'More than Just Fluff' Essay

As I said earlier, I decided I wanted to start posting on here more, so one of the things I'll be doing is posting stuff I've written (for school or otherwise). It might have been from last year, but if I like it, I'll post it. I'm starting with the most recent essay we had to write for Ms. Guido's English class. Here's mine:

“More Than Just Fluff”

by Marc Hansen

I was in the car today, driving with my mom, and for reasons unbeknownst to me (though I have my theories), I was in a rather troubled mood. My mom, on the other hand, was in a more chipper mood than usual, and was being particularly nosy. She kept asking me questions, trying to find out how my day went, only being extremely nice and interested, but I was unresponsive. I hate to let my mom down, so I didn’t want to explain myself or tell her I wasn’t in the mood for talking, because that would invite more questions. So, instead I just mumbled and put in Kid A by Radiohead. In case you don’t know (and if that’s the case, change it), Kid A is a gloomy little melodic record, which expressed how I happened to be feeling and without having to say anything, my mom quickly picked up that I was in that mood. Music has a great way of representing ourselves. As it says in High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby, it’s not what you’re like that matters, but what you like. And I think that what you like affects what you’re like.

While forms of media have been credited for having a great social impact on society, George Orwell’s 1984 for example, these forms of media have often been reduced to the simple status of “mindless entertainment” by the masses. However, I do believe that these forms of entertainment (literature, films, music, television, and art) while certainly entertaining, indeed, do have a great impact on our lives. I’m not just saying this as someone who considers himself a part of these fields; a serious artist who not only takes himself seriously, but his work even more seriously. While I do fret over every word, sentence, comma, suffix, and punctuation mark, trying to make the prose and flow just perfect, as I imagine many other “artists” do (though I can only speak for myself), this isn’t some pretentious plan to try and make the world appreciate the work I make or admire. This essay is simply a reinforcement of something I’ve observed about myself, and many others, which has formed the basis of this belief: that these forms of “art” (as I’ll call it, though that could really be anything) are very powerful in not only shaping who we are as human beings, but, in effect, saying more about who we are as individuals, then what that work might say about the person who made it. I think our choices in music, films, and books represent who we truly are.

Like I said, media is very powerful, and not just in the sense that it can change things in the world. Of course, there are acclaimed, sophisticated allegories with social messages, such as Orwell’s Animal Farm, and even lots of satire is applauded for using humor to express a message about current issues, but I’m not just talking about the media that’s deemed important. I’m not even talking about the megahits that are simply a part of pop culture and representative of the era, like Gone with the Wind or Pulp Fiction. While these are all ways that media can make an effective difference in society, I’m talking about the forms of media that are personal to you, or me. I’m talking about the pieces of work that individually touch you or make a difference in your life, because there must be some reason it did, which is what makes these mediums so wonderful. The fact that art is subjective allows for everyone to like different things, and says a lot about who we are as individuals.

Media has the power to challenge our beliefs and make us think in different ways. Writers can make us question what we think we know and truly let our minds explore the abstract perimeters of the box we’ve been dying to break. For me, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s films (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich) blew my mind. I had never seen anything like it, but once I had experienced them, I completely forgot what life was like before watching them. Those films moved me, but many people, like my sister, thought they were simply “weird.” My fondness of Charlie Kaufman shows that I’m more of an existentialist, while my sister, who likes love stories, is a hopeless romantic. Our tastes say more about us, than it does their creators.

Like Charlie Kaufman, films, music, and literature have the power to say something that people like me can’t put into words. They get at something true (at least what I feel is true) that I’ve always felt, but never knew how to express. Art is able to do that. They look at things in a different way. Have you ever listened to a lyric or read a passage and literally said out loud “Oh my god, they’re so right!” And yet, you had never thought of that before, and for all you know, you may have never shared that belief without them exposing it. So, media truly does shape our beliefs and who we are, though we often don’t realize it. Many of the other ‘This I Believe’ essays will take a common quote that they believe in, like let’s say ‘No Pain, No Gain,’ but someone had to think of that quote and write it down, and if it didn’t exist, you wouldn’t have been able to believe it. I’m not saying that we, as human beings, aren’t capable to form our own thoughts and decide things for ourselves, but we often don’t put into consideration how big of an impact these artists have had on the way we think. Even if they don’t directly tell us how to live, they challenge society and let us know that we have the power to come up with our independent thoughts and values.

As I stated earlier, media also lets us have the power to express ourselves in ways we otherwise couldn’t. When I’m sad, I’ll listen to a dark, depressing song, or a really loud, thrashing song when I’m feeling attacked. Other times it’s useful to listen to a soothing song to diffuse my anger. I can do this instead of giving into the male urge to punch something. And you don’t have to limit yourself by only expressing yourself through others’ art, you can make your own. Henry Miller said that the best way to get over a girl was to turn her into literature, a great quote that I feel shows the power of media to express our emotions. And if Henry Miller had never put that down into words, I’d never have had the chance to believe it. So, still think it’s just mindless entertainment?

