Friday, March 19, 2010

um, why?


this question comes up a LOT in grad school. why are we talking about this? why is this even relevant? why in gods name do you think 'the phantom of the opera' is a text about colonialism?? why, dear sweet baby jeebus, WHY?

17 comments:

zmith said...

Because of the Mask. And the rose. The mask symbolizes a boat, such as the one used in the Triagle Trade. The rose symbolizes the bloom of the innocent natives.

I AM READY FOR GRAD SCHOOL!

Sara said...

that analysis does suggest that you are grad school material. could you elaborate in more obscure metaphors? then you would be FLAWLESS.

Candy said...

Phantom of the Opera is clearly about the women's rights movement with the two-faced Phantom representing the struggles and benefits of staying home with the children as well as the pressures of society, and the pretty Raoul representing the freedom associated with pursuing a career.

Christine, naturally, is conflicted between choosing what she thinks will keep her loved ones safe and what will make her truly happy. Kissing the phantom represents all of the trials her female ancestors have gone through so that she might have a career.

I have a music degree, so you shouldn't even try to argue with this one.

zmith said...

The mask symbolizes a spaceship, the Phantom's face is the red surface of the planet Mars. His black cape is the expanse of outer space. It's about colonizing Mars.

"Kissing the Phantom" is both a metaphor for landing on Mars, and a thinly veiled representation for an intimate act still illegal in Texas. A little thing frat boys call the "Napoleon III."

Plus the people that land on Mars are all Prussian.

Plus the ship they travel to Mars in is called "the Lon Chaney."

YES!

Candy said...

I give up. You win.

Sara said...

oh. my. god.

you guys are stunningly BRILLIANT! don't you realize you could be pursuing your doctorates? you'd crush 'em all!!!

...and that's not even sarcasm. i'm serious. you could write dissertations on the stuff you two just said.

Candy said...

The most bullshit paper I ever wrote in college was for a graduate level class and I got an A on it with lots of happy comments from the teacher.

Wait.... why was I thinking about going back to school again?

Sara said...

you had a momentary lapse of sanity??

it wouldn't be so bad if people would just ADMIT they're making crap up. i seriously listened to one person talk about how this particular book was about colonialism and then another person talk about how the book is about CLASS STRUGGLE. yes. marxism was applied to 'the phantom of the opera.'

shoot me now.

Candy said...

Personally, I think listening to the Phantom of the Opera would be more painful than any BS a grad student could possibly come up with. Especially since I would be searing my eardrums with burning wax to make it go away.

"The PHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTOM of the o-per-a is there... inside *my mind*"

Sara said...

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

thanks. i had to go listen to it again to really appreciate the michael crawford awesome.

here's a terrible secret: i loved that musical when i was a kid. loved it SO much in fact, there's a MURAL of it on my bedroom wall. no shit.

here's another: i still kinda love it. :D hahahahaha!!!

but it is awful. i know that now. and i am embarrassed to admit that i like it to a music major, of all people! still, i'd rather listen to it on repeat for 10 years than listen to one more pompous grad student use the words "discursive" "explicate" and "trouble" for five seconds.

Candy said...

hehe it's okay you can like it all you want. In fact, most of the people I went to music school loved it (and were musical theater majors). I've just never really liked Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Anyway, if there's nostalgia involved, no one can really blame you for it, no matter how dumb they might think PotO is.

If it makes you feel any better, I had a major obsession with The Little Mermaid. I still have a framed movie poster (well, my parents have it) that I won't let my mom give away.

zmith said...

I just have one word:




Twilight.

Candy said...

zmith: Did you notice the part where I said "you can like it all you want"? ;)

zmith said...

Yes. Yes, I did.

I also like the little mermaid. I have the movie poster in Polish, but it is a McDonald's promo (ie "it has the McDonalds logo on it) so I have never displayed it.

Aaron said...

This is all fantastic, fascinating stuff but all I am taking away from it is that from now on, whenever I talk about Phantom (which, of course, I do EVERY chance I get!) I can call it the Poto and see how many people get it!

Zmith said...

"The Poto" is also illegal in Texas.

Sara said...

damn. i should bitch about grad school more often! look at this comment participation!