In Small Town, 'Grease' Ignites a Culture War

[liberalpragmatist]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/11/national/11fulton.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5094&en=a3462e9c004d93f0&hp&ex=1139720400&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1139644016-uG3uEAtA+c7xfPj86n7BpA

By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
Published: February 11, 2006

FULTON, Mo. — When Wendy DeVore, the drama teacher at Fulton High here, staged the musical "Grease," about high school students in the 1950's, she carefully changed the script to avoid causing offense in this small town.

<snip>

But a month after the performances in November, three letters arrived on the desk of Mark Enderle, Fulton's superintendent of schools. Although the letters did not say so, the three writers were members of a small group linked by e-mail, all members of the same congregation, Callaway Christian Church.

Each criticized the show, complaining that scenes of drinking, smoking and a couple kissing went too far, and glorified conduct that the community tries to discourage. One letter, from someone who had not seen the show but only heard about it, criticized "immoral behavior veiled behind the excuse of acting out a play."

Dr. Enderle watched a video of the play, ultimately agreeing that "Grease" was unsuitable for the high school, despite his having approved it beforehand, without looking at the script. Hoping to avoid similar complaints in the future, he decided to ban the scheduled spring play, "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller.

***

How ironic that they banned "The Crucible". Anyway, read the whole thing.

[Syrinx]

1. is it outrageous to say...

That American outrage is outrageously misplaced?

[Kire]

74. outrageous

nt

[incapsulated]

2. Do these people have televisions in their homes?

It is getting like that twilight zone where a guy makes a wrong turn and winds up in a town from the previous century.

[file83]

4. Yeah, some times I get the feeling this whole world is going backwards

in time, like some bad Star Trek episode.

[calimary]

72. Yeah. No kidding. My kid played the lead in "Grease" in 7th grade!

In his elementary school production last year. He goes to a Catholic school. They didn't bat an eyelash. They tidied it up a little bit, like changing "virginity" to "divinity," but for Pete's sake, this is nuts! Several years earlier, when my daughter was in seventh grade, they did a tame version of "Guys and Dolls." And nobody batted an eyelash.

[Kurovski]

63. I'm working on two plays they might like.

The musical:

"Woo-Hoo! Doobydoo, 23 Skidoo!"

-OR-

The drama:

"Jesus Loves Me, Yes He Do: A Homemaker's Travails In Faith."

[file83]

3. This is SO straight outta "Footloose" with Kevin Bacon.

I remember when that movie came out as a kid and thinking "This movie is so fake - no where in America would any town try to ban dancing."

That was of course, before I learned many years later of the American Taliban.

[Maru Kitteh]

41. It was set in Texas right? There are still counties with bans against

dancing and don't even THINK about asking for a beer. They'll look at you like you're humping a goat on their kitchen table.

[LostinVA]

58. I believe it was Indiana (even though the Rockies are in the background!)

But, not Texas.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

5. Here's a sad quote:

"It's over," said Emily Swenson, 15, after auditioning for "A Midsummer Night's Dream." "We can't do anything about it. We just have to obey."

[sandnsea]

6. On a side note

Notice the home decor lately?? Totally 50's. I'm hoping that means these kids are the counter-revolution set to explode in about 5 more years. This is sad sad sad.

[misanthrope]

52. Hold it right there...

...As a big fan of Mid-century Modern architecture and style, I take exception to this. I like a lot of the trappings of the era but it doesn't have anything to do with my political leanings. In fact, I would say that a signicant portion of my philosophies on sociology and culture are far more "left" than a great number of so-called "liberals."

Anyone who is a student of arts and culture can tell you that while there was great sociological repression in the '50s, there was also some incredible art being produced, stuff that was taking a much bigger leap forward than most anything we've seen in the decades since.

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[sandnsea]

59. Who said that?

I didn't criticize any architecture or style, I simply drew attention to art and fashion, eras and culture. There does tend to be a correlation. There's also alot of ethnic influence right now, as I think people are trying to understand the global affect on their own lives. These things aren't conscience choices, but you can see the underpinnings of what people are thinking about in their choice of home decor and personal fashion choices. That isn't a positive or a negative, just an observation.

