West Side Story Must Be Canceled!
What will happen when social media uncovers the players behind the legendary musical?
"In The Heights," a brilliant and beautiful movie, was released in theaters and on HBO Max last week. I saw the off-Broadway production of the musical and recently watched the film at home with my family. So far, it's my favorite movie of the year, but clearly, it's not one of the critic's picks of the Professional Racial Grievance Guild.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius who conceived and wrote the music and lyrics for "In the Heights" and the monster hit musical "Hamilton," apologized recently because one person complained about the supposed lack of Afro-Latino representation in the film adaptation. The movie is centered on New York's Upper Manhattan community of Washington Heights, a neighborhood I lived in for eight years.
The Hamilton star tweeted an explanation and apology regarding the casting for the movie. He suggested it lapsed into colorism.
Colorism? That must be some new thing made up on college campuses recently. I never heard of that one until last week, but from what I hear, colorism is broadly defined as prejudice or discrimination against darker skin tones within the same racial group.
A mere two days after the film opened at the box office and online, he wrote, "In trying to paint a mosaic of this community, we fell short." The apology was posted after cast members Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, and the film's director, Jon Chu, was interviewed about casting choices.
Felice Léon, a video producer with The Root who is of Cuban descent, probed Chu about the lack of Afro-Latino representation. "Most of your principal actors were light-skinned or white-passing Latinx people," Léon said. "With that, what are your thoughts on the lack of Black Latinx people represented in your film?"
León wrote in an article published after the film's trailer was released, "Where are the dark-skinned Black Latinx folks with a storyline?" "After all, this film is placed in Washington Heights, N.Y., right?!"
By the way, approximately zero Latinos in Washington Heights use that faculty lounge terminology "Latinx." I just needed to make that clear.
"[W]e tried to get the people who were best for those roles, specifically," Chu responded. In the interview, Melissa Barrera suggested that many darker-skinned Afro-Latinos were a part of the audition process — but the directors wanted "the right people for the roles."
Chu asked, "Did you not see that in the dancers?" Léon replied with her thoughts on how Black actors have often been relegated to the background. Chu said the lack of darker-skinned, Black Latino people was something he admittedly "needed to be educated about" and "we should all be talking about."
Miranda's response to the interview and subsequent social media uproar continued with him saying,
"I can hear the hurt and frustration over colorism, of feeling still unseen in the feedback." "I hear that without sufficient dark-skinned Afro-Latino representation, the work feels extractive of the community we wanted so much to represent with pride and joy." "In trying to paint a mosaic of this community, we fell short," he wrote. "I'm truly sorry."
Miranda noted that while he had "incredible pride" in the movie, he's cast in a small role; he also wanted to hold himself accountable for shortcomings. "I'm dedicated to the learning and evolving we all have to do to make sure we are honoring our diverse and vibrant community," the "Hamilton" musical creator said.
Rita Morena is now in the cultural crosshairs. She was on Steven Colbert’s show and said the following:
Moreno pushed back against critics of Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In the Heights." "You can never do right, it seems." "I'm simply saying, can't you just wait a while and leave it alone?"
Moreno, who is best known for her role as Anita in the original "West Side Story" movie, praised Miranda and said she was upset by the film's controversy.
"Can we talk for a second about that criticism about Lin-Manuel? That really upsets me. You can never do right, it seems." "This is the man who literally has brought Latino-ness and Puerto Rican-ness to America. I couldn't do it. I mean, I would love to say I did, but I couldn't."
"There's a lot of people who are Puertorriqueno, who are also from Guatemala who are dark and also fair," Moreno added. "We are all colors in Puerto Rico, and that is how it is. It would be so nice if that hadn't come up with that and had just left it alone just for now."
Rita Moreno had to walk back these sensible comments. The notion of apologizing for sincerely-held beliefs is preposterous. Especially when your statements make perfect sense to the average thinking person. She characterized them as "dismissive." In a tweet, she stated, "I'm incredibly disappointed with myself." "While making a statement in defense of Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Colbert Show last night, I was clearly dismissive of black lives that matter in our Latin community. It is so easy to forget how celebration for some is lament for others."
Maybe she is thinking ahead to the release of a film she is in later in the year. Not only was she in the original West Side Story, but she's also in the new movie and is the executive producer as well. The problem I see moving forward is the mental gymnastics that will be performed once social media digs through the list of Un-Dark people associated with the classic musical.
Will the new West Side Story get attacked for cultural imperialism?
Steven Speilberg directed - Jewish.
Tony Kushner screenwriter adapted the book by Arthur Laurents -both of them are Jewish
Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics - Jewish/Jewish
The original production was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins - A Jewish man.
All of these Jewish people behind a movie about gangs of white and Latinos? Maybe they can self-cancel to avoid the remote possibility of issues with the Fine Arts Council For Counting Brown Skinned People.
How pure does one have to be today?
Thought-Provoking Articles:
The Boss Is Back: Diana Ross Is Releasing Her First New Album In 15 Years - The legendary singer has announced the arrival of her 25th studio album, “Thank You” ― her first record since 2006′s “I Love You” and her first album of original material in 22 years.
Was the N.B.A. Season Too Much Too Soon? - A rash of injuries leads LeBron James to question the league’s packed schedule.
The War on Excellence - “Equity” advocates who want to abolish all tracking, all selective public high schools, and all advanced courses in subjects like math aren’t interested in thoughtful reform. They demand revolution.
Kids Need Freedom, Too - At long last, states and parents are coming to the same conclusion: It is harmful to punish parents for letting their children take some risks.
Rock Bottom - How progressive reforms helped level a historic part of black Detroit
Something Interesting:
I was a substitute drummer for this show on Broadway from 2002-2008. I loved every minute. I finally saw this movie. I liked it a lot! It brought back great memories of the show and the music.
Clayton Craddock is a father, independent thinker, and the founder and publisher of the social and political commentary newsletter Think Things Through and host of the Think Things Through Podcast.
He's an alumnus of Howard University and is the drummer for the Broadway musical Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times Of The Temptations.
Other musicals include: "Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, and Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill. Also, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Spongebob Squarepants, The Musical, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.
Follow him on Instagram, Twitter or read more on his website: claytoncraddock.com
Am I the only one who notices that something about Zionists owning and operating the GOP in the name of 'pro-Israel' or whatever, at the same time as Zionists owning and operating the left-friendly and notionally pro-Palestinian news & entertainment sector, doesn't quite add up? Or, to put it another way, if one were to demand an honest reply as to how many political factions really exist in the USA, it would indeed add up to exactly ONE. Guess who owns it?
What is wrong with our contry?