The last time that I taught our Introduction to Literature course, I assigned Shakespeare's Hamlet in order to discuss performance. I call it "Night of a Thousand Hamlets," and it involves showing numerous clips of the "To Be or Not to Be" speech done by various actors (Olivier, Branagh, Gibson, etc.). I also give a reading quiz to see that everyone in class has kept up with the assignments.
Among the questions I asked were "How does Ophelia die?" and "What does Hamlet ask of Horatio at the end of the play?" I'm usually stunned by the answers. Even if you've not fully read the play, you'd think there are enough cultural references to Hamlet out there for someone to guess correctly. Not quite.
I did not correct any misspellings or grammatical errors in the following answers.
How does Ophelia die?
“Being grazed by the poison sword”
“May have been grased by the sword”
“Ophelia dies by drinking poison”
“By poison”
“Ophelia commits suicide”
“She is murdered”
“She kills herself”
“Ophelia dies”
“Ophelia goes insane after her father’s death and kills
herself"
What does Hamlet ask of Horatio at the end of the play?
“Hamlet asks Horatio to avenge his death”
“He asks Horatio to look after his mother”
“Hamlet asks Horatio to sneak him out of the palace”
“Hamlet asks Horatio that country”
“Hamlet asks Horatio to defend him”
“To flee the kingdom”
“Hamlet asks Horatio to give him the cup to drink”
You'd think grading short reading quizzes (just 3-4 questions each) would be simple, perhaps even boring. However, the answers above would indicate that it's never dull, no matter how simple the answers might be.
Sometimes when reading student work, I am completely confused. I'm never certain if some of the confusion results from the ubiquity of AutoCorrect or a lack of comprehension from the writer.
For example, what follows is the concluding paragraph from an essay about Target's marketing strategies. It was not, however, indented in the original so that you could tell it was the start of a new paragraph.
"This only proves that target has use many strategies to take a bandage of the marketing to breakfast from kiss from keep customers ethical marketing to. In being all onions to their store to buy products that they need."
I read the entire essay that this paragraph allegedly concludes, and I can honestly state that I have no idea what the writer was trying to say here.
Let
me start with an admission: I do actually like the band Bon Jovi. I saw them
perform at Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum (a.k.a. “The Hump”) in 1988 on
the Slippery When Wet tour, and it was a great show by a band that already knew
how to entertain even though it was their first national tour as headliners. I also
have to say that was the wildest concert audience I’ve ever witnessed. I remember that it
had been a particularly rough semester, but that crowd was ready to party.
However,
Bon Jovi’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took up more than forty-nine minutes of the three-hour
televised portions of the ceremony that recently aired on HBO. By comparison, the
Cars got just thirty minutes, Nina Simone and the Moody Blues each had twenty-nine
minutes, Dire Straits only got nine minutes, and the great Sister Rosetta
Tharpe got a scant eight minutes. I mean, Bon Jovi is a very popular band and
all, but they don’t deserve six times a much air time as Sister Rosetta Tharpe
when both are being inducted into the same Hall of Fame.
Part
of the problem had to do with the person inducting them, Howard Stern, who took
more than nine minutes to induct them. His speech was ridiculous, comparing of
the number of people who died from bubonic plague (50 million) and in the Civil
War (625,000) to the 130 million albums that Bon Jovi has sold. There was even
a reference to “Harry Chapin’s jizz” that was just weird and rather pointless.
Also pointless? The digs at Cream, Blondie, and Leonard Cohen, all of whom sold
fewer albums than Bon Jovi but who were inducted earlier into the Hall of Fame.
Of course, album sales are no measure of true worth of an act’s lasting musical
influence or impact, and Leonard Cohen also had to wait quite a long time to be inducted.
Then
Jon Bon Jovi took more than ten minutes to recount almost his entire history in
the music business and to thank, seemingly, every single person in the audience
at the ceremony individually. As intriguing as it is to discover that he sang
backing vocals on the Star Wars Christmas album, when Jon’s overarching point
was about how important time is, should he have taken up so much of our time
recounting every minuscule occurrence for the past 30 years? Apparently, he
actually spoke for almost twenty minutes at the ceremony itself, and half of it
was cut for the broadcast. It’s tough to imagine what else he could have
included. Stern mentioned and Jon seemingly was responded to a prevailing
theory that Jann Wenner, founder and publisher of Rolling Stone, had prevented
the band from being inducted earlier. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t mean that
the induction of Bon Jovi is such a life-altering moment for the rest of us.
How indulgent of the hall and the other members of the band to let Jon take the
spotlight away for his self-serving speech.
