Argo, I find this as a stunning piece of writing. It is strange that there are no comments. Maybe there are too many points to consider, about our contradictory lifestyles. One of the majors is that people do like to "shut-off". I bet there are 20 topics for further investigation here, (I didn't count them).
Some of your clear insights were:
✓Every question the musical asked was answered, every loose end tied up, every feeling and idea given its own little dance number, gesture, or snarky line. (Isn't that a neat and tidy way to look at life? Everything is alright as it is.) Is this a propaganda piece? (Of course, YES!)
✓But it lacks the courage to ask a question and leave it unanswered for any length of time, or to cut the asides and focus on the meat of the plot.
✓The script inserts modern issues as filler, such as side comments on immigrants being better for the nation (a modern concern rather than one at the time),
✓or makes references to the American Civil War in the future being over slaves, when at the time, most people of note owned slaves (though its morality was in question even then).
✓The majesty of history comes not from a single meeting, but from falling down the rabbit hole, reading opposing viewpoints and records, resolving contradictions, and coming to one’s own conclusion about what happened.
✓If the majesty of history is in answering questions, what happens when nobody asks? THE ZOMBIE NATION.
So many people seem to be guided through life by feelings only, never engaging a thought process or wondering, "what is the meaning that I am being given here"? Where is this "forced meaning" taking me, along with the crowd? When I do think about it, as you have here, I resoundingly REJECT IT.
That is probably our only power; even if it is puny and individual, to not buy into what is so clearly destructive.
I have one scheduled for less than a week from now, but if you'd like one on this topic - or even just this one extended - I can put it up. I just need time to edit.
Maybe I'll call it "A World of Introductions" or "Wide as an ocean, deep as a puddle".
You have got some very poignant titles. Probably don't extend it, but take just a few of these many topics and expand on them. I am thinking too many topics is a put-off for comments, people are just "wow-ed". Although I am going to put up a long one, maybe today. But it is for demonstration purposes. I saw a famous Substack where two guys went back&forth on a topic on the same post. They called it a debate. I want to do the same on ours too. I think you would be good with that.
One of our latest commenters has a cool byline. "I can think and I can type".
Not many people are like that. Probably they think that they have to say something earth-shattering, or keep quiet. I have my theory, that I put out once in a while, but it is roundly ignored.
It is that too many people read only on a "feeling-level". If something agrees with deeply held beliefs, it feels good. But ask them what are the good points and what did you have doubts about, duh . . . . they don't have a clue even what you said. It never really went in.
It is a dangerous thing to say because it is disparaging our followers. But I don't want to call them down; I want to call them up.
I have some other dynamite posts written, but I don't want to flood the market. in the tidal wave, water is too cheap.
I'll look forward to your post. No hurry of course, and cross-post everything.
I do think making the play more appealing to the wide audience can serve as a good starting point for the average person. Maybe it ends up sparking an interest in that topic for them.
I got to watch the play on film, but it didn't really reel me in and I did not finish it. Funnily enough, I only started to enjoy the songs several weeks later. King George the 3rd's song also became my favorite wayyy after and it gets stuck in my head from time to time :)
Definitely a factor, and the adaptation for modern audiences helps a lot in that regard. But I felt it was... trying too hard to be about everything rather than picking a part or a unifying theme and sticking with it. I'm not surprised you didn't finish it, because I found myself mentally checking out halfway through because it was like... the plot was in pieces. There wasn't room to develop any individual plotline when the script had us jumping from the Revolutionary War, to love affairs, to law and whatever else. Nothing ever had time to hang and breathe and really stick with you.
I know musicals are just an excuse to have musical and dance numbers, but come ON!
Anyway, King G3 being unabashedly evil is the best part - and they used him to stall for costume and scene changes!
Argo, I find this as a stunning piece of writing. It is strange that there are no comments. Maybe there are too many points to consider, about our contradictory lifestyles. One of the majors is that people do like to "shut-off". I bet there are 20 topics for further investigation here, (I didn't count them).
Some of your clear insights were:
✓Every question the musical asked was answered, every loose end tied up, every feeling and idea given its own little dance number, gesture, or snarky line. (Isn't that a neat and tidy way to look at life? Everything is alright as it is.) Is this a propaganda piece? (Of course, YES!)
✓But it lacks the courage to ask a question and leave it unanswered for any length of time, or to cut the asides and focus on the meat of the plot.
✓The script inserts modern issues as filler, such as side comments on immigrants being better for the nation (a modern concern rather than one at the time),
✓or makes references to the American Civil War in the future being over slaves, when at the time, most people of note owned slaves (though its morality was in question even then).
✓The majesty of history comes not from a single meeting, but from falling down the rabbit hole, reading opposing viewpoints and records, resolving contradictions, and coming to one’s own conclusion about what happened.
✓If the majesty of history is in answering questions, what happens when nobody asks? THE ZOMBIE NATION.
So many people seem to be guided through life by feelings only, never engaging a thought process or wondering, "what is the meaning that I am being given here"? Where is this "forced meaning" taking me, along with the crowd? When I do think about it, as you have here, I resoundingly REJECT IT.
That is probably our only power; even if it is puny and individual, to not buy into what is so clearly destructive.
(How about making a post for us?)
.
I have one scheduled for less than a week from now, but if you'd like one on this topic - or even just this one extended - I can put it up. I just need time to edit.
Maybe I'll call it "A World of Introductions" or "Wide as an ocean, deep as a puddle".
You have got some very poignant titles. Probably don't extend it, but take just a few of these many topics and expand on them. I am thinking too many topics is a put-off for comments, people are just "wow-ed". Although I am going to put up a long one, maybe today. But it is for demonstration purposes. I saw a famous Substack where two guys went back&forth on a topic on the same post. They called it a debate. I want to do the same on ours too. I think you would be good with that.
One of our latest commenters has a cool byline. "I can think and I can type".
Not many people are like that. Probably they think that they have to say something earth-shattering, or keep quiet. I have my theory, that I put out once in a while, but it is roundly ignored.
It is that too many people read only on a "feeling-level". If something agrees with deeply held beliefs, it feels good. But ask them what are the good points and what did you have doubts about, duh . . . . they don't have a clue even what you said. It never really went in.
It is a dangerous thing to say because it is disparaging our followers. But I don't want to call them down; I want to call them up.
I have some other dynamite posts written, but I don't want to flood the market. in the tidal wave, water is too cheap.
I'll look forward to your post. No hurry of course, and cross-post everything.
.
I do think making the play more appealing to the wide audience can serve as a good starting point for the average person. Maybe it ends up sparking an interest in that topic for them.
I got to watch the play on film, but it didn't really reel me in and I did not finish it. Funnily enough, I only started to enjoy the songs several weeks later. King George the 3rd's song also became my favorite wayyy after and it gets stuck in my head from time to time :)
Definitely a factor, and the adaptation for modern audiences helps a lot in that regard. But I felt it was... trying too hard to be about everything rather than picking a part or a unifying theme and sticking with it. I'm not surprised you didn't finish it, because I found myself mentally checking out halfway through because it was like... the plot was in pieces. There wasn't room to develop any individual plotline when the script had us jumping from the Revolutionary War, to love affairs, to law and whatever else. Nothing ever had time to hang and breathe and really stick with you.
I know musicals are just an excuse to have musical and dance numbers, but come ON!
Anyway, King G3 being unabashedly evil is the best part - and they used him to stall for costume and scene changes!