The Best Musical Since A Chorus Line?

Cesar | December 21, 2007, 3:30pm | #

If they're going to make a political musical, can't they be a little more subtle--you know, use allegory or something--rather than hitting people over the head with the message?

mediageek | December 21, 2007, 3:35pm | #

Musicals suck.

Nothing more needs to be said.

John | December 21, 2007, 3:46pm | #

West Side Story?

You know what that is J sub D? It is nothing but "The Warriors" for gay men. No thank you.

ed | December 21, 2007, 3:51pm | #

It's all been downhill since Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Brandybuck | December 21, 2007, 3:53pm | #

I used to wonder why progressives hated Wal-Mart so much. It's an obsession with them. Say the word "Wal-Mart" and they launch into hour long diatribes on the evils of consumerism. Yet they themselves consume, oftentimes at a much higher rate and at stores paying much lower wages. So what makes them go batshit over Wal-Mart? What makes them write stupid musicals like this?

The hip and trendy boutiques the progessives frequent charge more (a lot more), pay less, and don't offer health insurance. So why are they praised over Wal-Mart in every other newspaper op-ed?

I finally figured it out. It is cultural. It's simply because of who shops there. Poor people shop there. Hispanics and blacks shop there. People who don't have college degrees shop there. People who live in trailers and apartment complexes shop there. People in small towns shop there. To the affluent urban progressive with an advanced degree in gender studies, that's an outrage! That other people prefer different consumer choices than they themselves would make is intolerable. The government must do something about it!

Freddie Baby | December 21, 2007, 3:59pm | #

You know what that is J sub D? It is nothing but "The Warriors" for gay men. No thank you.

I feel happy! I feel happy! Oh, so happy, so happy, and gaaaaay!

GILMORE | December 21, 2007, 4:08pm | #

...an evil scientist who has found a hole in the time-space continuum allowing Wal-Mart execs to see future consumer trends

Thats funny. Thats pretty close to my job description.

You dont need a time hole to know that

a) people will be older on average
b) gas will be more expensive, people will shorten distances traveled for shopping
c) more people will be speaking spanish
d) household sizes will be smaller
e) Wal Mart will be offering much more Healthcare and Financial Services
f) the Chinese will PWN us!

har. Last one i made up. Who knows...

I fucking hate progressives and their whole "commerce is the root of all evil!" idiocy. Seriously. They all either slept through economics 101, or just misunderstood everything they even tried to pay attention to. Their whole political position is based exclusively on narcissistic self reflection on what they think it means to be a "good, moral" person. According to their fucked up logic, good people eat organic dirt from their own backyard, make wheatgrass juice to drive their electric scooter, use their savings to pay reparations for the trail of tears, and moan about how BAAAAAD the Capitalists have made the world, and wouldnt it be awesome if we were all like Bantu tribesman only like vegan and didnt mutilate woman's genitals, although, hey, you know it's like culturally relative.

Ok, maybe thats a bit much. But not far from the essence of it.

By contrast, we're "capitalist fascists" for understanding that low prices are actually a benefit. At least thats how much they misunderstand libertarian thinking.

The thing that kills me the most about them is that nearly every suggested 'solution' they have to their false dystopian view of the world actually would do more to make things FAR WORSE according to their own measure of good-bad. The law of unintended consequences doesnt even apply with them = everything they want to do actually works directly against their own stated 'goals'.

"more democracy"!! they scream, while asking the government to control everything from GMOs to making sure news is "fair" (i.e. must have 50/50 POV for 'balance')

God they drive me up the wall

prolefeed | December 21, 2007, 4:14pm | #

J sub D -- Re: Gilmore's 4:08 post -- you were worried about Edward ranting?

Disclaimer -- I hate the WalMartSuxLOLCATZ111! people too.

prolefeed | December 21, 2007, 4:16pm | #

It is nothing but "The Warriors" for gay men. No thank you.

It is "Romeo and Juliet" for gay men ... or for people that Shakespeare would be better with a bit of minor editing. Oh, and Puerto Ricans.

stephen the goldberger | December 21, 2007, 4:20pm | #

The south park movie was an amazing musical. Tommy was sweet too. Those are the only ones i ever liked though.

John | December 21, 2007, 4:38pm | #

"It is nothing but "The Warriors" for gay men. No thank you.

