Grease was the word. Then, for far too long, it was “woke.”
Hollywood succumbed to the woke mind virus over the last decade, a cultural shift that dramatically impacted the arts. And, it should go without saying, for the worse.
My cranky #Oscar tweets are brought to you by …
VIRTUE BOMBS: HOW HOLLYWOOD GOT WOKE AND LOST ITS SOULhttps://t.co/AKtVuGDE0B— Christian Toto (@HollywoodInToto) March 28, 2022
Slowly, thankfully, Hollywood began to dial back on its woke programming. Disney, a company with a “not so secret gay agenda,” stopped stuffing culturally wobbly messages into its content.
Comedy roasts roared back, and no one was canceled in the process. Even The New York Times admitted Hollywood’s woke revolution was over, and the era is already aging poorly.
Two new productions suggest there’s still life in the woke world. A closer look, though, suggests something far different.
Vape Is the Word
“Vape,” an off-Broadway “Grease” parody, embraces woke down to its creative DNA. In this version of the ’50s greaser musical, Danny has it bad for Sandy … and a few of his male buddies.
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” is now “Hopelessly Gaslighted by You.” Voila, the decades of damage caused by the beloved musical and 1978 film have been fixed.
Phew.
The production arrives close to a separate, super woke re-imagining of a classic story. “The Diary of Anne Frank” inspired “Slam Frank,” where the doomed Jewish teen is now a lesbian Latina girl. The off-Broadway show brims with Identity Politics, going even further than “Hamilton” on that front.
Same ol’ story, right? Woke is tan, rested and ready for a comeback?
You couldn’t be more wrong.
For starters, “Slam Frank” is a satirical broadside against the woke revolution. By several accounts, the show is poking fun at Identity Politics gone wild. The funniest part? A New York Times article on the production doesn’t attack it for that framing.
It applauds the creative choice.
Woke Plays …. Where They Belong
Even better? Both productions are happening off-Broadway, not in a movie theater or streaming platform. The arts should be open to all creators, and no one vision should be deemed unacceptable.
If someone thinks the classic “Grease” production is offensive or inappropriate, they should create their own version to share their perspective. The problem? Not so long ago, that approach would be part of a Disney+ program or major motion picture.
Studios were often left holding the red ink-stained bag. Remember “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies?
Yet, most people have no problem with “Grease” as it is, thank you. They have little interest in an updated version where the story’s “flaws” are fixed.
So the play’s small, but passionate audience can squeeze into a Big Apple theater and relish the show for themselves. A Hollywood studio won’t take a bath on its low revenue potential, and the original show can continue to delight a new generation of fans.
One of the worst elements of the woke revolution? Censorship.
Some stars erased their own handiwork. Others apologized for films that made millions howl with laughter. Some simply self-censored for fear of professional blowback.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
What’s right? Letting everyone have their say, be it on an off-Broadway stage or with a feature film.
The post Here’s Great News About Two Super Woke New Plays appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.