And
now on to the rest of the ceremony…
THE CARS
Brandon
Flowers inducted the Cars, claiming that they were the first band he fell in
love with. It’s good to see some of the New Wave and MTV-era bands starting to
join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm not certain I would have chosen the Cars compared to others from the same era (Duran Duran, for instance). The members paid lovely tribute to their
parents and grandparents who instilled a love of music in their lives. Ric
Ocasek, a founder and lead singer of the group, was loose and funny, joking
that he was “supposed to be the good looking one in the band” until Benjamin
Orr joined them. Orr passed away almost two decades ago, but his son was in
the audience, and he was even more handsome than his dad. It’s sad that he wasn’t
allowed on stage to accept the award on behalf of his father. It’s also sad to
learn that Ocasek and his wife, Paulina Porizkova, who was so happy in the
audience that night, are now separated after almost three decades of marriage.
Performances: “Just What I
Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” and “You Might Think”
As
an aside, it was odd to see a performance of “You Might Think” without the
visuals associated with the award-winning video. It’s not quite as impactful,
to be honest.
SISTER ROSETTA THARPE
The
“Godmother of Rock and Roll” was inducted by Brittany Howard from Alabama
Shakes in the category of “Early Influences.” That’s a rather condescending
category for someone who taught most of the early rock stars how to play
electric guitar. Sister Rosetta was the heart at the intersection of rock and
gospel music, and she was, as Little Richard noted, “hot as cayenne pepper.” It’s
a shame that the ceremony didn’t mention Tharpe’s bisexuality, given how inspiring that might have been to queer artists and music lovers, but it’s
actually rather amazing that she was included in this year’s class of inductees
anyway.
Performance: “That’s All,”
performed by Howard, a most appropriate choice given that she is a
successor to Tharpe’s legacy of soulful guitar-accompanied singing.
DIRE STRAITS
I’m
not certain that Dire Straits truly deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, but despite my (and other people’s) personal feelings about their worthiness,
they were ill-treated by the organizers of the event. No one was there to
induct them, and because Mark and David Knopfler were both absent, there was no
performance by the band. It’s sad that they can’t get along with each other and
the rest of the band for even one night. Several bands that have been inducted have
had bad blood among the members, but for a couple of hours, you’d think they
might take the honor of being inducted as reason enough to acknowledge the
prestige of being one of the few musical acts selected for inclusion. (I mean, Richie Sambora joined Bon Jovi for their performance five years after splitting from them.) Even the
televised portions of the ceremony gave the members of Dire Straits who were in attendance just a few
minutes of air time.
NINA SIMONE
The
amazing and long-overdue Nina Simone, the “High Priestess of Soul,” was inducted
by the amazing Mary J. Blige, and Simone’s award was accepted by her brother,
Dr. Samuel Waymon, who almost stole the show by telling the audience that Simone’s
spirit was in the area: “She’s sitting next to you!” He also gave some advice
that his sister would have given: “If you want to be a queen, you are a queen.
If you think you’re a king, you are a king.” Simone was a huge influence on
music and one of the most politically engaged performers of her time. She was,
along with the Moody Blues and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, arguably the most deserving of
this year’s inductees.
Performances: “”I Wish I Knew
How It Would Feel to Be Free” and “I Put a Spell on You” by Andra Day and the
Roots. “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” “Ain’t Got No – I Got Life,”
and “Feelin’ Good” by Ms. Lauren Hill.
Day
is one of the most exciting performers today, and she took everyone to church,
as the younger generation says. Hill had a true diva moment (with the dress to
match) as she rapped and scatted her way through Simone’s songs, proving that they
are just as relevant today as they were when first performed.
THE MOODY BLUES
The
Moody Blues, inducted by Ann Wilson of Heart, had to wait almost three decades
after becoming eligible before becoming a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The prog rock pioneers released their seminal album Days of Future Passed the
same year as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles. They’ve had
a long successful career due to the unwavering support of their fans, whom they
thanked more profusely than the other inductees in attendance. Drummer Graeme Edge also
thanked all of the people who had helped the band over the years, but he also
(rightfully) said, “To all the people who haven’t helped me, screw you.” Loved it.
Performances: “I’m Just a
Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band),” “Nights in White Satin,” and “Ride My
See-Saw.”
That
last song was an unusual choice. Why not something from the band’s 1980s-era
comeback? Maybe "Your Wildest Dreams," one of the band's three Top 10 singles from throughout their career?
BON JOVI
I
have already mentioned that Bon Jovi was inducted by Howard Stern in a speech
designed to suggest that the delay in including the band in the Hall of Fame
was one of the greatest slights ever to occur in the history of music. However,
having the bandmates introduce each other was a nice touch, and keyboardist
David Bryan talking about bringing his bowling ball along on their first tour “because
I AM from Jersey” was quite funny.
