The Spectator ● April 22, 2016
Page 15
Arts and Entertainment By Ben Shapiro Deadpool’s transformation from a cult comic book character to a blockbuster action film star seems immediate to mainstream moviegoers, but the whole thing actually began in the 1990s. He was first introduced in the early ‘90s as a supporting character in the Marvel comic book universe akin to a beloved court jester with a delightfully wicked foul mouth and a lot of weapons. His wisecracking predilection for breaking the fourth wall by talking directly to the reader or asking his writers why they wrote him such dumb lines took hold with a fan base smaller than, say, Spiderman’s, but an intensely loyal one. So, why the long delay for the “mercenary with a mouth,” as Deadpool loves to call himself, to become a superstar superhero? Perhaps he was, for a long time, too complex a protagonist in
Deadpool Comes When Current Events Call
a world reeling from acts of terror and drained by economic worry. We crave feel-good action heroes to save the day. It seems that content creators deemed Deadpool “not ready for prime time” with his sexist scenarios (like his girlfriend who is depicted as a stripper for much of the movie) and hilarious jokes about private parts. They refused to unleash the decidedly politically incorrect character full force into an intensely politically correct world. Maybe that’s why his 2009 supporting role movie debut in “XMen Origins: Wolverine” featured Deadpool with his mouth literally fused shut by other characters who couldn’t deal with his endlessly annoying banter. But the fan base was offended by his lack of offense, claiming that a mute Deadpool was not worth the price of admission, since Deadpool’s banter and wisecracking are what set him apart from all the others.
Four years later, High Moon Studios released a “Deadpool” video game. It was a hoot in terms of character and writing, but ironically a total bore in the actual game play, with Deadpool being overwhelmingly overpowered and levels with a lot of walking, so it failed to attract many fans outside the usual suspects. You may get a sense of why the time finally has come for unvarnished Deadpool to take center stage and star in his own movie if you’ve been following the craziness that is the presidential election campaigns. We are clearly tired of the “establishment” leaders who never really came through for us, as we are a bit sick of Batman, Superman, and Spidey heroes who haven’t made much of a dent in the struggle between good and evil. Now we are open to something new, fresh and outside the pale. What’s more, Deadpool went through an experimental pro-
cedure that left him insane, and self-aware that he is a comic book character, making him a parody of
an anti-hero. Doesn’t that sound a little like some of the candidates running for president?
Carrie Ou / The Spectator
FILM
Amber Yang / The Spectator
THINKPIECE Kesha’s Case: A Textbook Example of Rape Culture
By Eliana Kavouriadis The music industry, and more specifically, Sony Music, have been at the center of a large controversy for the past few weeks. In 2014, pop star Kesha Sebert (formerly known under the stage name Ke$ha), best known for hit singles like “Tik Tok,” “Blow,” and “Timber,” filed a lawsuit to free herself from a binding contract with Sony Music. The contract currently prevents her from producing music outside of the control of music producer Lukasz Gottwald (professionally known as Dr. Luke), with whom Sony is affiliated. Sebert has accused Gottwald of verbal, sexual, and emotional abuse, saying that his words helped trigger her anorexia and also that he drugged and raped her. Meanwhile, Gottwald denied such accusations, and Sony refused to let her leave the contract until she made six more albums with them, insisting she could make music without being in direct contact with Gottwald. The case was continuously postponed for two years, which explains Sebert’s absence from the music world. The ongoing legal battle finally went to court on February 19, 2016. Sebert lost the case. Since this outcome, there has been tremendous uproar from the
public. The hashtags #FreeKesha and #SonySupportsRape trended for a while, and those same messages were also written in bold letters on signs outside the Sony headquarters, where a rally took place. Many celebrities, including Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, and Lady Gaga, wrote tweets in support of Sebert immediately after the incident. Taylor Swift even said that she would donate $250,000 to help Sebert with any financial needs she may have. Unlike many other celebrity court cases, the attention that this one gained in the public eye is not solely because of Sebert’s fame and high-profile status. Many people have connected this case to a toxic, ongoing pattern between rapists and their victims: If Sebert truly is a victim of rape, her outspokenness is harmful to her career, since her accusations were shut down by those in positions of power. Meanwhile, the alleged rapist in question did not face any legal consequences for actions which he may or may not have carried out. In the American criminal justice system, defendants are innocent until proven guilty, and it is often impossible to find evidence to support a rape case. It is thus very difficult to convict someone for rape, mainly because it is tricky to know whether or not the alleged rape happened. Because of the complicated and uncertain nature of these cases, many rapists go free without conviction. That said, the fact that rapists can go free without conviction can also be attributed to “rape culture.” Rape culture is an accumulation of the aspects of society that promote or support male sexual aggression and violence against women, according to author Emilie Buchwald. Rape culture can be subtle or blatant, and is seen throughout society, from strict school dress code policies to street harassment.
