tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559110753602072603.post8249736017762762838..comments2023-11-05T03:02:55.515-05:00Comments on pretty blue salwar: "Just Because We Laugh At Stereotypes Doesn't Mean We Believe Them"Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13875686468126571113noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559110753602072603.post-44082627401084648752008-03-29T12:08:00.000-04:002008-03-29T12:08:00.000-04:00This is a very interesting blog post. I'm not a te...This is a very interesting blog post. I'm not a teacher, but I've seen many experienced teachers run into this situation. Obviously, your students are very clever to turn your own text against you! I think the point they misunderstood was what exactly the status quo is, and I would address that head on: if the book says "theatre is supposed to shake up the status quo", perhaps you could ask them what they think the status quo is with regard to gay stereotypes (forget about other plays for a moment). I think they will conclude that the gay stereotype is that of a "flamer" and that therefore theater's role should be to shake that stereotype up, not to reinforce it, which is what that student was doing.<BR/><BR/>Another angle could be to suggest adding something new to the "flamer" stereotype. For example, I played a "flamer" in a short film, but the gag was that my character was straight and always wondering why people thought he was gay. My wife read your post and suggested a "flamer" who happened to be rocket scientist. Neither of these things do anything to suggest that gays aren't "flamers", but they do suggest that there's nothing wrong with being a "flamer", and they put a positive or at least neutral spin on the roll, which is certainly shaking up the stereotype. (The director is right in his comments, of course, it doesn't have to be funny, but I do think that's a good way to engage students.)<BR/><BR/>On the issue of other plays, and in particular Avenue Q, I found this blog post because I saw Avenue Q last night with a large group of friends and they were all deeply offended. Keep in mind this is a group that thinks the Family Guy is one of the greatest TV Shows ever. (Google led me to your blog because I was wondering if anybody else was offended by Avenue Q.) Anyway, I think it's safe to say not <EM>everyone</EM> loved Avenue Q, and even if they did, I also think it's that the <EM>intent</EM> of the creators of Avenue Q was not to reinforce stereotypes but to exaggerate them to the point of showing how ridiculous the stereotypes are. In other words, to show them in a new and different light. How successful they were is certainly a matter my friends will be debating with all the Avenue Q fans out there for a long time....<BR/><BR/>Anyway, good luck to you, and thanks for the interesting read!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559110753602072603.post-55714031416763896282008-01-31T02:25:00.000-05:002008-01-31T02:25:00.000-05:00I think the students' Avenue Q statement makes a p...I think the students' Avenue Q statement makes a point both against your stance and for your stance.<BR/><BR/>The point of Avenue Q is to highlight the offensive stereotypes for the purpose of showing how ridiculous they are. <BR/><BR/>It's quite a difference to portray a flaming gay character with the intent of making people laugh and quite another to portray a flaming gay person to make a point about how ridiculous it is.<BR/><BR/>I think the key to theatre is to upset the status quo (to offend) <I>with a good reason</I>. Avenue Q is funny, yes, but look at some of the songs: Schaudenfreude is a tongue-in-cheek song about our indifference to others (and making a side joke about Germans), 'Everyone's A Little Bit Racist' is a perfect example, because it highlights how common racism is and simultaneously how ridiculous it is.<BR/><BR/>Also, one of the key things about improvisation that most people miss is that the point is not necessarily to be funny. Shows like "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" make it look that way, but you don't have to be funny to improv.<BR/><BR/>I think you handled it just fine. I don't know that I would have handled any better. I've been in similar situations, though. A student raised her hand one day in one of my 10th grade classes and said "What's a G-spot?" and I got pissed off, sent her to the office and wrote her up. Could've been handled better, but... meh.<BR/><BR/>Good luck next class.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com