It is "Romeo and Juliet" for gay men ... or for people that Shakespeare would be better with a bit of minor editing. Oh, and Puerto Ricans."

I know it is Romeo and Julliet. But it is also the Warriors, only instead of beating each other with ball bats, the protagonists sing and dance away their differences. If that is not a musical for gay men, I don't know what is.

R C Dean | December 21, 2007, 4:38pm | #

There are few cheaper more exploitive employers on earth than your tyical family business.

True dat. People will squeeze their staff for a few nickels a lot harder when those nickels go to their family than to stockholders.

Salvius | December 21, 2007, 4:50pm | #

I honestly don't know why Wal-Mart has such a reputation for cheap, crappy products. I've been more than satisfied with every store-brand product of theirs I've tried, and sometimes even pleasantly surprised. Their imitation Diet Dr. Pepper, for example, tastes just like the real thing.

Granted, some of what they sell is cheap and crappy, but that's true of every grocery or department store I've ever been in, and I don't see any reason to think Wal-Mart is any worse than average on this count.

GILMORE | December 21, 2007, 4:57pm | #

ChicagoTom | December 21, 2007, 4:40pm | #

Ha Ha. Just kidding. I actually like quite a fe w musicals.

...& Gladiator movies?

How about antiques roadshow? Barbara Streisand? Top Gun? Lets go get sushi then go ice skating !

he he he.

ChicagoTom | December 21, 2007, 5:05pm | #

...& Gladiator movies?

Does "Troy" Count?

How about antiques roadshow? Barbara Streisand? Top Gun? Lets go get sushi then go ice skating !

Top Gun?!?! Really? I didn't know that.

lurker kurt | December 21, 2007, 5:11pm | #

John-David,

What do you use linseed oil for?

J sub D | December 21, 2007, 5:16pm | #

also women like musicals too, and straight guys no less. i think they're all fucking nuts, along with the nascar freaks and people who say "my team..." when talking about a team they don't play for.

I view everybody that likes lame stuff that bores or irritates me as "fucking nuts" too.
That probably incvludes you, dhex. ;-)

Salvius | December 21, 2007, 5:25pm | #

What do you use linseed oil for?

Are you the one that's been rubbing it into the school cormorant?

Kwix | December 21, 2007, 5:36pm | #

ChicagoTom | December 21, 2007, 4:38pm | #
I hate the local Wal-Mart because their products are usually cheap and crappy, their aisles of products usually look like a tornado has blown through the place, it's almost impossible to get good assistance from an associate, and its so fucking crowded that I spend half my time in there maneuvering around people in the aisles. I also don't like store chains that refuse to carry certain products because of their moral stance.

Those are indeed 100% legitimate beefs with WalMart. In a free-market society your recourse is the same as mine, don't friggin' shop there. I am aware of the price premium I pay for not shopping at WalMart but I am willing to take that hit for all of the reasons you stated.

Sadly, they have the best "domestic" selection of any store in town so when I absolutely need that piece of cheap plastic crap, they still get my dollar but no more often than absolutely necessary.

brotherben | December 21, 2007, 6:24pm | #

The Wall


is that a musical

MouseJunior | December 21, 2007, 7:34pm | #

I honestly don't know why Wal-Mart has such a reputation for cheap, crappy products.

Because they do? And because their cheap, crappy cramdown standards (forcing suppliers to cut costs year over year) mean that the manufacturers retool their factories and supply chains and end up selling garbage to all retailers, instead of just CrapMart?

I used to be able to buy underwear that would last a couple of years. Now the same brands have a tendency to self destruct the first time they're worn, because the cotton is about 1/3 the thickness, thread snaps if you look at it, and the elastic is sh*t. Completely unsurprisingly, this happened over the two or so years after CrapMart became their largest distributor. My choices are now to pay three times as much for a different brand and hope it's better, or four times as much to keep replacing the stuff that falls apart.

And I don't hate them half as much as my parents, who grew up in a time when they expected stuff to last decades instead of the couple of years I expect.

Isaac Bartram | December 22, 2007, 4:44pm | #

When you're the largest non-unionized employer in the country, you're just not going to feel the love from the progressive crowd.

Funny how the "progressives" don't apply that logic when it comes to Whole Foods, isn't it?