Rina Lubit / The Spectator
THINKPIECE
By Samantha Han The old saying might go that the
only two things certain in life are death and taxes, but it seems like, looking at New York theatre, “an overwhelming number of Broadway adaptations” can be added to that list. Indeed, it seems that nearly every single show on the Great White Way is either an adaptation or a revival. From long-running classics such as “The Phantom of the Opera” and “The Lion King” to new shows like “American Psycho” and “School of Rock,” it appears like the only entertainment on Broadway is derivative. From a financial viewpoint, adaptations and revivals make sense. If someone learned that one of their favorite movies was being turned into a Broadway show, they’d likely want to see it. “Matilda” was a beloved ‘90s movie that caused many to feel nostalgic upon seeing it turned into a play,
Unfortunately, rape culture is very much intertwined with pop culture, and the music industry’s reaction to Sebert’s allegations is nothing out of the ordinary. While no one can be sure Gottwald did indeed rape Sebert, Sony’s reluctance to seriously take Sebert’s allegations into account shows that the company more readily distrusts Sebert, the alleged victim, than Gottwald, the alleged attacker. By doing this, Sony is, at least, indirectly trivializing Sebert’s very serious allegations. To record labels, pop artists are viewed as a commodity, and there is little effort made to ensure that these artists are safe and welltreated. Moreover, these labels even profit off of rape culture. For example, many songs, like “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, promote the idea that men are entitled to sex, regardless of whether the other party or parties involved want it or not. It is thus not surprising that Sony, who has a history of having sexual abusers and openly misogynistic artists on its label, did not break a binding contract over a rape accusation. Many #FreeKesha advocates have contrasted Sebert’s situation to that of Chris Brown, who, in 2009, physically assaulted his former girlfriend, pop-star Rihanna. Both Sebert and Brown are celebrities who have produced popular music with Sony. Brown, an abuser, is still producing music with them, whereas Sebert, a possible victim, will no longer do so unless she wants to be in a partnership with her alleged abuser. However, while the general public may consider Sebert’s loss a complete outrage, the case involves far more than just rape culture. From a legal standpoint, Sony Music did nothing that was heavily controversial. As Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich stated, “You’re asking
the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry.” Additionally, this case is lacking concrete evidence that Sebert was, in fact, raped. It is often extremely difficult to irrefutably prove rape, and this worked much in Gottwald’s favor. Her allegations were disregarded by Kornreich as “outright lies that have been advanced to extort a contract renegotiation and money.” The case took to court once again, and on April 6, 2016, the case was dismissed for a different reason. Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich said that, “While Kesha’s [claim] alleges that she was sexually, physically and verbally abused by Gottwald for a decade, she describes only two specific instances of physical/sexual abuse, and the most recent event described was alleged to have happened in 2008 and so falls outside of the statute of limitations.” However, the idea that a contract should be prioritized over the safety and well-being of an individual is concerning for rape victims, as is the idea that a work contract could put someone’s safety and well-being at risk in the first place. In a high-profile job where someone is thrusted into the public eye, the fact that that person him or herself is a source of revenue should not affect his or her personal safety. If Sony’s contract has enough leeway for a rapist and an abuser to get away with his actions, but not for a rape victim to leave a place of abuse, there is a grave moral problem within the music industry. Moreover, Sony does not just affect those involved in the music industry—they are the creators of much of the content that we refer to as “pop culture,” shaping our societal norms, standards, and opinions. If possible rapists and indirect supporters of rape culture have the ability to be in positions of power
in the music industry, content that spreads rape-friendly ideas are distributed to the masses. (When Robin Thicke affirms, over and over again, that women who deny sex actually “want it,” it is not too crazy to believe that those that listen to the song will begin to believe him.) Sebert may have lost the court case, but in the public eye, she remains vocal about the issues regarding rape culture: “This issue is bigger than just about me. I think about young girls today—I don’t want my future daughter—or your daughter—or any person to be afraid that they will be punished if they speak out about being abused, especially if their abuser is in a position of power. Unfortunately, I don’t think that my case is giving people who have been abused confidence that they can speak out, and that’s a problem,” she said in a Facebook post on February 24th, 2016. She concludes with a warm, reassuring message to her fans. “I just want to say that if you have been abused, please don’t be afraid to speak out. There are places that will make you feel safe. There are people who will help you. I for one will stand beside you and behind you. I know now how this all feels and will forever fight for you the way perfect strangers have been fighting for me.” Rape and other forms of abuse are unfortunately relatable to many who may see her message. As frightening as this case could have been for them, the mere fact that a celebrity in an industry that does not protect rape victims is speaking out against said industry is especially important. Sebert’s outspokenness and the fierce backlash that followed were heard by Sony, and Gottwald also took to Twitter to deny the rape allegations completely, but the majority of the general public still stood with Sebert.
Been There, Seen That
creating a built-in audience. This led to its success, and as of right now, “Matilda” is running in London’s West End, Broadway, and is on tour. The same goes for revivals. Broadway producers know that by bringing back treasured classics such as “Les Misérables” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” people will want to see it again, and parents feel comfortable exposing their children to it. Adaptations like “Matilda” and “Les Misérables” are incredible, Tony Award-winning works of art. The familiar stories compel people who might normally scoff at theatre to come and discover how magical it really is. In addition, fresh takes on old shows can make audiences who have already seen another version realize something new. For example, Deaf West’s 2015 revival of “Spring Awakening” had a half-
deaf cast, and used American Sign Language to talk. Accompanying them were counterpart actors who spoke and sang on their behalf. The story revolves around teenagers and adults not communicating properly, so this rendition added an extra touch that made it so critically acclaimed and led to its national tour. However, when it seems that nearly all Broadway shows are playing it safe by regurgitating the same plots, it’s easy for theatre fans to feel bored. The world is constantly changing, and this should be reflected in the arts. Playwrights are creating contemporary plays, but because of this environment, their work is rarely being funded. “The Book of Mormon,” the last original show to have won the Tony Award for Best Musical, satirizes religion by poking fun of some of
the ridiculous aspects of Mormon missionaries. This relevancy to today is part of what makes it so good and one of the most popular shows around. By no means are Broadway adaptations inherently bad. Many of them are engaging, well-executed pieces of theatre. However, it’s disheartening to see every Broadway season be filled with mostly unoriginal stories. This isn’t an isolated problem: it has begun to impact Hollywood productions as well, though to a lesser extent. While it’s doubtful adaptations and revivals will stop being so prevalent any time soon, it’s important that theatre lovers go support original Broadway shows or attend Off and Off-Off Broadway shows to demonstrate their interest in them. Otherwise, original plays and musicals may be completely erased.