Performances: “You Give
Love a Bad Name,” “When We Were Us,” and “Livin’ on a Prayer”
SINGLES
Steven
Van Zandt (a.k.a. Little Steven) introduced a new category at this year’s
ceremony: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Singles. The selected records can’t be
performed by an artist who’s already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Other
than that, it seems like this is an attempt by the hall to include work by
artists who, honestly, seem unlikely ever to make it into the Hall of Fame on
their own.
“Rocket
88” by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)
“Rumble”
by Link Wray and His Wray Men (1958)
“The
Twist” by Chubby Checker (1960)
“Louie,
Louie” by The Kingsmen (1963)
“Whiter
Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum (1967)
“Born
to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf (1968)
TRIBUTES
The
opening of the broadcast featured Brandon Flowers and the Killers performing
Tom Petty’s “American Girl” (and a little bit of “Free Fallin’” at the end but done
at the same tempo as “American Girl”). By the way, Flowers looks so much like Matt
Damon from the School Ties era. Well, maybe the Good Will Hunting era. Either
way, it was disconcerting to see him with his crooked smile.
This
year’s “In Memoriam” honored several artists who are members of the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame: Fats Domino, Pete Moore of the Miracles, Walter Becker of
Steely Dan, Dennis Edwards of the Temptations, Nokie Edwards of the Ventures, Tom
Petty (again), Malcolm Young of AC/DC, Yvonne Staples of the Staples Singers, Greg
Allman, and, tragically, Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues (who died in January and was mentioned several times by
his bandmates during their induction).
The
highlight among the tributes was a performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” by
Ann Wilson and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains. Cornell, who was the lead
vocalist for Soundgarden and Audioslave, committed suicide in 2017, and Wilson’s
rendition plumbed the the emotional depths of the song. It was a touching
moment.
Sometimes
when you look back on a year like 2017, you don’t pay as much attention to your
experiences with popular culture. Politics takes center stage, and you perhaps
realize that you might have neglected, say, to read as many books as you would
have liked because you were preoccupied with seemingly weightier matters. For
the record, I managed to read twenty-three books last year, not even an average
of one every two weeks. I hope to do better in 2018, particularly since I went
on a purchasing spree of used books during the final months of 2017.
I
fared somewhat better with my movie-going. I saw thirty films in movie theaters,
not a bad number, but when you add the additional 109 that I watched on
television and eight more on DVD or Blu-Ray, the total of 147 sounds rather
impressive. That’s an average of almost three per week. I haven’t in the past
kept track of short films, but I made a concerted effort this year to make a
list, and the final tally was an impressive 172! I guess they are easier to
watch because they don’t take as much time.
And,
now, on to the superlatives for 2017:
Favorite
Non-Fiction Books:Anatomy of a Song:
The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits that Changed Rock, R&B and Pop by
Marc Myers and Just Mercy: A Story of
Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. Myers is a music columnist for
the Wall Street Journal who selected
forty-five hit songs to discuss, everything from “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” by Lloyd
Price to “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. He interviews the songwriters, the
performers, producers, a host of other people involved in the creation of these
records. It’s illuminating and entertaining, and I want to read it again, this
time listening to each individual song before and after reading the chapter about
it. Stevenson is an attorney whose Equal Justice Initiative works with death
row prisoners who were wrongly convicted, and his book primarily recounts his efforts
to get one of those men, Walter McMillian, freed. Filled with statistics and
stories that demonstrate just how thoroughly unbalanced our justice system is
for those who are poor and/or non-white, the book makes occasional digressions
to discuss the way women and children are poorly treated. It’s enough to make
you angry and perhaps take action. It also makes you realize just how unlikely it
is that we will address these kinds of disparities in the current political
climate.
Favorite
Fiction Book:
Spence + Lila by Bobbie Ann Mason. I
was a huge fan of Mason’s work when I was in graduate school in Mississippi,
and I think I might have even read this book before, but when you reach my age
(54), sometimes it’s like reading something for the first time (echoes of
Norman Thayer in On Golden Pond…). This
short novel recounts how the family of the title characters, a rural couple in
Kentucky, deals with the breast cancer diagnosis and treatment of the family
matriarch, Lila. So many moments resonated with me, both from time spent in
hospitals with family members waiting for good news and from having grown up in
an environment much like the one so vividly detailed here. It’s a slim but
powerful story, and Mason’s attention to the emotional life of the couple’s
children further enriches the narrative.
