often does one see "docents" | |
| Posted by: | bearcat 02:12 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: how often does one see "docents" - Audview 01:45 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| they double as tour guides of the Grey Lady's office space | |
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| Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 02:49 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: how often does one see "docents" - bearcat 02:12 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| nm | |
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| Docent seem like a likely prospect. (nm) | |
| Posted by: | keikekaze 03:49 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) - AlanScott 02:49 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| : ) | |
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| Didn't Brantley use that turn of phrase for "Lettuce and Lovage?" | |
| Posted by: | keywslt 05:23 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | Docent seem like a likely prospect. (nm) - keikekaze 03:49 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| Merely sloppy work. | |
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| re: Didn't Brantley use that turn of phrase for "Lettuce and Lovage?" | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 06:30 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | Didn't Brantley use that turn of phrase for "Lettuce and Lovage?" - keywslt 05:23 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| Isn't Lettuce And Lovage that play about a woman making up outrageous stories about a salad bar? ;-) | |
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| re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) | |
| Posted by: | bearcat 02:51 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) - AlanScott 02:49 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| or Orpheus Dissenting | |
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| re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) | |
| Posted by: | Ann 03:20 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) - bearcat 02:51 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| Gross Indocentcy | |
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| re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) | |
| Posted by: | pierce 08:04 am EST 11/22/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) - Ann 03:20 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| I remember one guy standing in line in front of me at TKTS in the 70s pointing to the play Travesties and asking for "two tickets to Transvestites." | |
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| re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 11:30 am EST 11/22/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) - pierce 08:04 am EST 11/22/14 |
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| My favorite story along those lines is, as a teen, waiting for a bus and hearing two older women talking about an upcoming symphony concert where "Yo Ma Ma" was to be playing. I dared not correct them. ;-) That, and when a doting aunt once took my brother and I out to eat, and she wanted to order the quiche - except she called it a "kwee-shay." | |
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| re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 06:09 pm EST 11/22/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) - Chromolume 11:30 am EST 11/22/14 |
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| I used to belong to the papering service Audience Extras. This was back before the internet was really active. You called a phone number, and you listened to a message with the current offerings. Sometimes they had concerts, and the people who recorded the message didn't always know how to pronounce some of the names they had to say. I heard the usual mispronunciations of names like Debussy and Dvorak and they also had trouble with the name Edith Piaf (when a one-woman about Piaf was running). But the funniest one I heard was when they had tickets for a concert at which Beethoven's Erotica symphony was to be played. (I'm not making this up, you know.) | |
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| Oh, baby ... | |
| Posted by: | Alcindoro 07:11 pm EST 11/22/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Perhaps someone should revive The Seven Docents of Myrtle (nm) - AlanScott 06:09 pm EST 11/22/14 |
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| In the early 80s I worked in the classical section at Tower Records, both down- and uptown. We salesclerks sometimes took unabashed evil glee in "correcting" customers who would mispronounce names and titles. Q: Where can I find Mozart's Inky-Dinky Night Music? A: Try looking under Jimmy Durante. Or the classic withering reply to, "Who wrote Ravel (rhymes with travel)'s Bolero?" Good times. | |
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| re: Oh, baby ... | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 12:03 am EST 11/23/14 |
| In reply to: | Oh, baby ... - Alcindoro 07:11 pm EST 11/22/14 |
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| Between the ages of 18 and 23, I worked on and off (mostly part-time) in the classical department of The Record Hunter. (Remember The Record Hunter?) I don't remember similar stuff happening. But I'm sure it did. I can still remember one of the questions I had to answer on the verbal quiz I was given to get the job: Name three operas by Bellini. | |
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| re: Oh, baby ... | |
| Posted by: | Alcindoro 01:54 pm EST 11/23/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Oh, baby ... - AlanScott 12:03 am EST 11/23/14 |
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| Oh yes, I remember The Record Hunter. I still have a few LPs with their sticker on the shrink wrap. Name three operas by Bellini: Isn't I CAPULETTI E LILIANNE MONTEVECCHI one? | |
