to be fair, they also talked about other musicals i didnt care about, but I wasn’t feeling it, lmao. i would have been happy with literally any other topic, but i fall asleep during this shit, cant help it
Not trying to sway your opinion, you’re entitled to it. From a certain perspective though, having black folks play slave owning founding fathers is sweet justice in the sense that true racists would turn over in their graves to know that a black man was playing them.
There also are not an abundance of opportunities for black opera singers. Tossing aside the race of the characters is a statement. Listen to Leslie Odom Jr, Aaron Burr’s actor, thank Lin-Manuel Miranda deeply for creating opportunities and providing “a new vision of what’s possible” as he accepts his Tony for best actor. That old white slave owners indirectly led to the success of some crazily talented black folks in my time is something I can dig. You’re free to disagree.
Anyway, give it a watch.
I love lesslie Odom Jr, so talented, a shame how Miranda treated him. its not that they played the slave owners its how tastelessly it was done. The musical lies about hamiltons actual positions, he was also a slave owner (yes his wifes slaves counts) and a hypocrite in many ways, not to mention Miranda deleting the third rap battle weakens the slavery is bad message. its kinda maddening the musical would have been so much better if he left that scene in calling out Hamilton in some small way (other than being “too honest” and “too horny”) aslo dunking on jefferson for being a creep would have been nice. there many more things that ruin the musical. theres a world where the Hamilton musical was well done, where it critiqued its subject even a tiny bit and didnt have the slave owner dance and rap, we dont live in it lol. and yes we desperately need more roles for black performers and Hamilton has changed broadway in a big way and its wonderful I always love to see more black artist shining. but yeah it was always lib shit but it could have been inoffensive lib shit. as inoffensive as liberalism can be lol. I just feel like Miranda showed that he knew what he was doing by refusing to make a single meaningful critique of a slave owner. sorry I keep adding stuff. but who care what dead people think? what are the real life impacts of hamiltons success? the babygirlification of slaveowners.
My only engagement with the Hamilton material is with the Ben Franklin song because I love the Decemberists and Colin Melody sings the soundtrack version, but that song does cast at least a little shade on BF when it makes fun of him for being too horny to do politics right and for being a shitty father.
Those are all fair points, I didn’t know anything about them…ahem…whitewashing intended scenes.
true racists would turn over in their graves to know that a black man was playing them.
ah yes, the old riddle. is putting harriet tubman on the 20 dollar bill based because it would make andrew jackson angry to be replaced by a black woman? or is it cringe to put harriet tubman on the currency that was used to purchase her?
the answer is actually that we should keep andrew jackson on the 20 dollar bill because he hated the federal reserve
Lol, a fair point. I think this somewhat cements this being a matter of perspective. Neither perspective is wrong or right, just different angles while everyone is still wanting whatever is worse for the slave owners, and whatever is best for the black folks. I’m open to having my opinion changed about whatever is the most just outcome.