Favorite Performances
by Female Actors: Aubrey Plaza in Ingrid
Goes West, Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman,
and Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde. Plaza walks a fine line between dark comedy and
horrifying drama as the title character in Ingrid
Goes West. Her Ingrid is obsessed with social media who forcibly befriends
a California woman who’s an Instagram sensation. I saw the film with a friend
who was so repulsed by Ingrid’s behavior that he started divesting himself of
some of his accounts. I, however, just found her fascinating and unnerving at
the same time. In Wonder Woman, Gadot
takes one of the most iconic superheroes of all time and invests her with such heart
and humor and action and dignity. I found it to be one of the best films of the
genre ever made, and Gadot is primarily responsible for its success since so
much of the film rests upon her shoulders. And how could I forget Theron’s
performance as Lorraine Broughton in Atomic
Blonde? The entire film is like getting a shot of adrenaline, and I loved
watching Theron as a kick-ass (literally kicking ass) action hero. Putting this
performance with the one she gave in Mad Max:
Fury Road makes me excited for this phase of her career.
Favorite
Performances by Male Actors: Timothee Chalamet in Call
Me by Your Name and Armie Hammer in Call
Me by Your Name. For me, it’s almost impossible to determine who gives the
stronger performance in this lovely film about a summertime romance between
Chalamet’s Elio and Hammer’s Oliver. Their interactions build in intensity
throughout the film, and their pairing is perfect for demonstrating the joys
and difficulties that come with first love. Chalamet is quite a find, and this
film should catapult him to the top of everyone’s list of potential young
leading men. Hammer, of course, has been a star since at least The Social Network, but here he brings a
new depth to his characterization. Both are lead performances, but I’m certain
that the somewhat larger amount of screen time for Chalamet is what makes
people consider Hammer’s to be a supporting performance.
Favorite Films: Call Me by Your Name and Get Out. I’ve already spoke above about
the high-quality acting in Call Me by Your
Name, but it’s also one of the most beautifully photographed films in
recent years and it manages to give almost every supporting role a significant
amount of character description so that they seem more realistic than the kinds
of stereotypes or sketchily drawn characters we sometimes get in films. Get Out was released earlier in the
year, but it still makes me think about the important questions it raises about
race relations in the United States. Far from being polemical, though, this
film mixes horror with comedy very delicately, and Jordan Peele’s screenplay
and direction, both remarkably self-assured, gives us a satire for our times.
Favorite
Theatrical Experience: The Curious Incident
of the Dog in the Night Time at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. I read
the book upon which this play is based years ago; in fact, at the time it was
our college’s book selection for the entire campus. As familiar as I was with
the book’s plot about an autistic teenager’s attempts to discover the murderer
of a neighbor’s dog—and this show does follow the novel’s events very
faithfully—I could not have imagined how the staging would be so revelatory. In
its attempts to recreate for the audience the interior of the lead character’s
mind, the show dazzles. Lights, sounds, choreography (even though this is not a
musical) all blend into a quite magical several hours of theater.
Favorite Musical
Performances:
Howard Jones at the Greek Theatre and Gladys Knight at the Cerritos Center for
the Performing Arts. I bought tickets for me, The Boyfriend, and two of our
friends to attend the Retro Futuro show at the Greek this summer; it featured a
series of acts that gained prominence during the 1980s (a.k.a., my college
years): the English Beat (“I Confess”), Modern English (“Melt with You”), Paul
Young (“Every Time You Go Away”), Men without Hats (“The Safety Dance”), and
Katrina of Katrina and the Waves (“Walking on Sunshine”). However, the
highlight was the final performance of the night. Jones played most of the
songs that people were familiar with (“What Is Love?” and “No One Is to Blame,”
to name just a couple) and a few newer songs. He also put on quite a show with
lights and video and electronic music, and it was a spectacular end to a fun
day. I never got to see him or the others during their heyday on the music charts,
but he perhaps more than the rest truly demonstrated that talent does not
necessarily diminish with time. Similarly, I have loved the music of Gladys
Knight, with and without the Pips, since I was a child and first heard “Midnight
Train to Georgia.” At the age of 73, she has lost none of the vocal power she
had in the 1960s and 1970s. The entire evening was a bit of a lovefest between
Knight and the audience as she sang hit after hit. She told stories about the
backgrounds of some of her biggest hits, and she did some revelatory interpretations
of newer songs like “I Hope You Dance” and “Stay with Me.” She and her male
backup singer performed a duet of “When I Was Your Man/If I Were Your Woman,”
and Knight showed the younger singer how it’s done. It only took me 54 years to
get to see her perform live—and I had to go by myself because of The Boyfriend’s
work schedule and because of a party most of my friends were attending—but I regret
absolutely nothing. A week or so later, I was talking to our head of campus
security at work, and I asked him if he hadn’t also been at the show. (I
thought I had seen him as everyone was exiting the theater.) He got just as
excited as I had been, saying that it was one of the best shows he’d ever
attended. High praise indeed, and I readily concurred.
