The Metropolitan Opera, Live in PG-13
Condescending to opera lovers across America — and cheating both Bartlett Sher and Squirrel out of the simple joys of partial nudity — the Met has decided to censor the December 19th High Def broadcast of Les Contes d’Hoffmann!
It should be noted that the poitrines in question are already censored — with tasteful little pasties, yet — and so it’s not even whole boobs we’re talking about.
Apparently concerned that this production might be too stimulating to some viewers in the development of their appreciation of the art form, the House of Gelb will, presumably, pan away from the chestical areas of the supernumeraries and dancers in Acts One and Act Three, training cameras instead on— what?— Joseph Calleja’s drooling, stupefied stare?
For those of you who have seen Hoffmann? How long were the showgirls on display for? They’re onstage for a while, right?
The Last time something was censored, in SALOME, it was done very seamlessly: The camera just cut away from the “final unveiling” to see Herod with a look of extascy on his face. There was no question as to what was going on, and the suggestion was probably more powerful than the actuality. But how are they going to censure a good few minutes of coverage…or rather uncoverage?
They’re onstage for quite a bit…Mostly they are marginal, and move across the stage here, scuttle in a gaggle there. Sometimes certain characters are surrounded by them, however.
The big part where they’ll be hard to censor is the Barcarolle, where they lay prostrate all around Giulettia. A group of them also do a choreographed dance during the Barcarolle. I’m wondering if the MET is scared of close-up camel toe, as they do spread-eagles, if not galore, then certainly enough that it’s a real threat.
But, to me, that was the most interesting part of the staging in this duet, and I don’t know what else they’ll focus on. I think the jiggling breastesses will be hard for the camera to ignore logistically.
Maybe it will be restaged for the HD transmission, so they are able to leave them out easily. Who knows? But then it will feel like we aren’t really seeing the new production. To me the point of the HD transmissions is that those of us who aren’t in NY to see it in the house can go to the HD transmissions and see the production that way. If the HD productions are re-staged slightly for reasons like this (although maybe it won’t be), then we aren’t really seeing the actual production the way it is meant to be staged. Maybe if they restage it, it will be minimal.
But I am hoping some others write to the Met and complain that we don’t want the HD transmissions censored like this. If they felt it was appropriate for the stage of the Met, why isn’t it appropriate for the HD transmission? PBS can play it late at night if they are concerned. But a child seeing breasts is no big deal, in my opinion. PBS and the Met should not be concerned. I doubt this type of thing would concern Europeans. They grow up with nude sculptures in churches and nudity on their beaches, and I believe there is a lower incident of rapes and other sex crimes. I could be wrong. I think hiding sexuality and the nude body actually creates more perversion than showing it.
I remember hearing that Mattila may have been part of the decision to pull the camera away during her “full monty” moment, with the reasoning that she was fine with being nude for the theatre audience but not for the world-wide broadcast audience (and the ensuing PBS broadcast).
Perhaps the MET is so god-fearing that the children watching might not know what nipples and breasts are…..and they the, might be frightened by what appears ’so strange’. Myself, I was a more progressive kid. I remember once sleeping and sharing a room at age 6 -with what, I later in life realized -was a young sailor (and gay!). There were two grown up girls in the house and upon seeing a pair of full size female rubber ‘falsies’ on the bedroom cabinet, thought they belonged to the girls. I learned years later they belonged to their cousin -the sailor . Still at the time, so ‘corrupted’ yet innocent, I had fun playing with them as toys ..by sticking pins in their nipples expecting them to burst like balloons!
Looking back, I only resent the fact that the great disparity in years between us : prevented me of a knowing favorable opportunity for me, to move on that young sailor. What sad regrets we have!!
Funny I was watching public free to air TV a few hours ago and it had on, Dante’s Cove. Yes,totally uncensored with a large section of its content depicting things like men in the raw, groping and ‘doing it’ with close angle camera shots on beds or in the shower etc. Is the MET and U.S film censorship actually still back in the 1940’s la-la days of sausage-curled Shirley Temple? L.O.L
There is also a strange twisted paradox if one remembers ‘little Shirley’ doing her famous “Good Ship Lollypop’ number clip : back in one of her films. That was 40’s America. A time when ‘children were seen and not heard’. A time when children behaved and ‘did not answer back’
Yet there she is, in the film : going up and down a plane aisle like a teasing vamp being admired , singing away. The lyrics are directed at, and for- what are the adults -the passengers. There she is, ‘correcting’ them on their ways. Wagging her finger at adults – performing like some saucy ‘infant – femme fatale’. For the period : a performance , that one expected : more usually out of ‘one of those saloon gals in some Western bar crooning a song’ And we all knew what the saloon gals did ,’upstairs’, don’t we?.
What a underlying message to give, when you juxtapose these two points . For the period : the flaunting child is ’seen / noticed and certainly demands to be heard , but also being overlooked ‘as being brazen’ Speaking back to adults : she becomes ‘the appealing cheeky tart, (in miniature) ‘ so to speak. What that film scene in toto – throws up…..’is rather sick and uncomfortable’ when one considers the possible implications suggested , underpinning that scene. Such ‘things’ were of course unknown to those nicely-nice people of that 40’s period. Nearly 70 years later the MET we hear, is now worried about …’protecting and saving family values’??? Giddy up Gelb, the horse bolted out of the gate decades ago!