The Beat of the Bee

[title of show] EXTENDED Review

Ahhh, lucky you, followers (that's what I'm calling ya'll from now on): The first review of [title of show] that I posted was the edited version that THE MAN made me cut down to 450 words. That's why it was so short. But I'm posting the original, uncut version now too! Although, I just posted that review a few seconds ago, so chances are by the time you're reading this, you didn't even know I had posted the first review (but I didn't want to have to make you wait, and more importantly, I didn't really feel like waiting, even though waiting a week would've built up more anticipation). So, if you haven't read the original first, read it first, cuz this one doesn't really add much. Here we go:

Review of ATC’s Production of “[title of show]”

by Marc Hansen

By far the best show of the season so far, ATC’s production of “[title of show]” is a wickedly ingenious musical comedy about the evolution of writers and artists; what it’s like to be them and how a piece progresses from the mind to stage to Broadway. It’s got everything a person could ever ask for and should rank up there with the best of theatre’s comedy classics.

Written by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, “[title of show]” is about Hunter and Jeff, two gay playwrights living in New York and trying to write a musical about trying to write a musical about trying to write a musical.... And that’s it. If you read that and thought the play sounded like the brainchild of incredibly witty, self-referential playwright geniuses, than “[title of show]” is the play for you.

I cannot say enough good things about this production. The writing is not only amazingly clever, but laugh-out-loud hilarious (and deliciously crude). The jokes are at their best when they’re breaking the fourth wall or talking about how they’re actually performing the play on stage (“What if this play won a Tony?”; “If you guys finished the script, should we still be talking?” - lights go black). However, if the play had been all self-referential jokes it would’ve quickly gotten old, which is why it’s the other jokes and the hilarious way these quirky characters interact with each other that makes “[title of show]” work. It’s also the way the cast brilliantly plays these characters, with perfect comedic timing. Kelly McCormick and Lauren Lebowitz, as the actresses who agree to star in the show, play particularly well off each other (the song “Secondary Characters,” for example), but credit also has to be given to the guys: Stanley Bahorek, as Hunter, delivers some of the best llines perfectly and Sal Sabella, as Jeff, has a hilarious bit on grammer. I also appreciated the subtleties in the wardrobes (each character wears their own distinct color, representing their different personalities).

There are a lot of references to other musicals, so if you’re a musical theatre junkie it’s a lot of fun to catch them, and as a writer, the show’s easy to relate to. It’s like having your thoughts played out on stage, especially the hilarious song “An Original Musical” where a blank piece of paper (who just happens to be black) starts talking to Jeff. Speaking of songs, they’re all incredibly catchy and witty (“Nine People’s Favorite Thing”; “What Kind of Girl is She?”).

Though the gags (such as the Dream Sequence) are indeed likely to make you fall out of your chair laughing, “[title of show]” does end up getting at something deeper - the struggle that artists, in general, go through trying to stay true to themselves and get their work out there. By the end of the show, you see that “[title of show]” is not just about the writing process, but how Hunter and Jeff’s musical progresses and changes, and the compromises they may not be willing to take. It’s well worth the ride and I’d highly recommend it. In fact, I’d say that not only is “[title of show]” the best show of the season, but all in all, a nearly perfect one.

Grade: A+

[title of show] Review

Alright, guys, speaking normally, this show was amazing. It was so good. Now, here's me speaking review (a.k.a. expanding on my thoughts - analyzing - the whole SHA-BAM, like on my Batman t-shirt):

Review of ATC’s Production of “[title of show]”

by Marc Hansen

By far the best show of the season so far, ATC’s production of “[title of show]” is a wickedly ingenious musical comedy about the evolution of writers and artists; what it’s like to be them and how a piece progresses from the mind to stage to Broadway. Written by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, “[title of show]” is about Hunter and Jeff, two gay playwrights living in New York and trying to write a musical about trying to write a musical about trying to write a musical.... It’s got everything a person could ever ask for and should rank up there with the best of theatre’s comedy classics.

I cannot say enough good things about this production. The writing is not only amazingly clever, but laugh-out-loud hilarious (and deliciously crude). The jokes are at their best when they’re breaking the fourth wall or talking about how they’re actually performing the play on stage (“What if this play won a Tony?”). However, if the play had been all self-referential jokes it would’ve quickly gotten old, which is why it’s the other jokes and the hilarious way these quirky characters interact with each other that makes “[title of show]” work. The brilliant cast also plays these characters, with perfect comedic timing. Kelly McCormick and Lauren Lebowitz, as the actresses who agree to star in the show, play particularly well off each other (the song “Secondary Characters,” for example), but credit also has to be given to the guys: Stanley Bahorek, as Hunter, delivers some of the best lines perfectly and Sal Sabella, as Jeff, has a hilarious bit on grammar.

There are a lot of references to other musicals, so if you’re a musical theatre junkie it’s a lot of fun to catch them, and as a writer, the show’s easy to relate to. It’s like having your thoughts played out on stage, especially the hilarious song “An Original Musical” where a blank piece of paper starts talking to Jeff. Speaking of songs, they’re all incredibly catchy and witty (“Nine People’s Favorite Thing”).

Though the gags (such as the Dream Sequence) are indeed likely to make you fall out of your chair laughing, “[title of show]” does end up getting at something deeper - the struggle that artists, in general, go through trying to stay true to themselves and get their work out there. By the end of the show, you see that “[title of show]” is not just about the writing process, but how Hunter and Jeff’s musical progresses and changes, and the compromises they may not be willing to take. Not only is “[title of show]” the best show of the season, but all in all, a nearly perfect one.

Grade: A+

Alright, followers, I'm out. Adios. Hasta Luega. Hasta la vista, baby. Chao. Au revoir. Just, see ya.