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| re: Oh, baby ... | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 04:49 pm EST 11/23/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Oh, baby ... - Alcindoro 01:54 pm EST 11/23/14 |
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| I remember that question because it was the only one that required me to do a tiny bit of thinking. While I said the first two, which I think were Norma and I Puritani, I had to quickly think of a third one. I think La Sonnambula was the one I named, but I'm not sure. I don't think that I even paused, but it did require a tiny bit of thought. If I were asked that now, it would probably take me longer to come up with three than it did then. I don't think we want to hear Liliane sing Bellini. ;) | |
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| re: Oh, baby ... | |
| Posted by: | Alcindoro 06:11 pm EST 11/23/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Oh, baby ... - AlanScott 04:49 pm EST 11/23/14 |
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| A dear departed friend used to find the translation of "Mira o Norma" as "Look, Norma..." endlessly hilarious. I guess it is when spoken by Fran Drescher. | |
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| "La sonnambula ha bevuto l’Bellini in un sorso" | |
| Posted by: | garyd 03:16 pm EST 11/23/14 |
| In reply to: | re: Oh, baby ... - Alcindoro 01:54 pm EST 11/23/14 |
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| nmi | |
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| re: "La sonnambula ha bevuto l’Bellini in un sorso" | |
| Posted by: | Alcindoro 06:14 pm EST 11/23/14 |
| In reply to: | "La sonnambula ha bevuto l’Bellini in un sorso" - garyd 03:16 pm EST 11/23/14 |
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| And thus was born the glottal attack. | |
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| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | haterobics 01:28 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - Chromolume 11:07 am EST 11/21/14 |
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| Once every two years, apparently. | |
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| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | AC126748 12:23 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - Chromolume 11:07 am EST 11/21/14 |
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| I wouldn't be surprised if Brantley, like many high-volumes writers, didn't even realize he was using a phrase that was similar to something he wrote in a separate review almost three years ago. He's written--what?--500 reviews and articles between the two? Maybe a thousand? I'm a writer and I couldn't guarantee that I'd remember the exact language of a piece I published several years ago. | |
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| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | writerkev 02:21 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - AC126748 12:23 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| He has other favorite expressions he falls back on much more often. How many times have we heard him compare a play to a Lifetime movie? I think a Google search of "Brantley and Lifetime movie" would create a list pages long. Can he really not realize he's repeatedly using a cliche at this point? | |
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| re: How to beat an idea to death | |
| Posted by: | ryhog 03:00 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - writerkev 02:21 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| I really don't have a problem with this. If Lifetime movie is the most apt and efficient way of describing something-and in many cases it is-why not repeat it? We are not limited to using words one time in our lives. I think we can have a meaningful discussion of BB's relative merits as a writer without the need to manufacture things like this. | |
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| He's a dull suck-up "theatre critic" and always has been | |
| Posted by: | sandcastle 04:56 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: How to beat an idea to death - ryhog 03:00 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| I know someone at the Times, and they think he's a joke. As do I. Patti!!! | |
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| re: He's a dull suck-up "theatre critic" and always has been | |
| Posted by: | ryhog 07:13 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | He's a dull suck-up "theatre critic" and always has been - sandcastle 04:56 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| aside for the fact that NOTHING you've said has ANYTHING to do with what is being discussed in this thread, what does being a "suck-up" even mean in the context you say it? | |
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| re: He's a dull suck-up "theatre critic" and always has been | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 06:40 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | He's a dull suck-up "theatre critic" and always has been - sandcastle 04:56 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| I know someone at the Times, and they think he's a joke. As do I. Given that I doubt that *anyone* on this Earth is really *universally* loved, I really do imagine one could say the above about anyone. Meaning that it really has no meaning whatsoever. A helluva lot of people work for the Times - it stands to reason someone thinks he's a joke. I'm sure everyone at the paper has someone who thinks that individual is a joke. Big deal. | |
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| re: He's a dull suck-up "theatre critic" and always has been | |
| Posted by: | sandcastle 11:31 pm EST 11/21/14 |
| In reply to: | re: He's a dull suck-up "theatre critic" and always has been - Chromolume 06:40 pm EST 11/21/14 |
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| Whatever. :) | |
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