There was alot going on under the surface in the 50's, and let's not forget the Rat Pack, Vegas, Elvis, and Buddy Holly. Or Lenny Bruce. The Beaver only represented one part of the 50's, things were bubbling outside of that traditional family nucleus, just like they are now.

[misanthrope]

67. Here's what I don't understand then...

...when you said the following: "These things aren't conscience(sic) choices, but you can see the underpinnings of what people are thinking about in their choice of home decor and personal fashion choices. "

It sounds as if you're saying that because I like guayabera shirts or three-button black suits, geometrically sleek environs, Eames chairs, abstract expressionism and listening to Miles and Coltrane while sipping cocktails it means I wish it were the 1950s again.

Au contraire. I much prefer contemporary progressivism to the predominant sociological mindset of the Ike era. But the style? Ring-a-ding-ding, baby.

And I would hardly describe Elvis Presley as "under the surface."

[sandnsea]

71. Well you just described it yourself

Eames chair, abstract expressionism, Coltrane, sipping cocktails. Total counter-culture bubbling under the surface of Ozzie & Harriet traditional suburbia. Cool sophistication of those who "got it" before everybody else did. AND don't forget Elvis, etc. It's bubbling again. I'm not sure what is going to pop the cork exactly, but something will before too long.

[misanthrope]

92. Don't forget...

...Elvis Presley was not counter-cultural.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins was outside the societal norm as was Little Richard and most of their contemporaries.

Elvis Presley was the corporate answer to what was "bubbling" in black music circles at the time, an acceptable "lighter" alternative that could be counted on to sell records to lily-white kids whose parents would have been mortified at the idea of "race records" in the house.

Presley was the leading edge of rock-n-roll as a corporate commodity and essentially no more counter-cultural than Vanilla Ice was 30 years later.

Now Ornette Coleman...

[PassingFair]

61. Russel Wright rules my world...

...and Conant Ball sings me to sleep.

I saw a movie recently called "In Her Shoes", a boring, maudlin tale of two sisters...
but the Grandmother's apartment decor!

Heaven.

[Hoping4Change]

66. Yahoo another a fan of Mid-century Modern.

If you love Mid-century you have to check out lileks.com. Its a fantastic site.

The following is a link directly to his collection of postcards of mid-century restaurants.Enjoy.

http://www.lileks.com/postcards/rest/adair.html


.:bounce:

[WearyOne2]

7. this is sooo a sign of the times

[silverweb]

8. Ignorant.

Ignorant, stupid, and sad. So three letters from one small church are now enough to change the high school curriculum in a small city of about 12,000?

Why are these people allowing themselves to be bullied like this?

:banghead:

[fujiyama]

9. That is one

stupid fuckin town.

I gotta wonder if a newspaper in the South published a cartoon mocking Jesus would a mob burn thaht building down? I remembe readaing a freeperesq board thte other day where one person made a similar commentt, and another reeplied thatt it's about time Christians got just as pissed against blasphemy.

[lapfog_1]

10. I think that a cartoon of Jeebus

wiping his ass with an American flag would do it... especially if the work was somehow supported by Gov. grants.

I'm guessing that there HAS been a book burning or CD smashing sometime in the last 6 months here in the US. Other than the violence that comes from angry ARMED young men (that's what I've seen on the tube of the cartoon marches), book burnings are very similar.

[Clark2008]

25. God, I am so tired of Southern bashing.

The mid-West is far more Bible-beltish, not that they deserve the treatment the South gets on this board.

Missouri, btw, is MID-WEST - the fucking GATEWAY to the MID-WEST, NOT the South.

Geez.

[fujiyama]

64. No region insults were intended

I apologize for any offensive remarks.

I used the south as an example of a conservative region where evangelic an forces have become a very strong political force. And I know that MO is technically in the midwest geographically, but politically it has become very similar tot more conservative states surrounding it to the south.

[HeeBGBz]

32. Missouri is not "the south"

It's the Midwest. Yes, its full of freeperish individuals. So bash the midwest, why don't ya. The South has nothing to do with Missouri. Sheesh.

[Maru Kitteh]

43. No need to bash the Midwest either thankyou very much

There's more liberals here than you might think. We still exist in isolated pockets and we need encuragement and support, not derision.

