| re: Anyone Can Whistle at Carnegie Hall | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 04:01 pm EST 03/11/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 03:49 pm EST 03/11/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Anyone Can Whistle at Carnegie Hall - Chromolume 11:24 am EST 03/11/22 | |
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| This isn't a response specifically to your post, just the spot I was inspired to say it. This show is a social and political satire about conformity and individuality, especially as a response to the society of when the show was written. It's very sad to me that it's assumed that audiences can't handle this smart piece of satire that is mocking racism rather than being racist. This section is mocking logic and questioning the reasoning for many upheld beliefs in our society at the time, the simple phrases and mottos and watch-cries people use to guide, justify and shape themselves, whether it's pride, purpose, career, gender roles, family, voting, government spending, taxes, war ... accepting why things are as they are ... the simple math we do to understand complicated things or justify things some may find unjustifiable... and this section mocks racism and segregation. Every single line of this is purposefully, knowingly pointed and referencing race, racism, ignorance, and stereotypes in America. This show opened in and reflects early 1960s America. (in the show the Black Man is called Martin) HAPGOOD: (to a black person in line) Ah, good lad, Hapgood. Watch-cry! BLACK MAN: You can't judge a book by its cover. No you can't judge a book by its cover. You can't just a book by how literate it look. No you can't judge a book by its cubber. HAPGOOD: Occupation? BLACK MAN: Going to schools, riding in buses, and eating in restaurants. HAPGOOD: Well isn't that line of work getting rather easy? BLACK MAN: Not for me... I'm Jewish. HAPGOOD: Oh. BLACK MAN: Group A would you say? HAPGOOD: Group 1's more fun. BLACK MAN: Crazy. CORA: Group A... MAGRUDER: Group 1... CORA: It's maddening! MAGRUDER: But what's the difference between them?! HAPGOOD: It's obvious! ... Thhhhhhheeeeeeee... Opposite of dark is bright. The opposite of bright is dumb. So anyone who's dark is dumb. BLACK MAN: But they sure can hum! HAPGOOD: Hum! (Hapgood starts to hum while his new patient repeats the logic) BLACK MAN: Opposite of dark (Hum) is (Hum) bright. (Hum) The opposite of bright (Hum) is (Hum) dumb. (Hum) So anyone who's dark is dumb. HAPGOOD: That's the rule of thumb. BLACK MAN: Depends where you're from. HAPGOOD: Simple? Simple? Simple? Simple as ABC. Simple as NAACP. I would love if someone would explain why this is seen as "problematic" or racist? Isn't the point of it to dismantle the mathematical logic of some racism, and take power away from stereotypes by redistributing them absurdly? Whether one thinks it's brilliant writing or not, I don't think it's racist. If Hapgood says the bad racist logic as if it makes clear sense it sharpens the absurdity and the commentary. If he were to comment on it literally instead, and dismiss it (thereby making audiences today comfortable with it), that takes away the satire and the point of the way comedy is used in a piece like this. All of it, the racism section and the others, point to Hapgood not being a trustworthy "hero" or psychiatrist at all, and builds the satirical chaos meant to be built by this exercise in subversion and chaos that he's doing on purpose, and serves to humorously mock all the characters going along with it as if it does make sense and is "simple". It all seems pretty straight forward to me and has since I was a teen. |
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