Has The Seeking For Racial Diversity, Gone Too Far?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/04/renowned-opera-aida-cancelled-at-bristol-university-amid-race-ro/

Should we now only choose Egyptian born actors to play Egyptian characters, as in this case?

[ToraToraTora]

....hell in a handcart!

[dannyk13]

PC gone mad again

[naomi24]

//The effect that the fear of cultural appropriation has on modern campuses is a sad affair //

It is indeed! Shame on them for capitulating to such complete and utter idiocy!

[andy-hughes]

When people start using terms like 'cultural appropriation', you know you are hearing from people with too much time on their hands, and not enough of a life to occupy them properly.

[andy-hughes]

I cross-posted with Naomi, but I can see that we are in sync. on this issue.

[Lie-in King]

Utterly ridiculous.

[Baldric]

Ridiculous!

[Gromit]

Nothing at all to do with diversity. It is about racial and cultural indentity. Some fascists believe that actors should not act outside their own cultural boundaries, and to do so causes offence. Absolute twaddle of course. This has always happened. They said it about Ben Kingsley portraying Ghandi. In that instance the critics were ignored and the film was made because it was a commercial enterprise and the producers were using their own money.
In the case of student productions, they are using public funds, and gobby members of the public who have an agenda are able to whip up a protest and stop things being made.
The real losers are the students themselves, but serves them right for being too weak to stand up to this bullying.

[mushroom25]

if this matter is about cultual identity, could Aida ever be performed again? I mean, the culture of Egypt in times of the pharoahs has long since been subsumed by other cultural influences, where would they find suitable performers?

[Gromit]

// could Aida ever be performed again? //

Yes, by ignoring the idiots who say it can't.
(We are talking about the Elton John musical here, not the Verdi masterpiece, so we are not missing much if it is banned) :-)

[Islay]

They are students - students have been protesting since time began. It doesn't mean anything will change.

[mushroom25]

//They are students - students have been protesting since time began. It doesn't mean anything will change. //

you're right about one thing, students are students and will always protest. what's changed though is that all too often those doing the protesting are prepared to back their argument with violence, and the authorities are increasingly prepared to tolerate this.

[anotheoldgit]

Islay

/// They are students - students have been protesting since time began. It doesn't mean anything will change. ///

Ah! but it has in this case, the students have managed to get the musical cancelled.

[youngmafbog]

//we would not want to cause offence in any way, //

Well, you have deeply offended me by spouting such utter nonsense and cancelling it.

[Gromit]

AOG

And another group of students have agreed not to stage it. There is not one group of likeminded students all following the same beat of the drum. There are many groups following many different drums. In this case one group has capitulated to another. Speaking of them all in a general term does not work.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// Speaking of them all in a general term does not work. ///

Islay referred to them in the plural sense and I answered in the same way.

[Mamyalynne]

//A theatre at the University of Bristol said yesterday it had cancelled all showings after a revolt by students.//


Revolting? Whatever next?

[dannyk13]

A revolt by students or revolting students.

[dannyk13]

Interesting to see who they would want to play the roles if they were to put on The Lion King.

[vulcan42]

Taking this to its logical conclusion it's the beginning of the end for all entertainment from opera to pantomime. Do students ever think of the consequences of their actions?