Read on Twitter
Press: A thread
“Disgusting.” “Out of your freaking mind.” “Fucking Bitch.” -Rep Ted Yoho to Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“..upended traditions.” “Norm shattering.” “Punching each syllable in the vulgarity.” - the NYT, describing Yoho’s disgraceful outburst. 1/
“Disgusting.” “Out of your freaking mind.” “Fucking Bitch.” -Rep Ted Yoho to Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“..upended traditions.” “Norm shattering.” “Punching each syllable in the vulgarity.” - the NYT, describing Yoho’s disgraceful outburst. 1/
JK! Those are the words the NYT used to describe AOC’s response to Yoho in congress. The Times article on the event paints a picture where Yoho did something that was expected and accepted, and AOC’s response was completely out of the norm and crazy. 2/
In fact, the first time the NYT printed the words in Yoho’s outburst was in the article talking about AOC’s response. This made it seem like Yoho’s disgusting language was hers. 3/
In other words, the press is willfully perpetuating and shaping the racism, sexism, and abuse of power that allows for things like a senior white male official calling a junior POC female official a “fucking bitch” to be considered “normal.” 4/ https://www.thecut.com/2020/07/aoc-speech-ted-yoho-new-york-times.html?fbclid=IwAR0wuKGiV-pJxO_yiomUzda-HRAoMtbxdPYBYs-yXxMnpsFKnTLKhfIQsvc
Why is this important, and how does it pertain to the entertainment industry? Press, specifically theatre critics, hold an immense amount of unchecked power in the theatre industry, often to the detriment of BIPOC artists and companies. 5/
Reviews directly correlate to the public’s interest in a production, which directly correlates to the income of any given production. Any response to a review is considered childish and shameful. This leads to a system where white patriarchal theatre critics are free to: 6/
Publish reviews that are deeply racist, and then double down on their words when facing the backlash from the community they serve, as in this well-publicized repeat-offender theatre critic in Chicago: 7/ https://www.americantheatre.org/2017/06/27/the-review-that-shook-chicago/
Feign interest in support of BIPOC-led companies with a promise to attend but then not show up, ignore requests to send BIPOC critics to review BIPOC-led productions, not respond to requests to send any critics to review a production on the founding of BLM... 8/
...then ask BIPOC leaders to participate in an article on the state of Black Theater, then ignore requests to instead write an article on how the paper is complicit in the systematic oppression of Black Artists. 9/ @petermarksdrama @washingtonpost @ROCaldwell @ThtrAllianceDC
Is it possible that more BIPOC critics are not employed because the establishment fears call outs that will undermine the shared power and prestige of the Artistic Director/Critic relationship? From Charles Lewis, III: 11/
“Expelling the most problematic members of the arts community would put many organizations in the position of having to shut down permanently. Good. Let them. If these people and companies can’t foster a safe environment, then they don’t deserve our support.” 12/
This includes shutting down biased, racist, and immoral critics despite their prestige. 13/ https://www.sfweekly.com/culture/essay/the-performative-arts/
The AD/critic relationship can be strong and symbiotic - critics can act as a pipeline for artistic directors to announce major programming changes. If they publish info without vetting it forces artists, partners, and staff to comply without question. 14/
For example, this pair of love letter articles that perpetuate manipulation, bullying, and gaslighting by a “beloved” artistic director and his controversial ousting from Theater J. 15/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/artistic-director-fired-from-theater-j/2014/12/18/b6404b48-8712-11e4-abcf-5a3d7b3b20b8_story.html
These articles led to many, many statements of support for Roth and protest for Theater J from industry leaders across the country. For many outside the DC Area, these articles were the only frame of reference, though they only show Roth’s POV. 16/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/ari-roths-swift-departure-from-theater-j-follows-a-tumultuous-tenure/2014/12/19/cb73b40c-87d3-11e4-abcf-5a3d7b3b20b8_story.html
So. Why is it important that BIPOC critics review productions that are written/directed/performed by BIPOC artists? 17/
@donjarlove answers that question with more questions. To paraphrase: Publications send white critics to bear witness to and receive work by artists of color, and there is such a disconnect and lack of nuanced analysis that you wonder: 18/
“Did that critic even see past their elitism to receive the work?” “Why are these older, entitled, and disconnected white critics coming to ‘critique’ our work?” “Why is there not a diverse group of critics employed by these pretentious publications?” 19/
“Critics comparing artists of marginalized identities to other artists that exist within the same marginalized identity seems like the standard.” 20/ https://www.larktheatre.org/blog/problem-white-critics-critiquing-work-artists-color/
From @Yolanda_Bonnell: “There is often a tone along the lines of ‘I don’t understand this, therefore it’s not good art’...there’s a responsibility in acknowledging that you may not understand certain cultural aspects of how the storyteller is choosing to tell that story.” 21/
“The lack of BIPOC voices in the media - at a time when arts’ coverage is shrinking, means white critics are often the gatekeepers of success.” 22/ https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/dygxgw/why-im-asking-white-critics-not-to-review-my-show
Side note that speaks to this issue - Yolanda Bonnell was excoriated on social media for requesting that only BIPOC critics review her show. 23/
The most common take away from a bad theatre review is: “Well, I guess the artists didn’t do a good enough job at delivering the message they were going for.” But where is the line between that and the theatre critic being culturally insensitive to the message? 24/
@ChrisJonesTrib of @chicagotribune, on being called out for a particularly culturally insensitive review: “I don’t reject the notion that I have a limited view. Obviously I am who I am. Anybody in my job is one person, one identity.” Ok, great. Props for acknowledging that. 25/
But then why are you allowed to review work by artists whose identities are so far apart from yours? 26/
As @OfficialReginaV put it: “Should the power of reviewing a play - an act that massively affects ticket sales, and forever inks the history of the public perception of the play - be something that is owned by one person, with one identity?” 27/ https://howlround.com/need-cultivating-theatre-critics-color
Does any of this discount the fact that theatre is an experience for all? No. This is just another way American Theater perpetuates white patriarchal supremacist abusive power. Another thing that exists because “that’s always been how that works.” NOT. ANY. MORE. #WeSeeYouWAT 28/
