This is something I talked to a few friends about. The same people who said that they "hate musicals" will suddenly start belting out A Whole New World in karaoke when prompted I think that part of the problem is not that people "hate musicals", it's more that they don't want to publicly acknowledge that they enjoy them. Musically closeted if you will It's the same problem with animation. People will see the live action remake of a popular (and arguably better animated) movie if they can convince people it's for adults. The same way that they don't want to mention that they would like to see a musical, but don't want to seem childish or being caught up in the fantasy. It's Taboo to be an adult and also like childish/ fantasy things and keep a certain level of social standing. People tend to look down on those people saying that their head is in the clouds, manbaby, childish, etc. Another example of this is in fantasy movies, darker = more adult Social translation: darker = less chance that someone will call them out for liking faeries, elves, dwarves, and magic However, if they are tricked into watching a musical then, "Oh no I had no idea that it was a musical". Allowing them to enjoy the movie and the music while also feigning ignorance. Plausible deniability that allows them to stay musically closeted while also enjoying what they wanted to. They already know that it's a musical, they just want an excuse
I agree 100%. People being upset about Wonka being a musical confused me because the original film was a musical and it has a broadway adaptation. The trailer showed nothing about it which saddened me. I hate that musicals have to be hidden just to appeal to the masses
I believe there's also a consolidation of a "I hate musicals" discourse that is reproduced even from people that have never seen a musical in their life. Cabaret is also one of my favorite musicals of all time and some years ago on my birthday I "obliged" my "too cool for musicals" friends to watch it with me. They all loved it. One of them was so impressed and kept repeating "she's so talented!!" about Liza Minelli. But they all watched knowing it would be a musical. If I tricked them, they would all be mad and this would prevent a sincere reaction.
Absolutely! I've had similar experiences with friends who used to not like musicals but have since found a fondness for them after coming to respect what makes them special. I feel like the bitterness in part comes from those experiences of being "tricked," so there's a natural adversity. Again, feels like a case of Hollywood shooting itself in the foot!
You're so right! Especially with the empty slot for spectacle that the mcu is hopefully leaving open soon, I long for a time in which musicals are THE events of spectacular movies. That being said, I think parts of this is because Hollywood marketing assumes a large crowd of passive people who aren't interested in musicals but would go if a friend suggested it and don't make a fuzz about it anywhere, and then a little crowd of genuine musical fans. Wicked also posted some musical numbers as their own clips, and I think it's because it's trying to reach an audience of people who will actively engage in discussions about it, but also avoiding to make the musical thing big enough for anyone to passively stuble onto the reminder that it's a musical. I think that Hollywood generally is aiming towards large audiences that are as passive as possible, and I think this behavior is reminiscent of that. Though that's a bit speculatory on my end, this video was great!
I didn't see The Color Purple, but one of my friends went to see it in theaters without knowing it was a musical. For her, if she had known it was a musical she would've never seen it as "it made a spectacle of black woman's suffering" and that rubbed her (a black woman) the wrong way. Word of mouth where I lived was very bad about the movie because of sentiments like that, but I also live in a very red area in the south so that might've skewed the data. Meanwhile with Mean Girls people that I know that LOVE musicals hated it because they subdued the songs so much and took the energy out of some of them. Just things I noticed from my very small section of the world. Really enjoyed the video though! Happy to have found your channel!
I learnt that this year. I regret not seeing it. I just thought it was a straight remake of a movie that was perfectly good as it is. If I knew it was a musical, I would have gone.
This is something I talked to a few friends about. The same people who said that they "hate musicals" will suddenly start belting out A Whole New World in karaoke when prompted
I think that part of the problem is not that people "hate musicals", it's more that they don't want to publicly acknowledge that they enjoy them. Musically closeted if you will
It's the same problem with animation. People will see the live action remake of a popular (and arguably better animated) movie if they can convince people it's for adults. The same way that they don't want to mention that they would like to see a musical, but don't want to seem childish or being caught up in the fantasy. It's Taboo to be an adult and also like childish/ fantasy things and keep a certain level of social standing. People tend to look down on those people saying that their head is in the clouds, manbaby, childish, etc.
Another example of this is in fantasy movies, darker = more adult
Social translation: darker = less chance that someone will call them out for liking faeries, elves, dwarves, and magic
However, if they are tricked into watching a musical then, "Oh no I had no idea that it was a musical". Allowing them to enjoy the movie and the music while also feigning ignorance. Plausible deniability that allows them to stay musically closeted while also enjoying what they wanted to. They already know that it's a musical, they just want an excuse
I agree 100%. People being upset about Wonka being a musical confused me because the original film was a musical and it has a broadway adaptation. The trailer showed nothing about it which saddened me. I hate that musicals have to be hidden just to appeal to the masses
I believe there's also a consolidation of a "I hate musicals" discourse that is reproduced even from people that have never seen a musical in their life. Cabaret is also one of my favorite musicals of all time and some years ago on my birthday I "obliged" my "too cool for musicals" friends to watch it with me. They all loved it. One of them was so impressed and kept repeating "she's so talented!!" about Liza Minelli. But they all watched knowing it would be a musical. If I tricked them, they would all be mad and this would prevent a sincere reaction.
Absolutely! I've had similar experiences with friends who used to not like musicals but have since found a fondness for them after coming to respect what makes them special. I feel like the bitterness in part comes from those experiences of being "tricked," so there's a natural adversity. Again, feels like a case of Hollywood shooting itself in the foot!
I LOVE musicals and this is just sad. I want musicals and really any movie to just be truly itself and unashamed of the Genre it is.
You're so right! Especially with the empty slot for spectacle that the mcu is hopefully leaving open soon, I long for a time in which musicals are THE events of spectacular movies. That being said, I think parts of this is because Hollywood marketing assumes a large crowd of passive people who aren't interested in musicals but would go if a friend suggested it and don't make a fuzz about it anywhere, and then a little crowd of genuine musical fans. Wicked also posted some musical numbers as their own clips, and I think it's because it's trying to reach an audience of people who will actively engage in discussions about it, but also avoiding to make the musical thing big enough for anyone to passively stuble onto the reminder that it's a musical. I think that Hollywood generally is aiming towards large audiences that are as passive as possible, and I think this behavior is reminiscent of that. Though that's a bit speculatory on my end, this video was great!
Absolutely think you're right! And yes I hope for nothing more than for musicals to be the next big thing!
You’re back 🖤🖤🖤
I didn't see The Color Purple, but one of my friends went to see it in theaters without knowing it was a musical.
For her, if she had known it was a musical she would've never seen it as "it made a spectacle of black woman's suffering" and that rubbed her (a black woman) the wrong way. Word of mouth where I lived was very bad about the movie because of sentiments like that, but I also live in a very red area in the south so that might've skewed the data.
Meanwhile with Mean Girls people that I know that LOVE musicals hated it because they subdued the songs so much and took the energy out of some of them.
Just things I noticed from my very small section of the world. Really enjoyed the video though! Happy to have found your channel!
Love the info! Always good to hear about perspectives outside of my usual bubble :)
Hey ! Just discovered your youtube channel with this video, it's awesome, newly subscribed and keep the good work !
(and smash that like button)
The color purple is a MUSICAL????
Yes and has been for few years. It also has a revival. It tells a heartfelt version the story if you wanna check it out.
Case in point 😂
I learnt that this year. I regret not seeing it. I just thought it was a straight remake of a movie that was perfectly good as it is. If I knew it was a musical, I would have gone.