I get sick of the south bashing too, we lived for many years in NC.

[HeeBGBz]

44. State bashing is self-destructive

However, if one cannot control that urge, at least get the geography straight.

[Retired AF Dem]

47. Check Spelling

It is at the bottom of a reply box. Plus gives me an easy excuse to finally get my 1000th post. :)

[Oversea Visitor]

11. Which brand of time machine US use

Come on.....
Dont let this people force you into the stone age.

[Skidmore]

12. Wonder if those parents ever check what their children are doing

after the prayer meetings. Believe me, evangelical and fundamentalist children more than make up for the strict rules when their parents aren't around. And the pastor's kids are usually the worst among them. I was just channel surfing and went past a Larry King program where he was talking to a Christian rock singer who had apparently just had a near drug overdose. So much for Christian entertainers being the answer to all of the temptations of the spirit.

[Cats Against Frist]

24. When I was in high school

The Presbyterian pastor's son, who was 17, had sex with one of my best friends, on a pew in the church. The daughter of another local pastor was one of the, uh, "least discriminating" girls in school. And the town doctor, who lived in a big house, with three angelic kids, who was a big member of the Presby. church, was fucking nurses at the hospital. Another town doctor, whose family was big into the Free Methodist church, lost her virginity in eighth grade. They sent her to a Christian college -- but it didn't stop her from getting knocked up before she was married and graduated. Another doctor, at the same practice, and another bigwig in the FM church, had an adopted daughter who was dating the town drug dealer -- who tried to kill her, and then eventually OD'd himself. This is in a small, VERY CONSERVATIVE town, with a nationally famous gestapo Christian college, which makes students sign contracts that say they won't dance, or play cards.

These were the families of some of the most prominent religious, Republican, country-club "community leaders" in town.

[chat_noir]

13. drama teacher may lose her job

"How am I supposed to know what's appropriate when I don't have any written guidelines, and it seems that what was appropriate yesterday isn't appropriate today?" Ms. DeVore asked. The teacher said she had been warned that because of the controversy, the school board might not renew her contract for next year.

[ulysses]

16. there's a shock.

Gutless fools. :argh:

[ChoralScholar]

76. I am not familiar with MO law, but in Arkansas, they would

need WAY more than that for a non-renewal. She could take them to court very easily.

[Tesha]

88. It depends whether she has tenure.

If she does *NOT* have tenure (typically, she has not yet worked
for the district for three continuous years), the school district
need offer no excuse at all.

Just "We've decided not to renew your contract next year."

Tesha

[QC]

14. Wow! A gutless administrator!

Who ever imagined such a thing? Unfortunately, this sort of thing is typical. Enderle doesn't want to offend a loud minority, so he caves in.

[kath]

45. A loud an very TINY minority - three people out of the whole town!

Sheesh.

[xchrom]

15. ok then -- so the conservative christians keep telling everybody else

what they can see & hear.

they are setting our agenda -- information and creativity coming only from the conservative christian point of view.

this is more dangerous than any other one thing.

the brainwashing of the vast american masses.

[TomClash]

17. Kissing!

How could they?

[Throckmorton]

19. I Know, because that will lead to rock and roll music, which leads to

Smoking Cigarettes and Drink Beer.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

18. Westminster College . . .

. . . is in Fulton, and last time I checked was a small but liberal school.

This is no doubt backlash to those 'evil liberals'. (Who are the reason for what little economy they have.)

It amazes me no end, that a small group of right-wing xtian preachers can, over the course of twenty years, deliver rural areas and small towns directly into the fucking stone age. They were on the fringe years ago . . . and now they run the show.

And it sounds like they've got it locked-up tight in rural Missouri.

:-(

[mcscajun]

20. Banning "The Crucible" -- High Irony

Dr. Enderle said he dropped the play after seeing this summary on the Web: "17th century Salem woman accuses an ex-lover's wife of witchery in an adaptation of the Arthur Miller play."

Um...doesn't Doctor Enderle pay attention when he reads? Does he even comprehend English? "...in an adaptation of the Arthur Miller play." Doesn't he get that whatever summary he read wasn't about the play itself? True, the summary has some elements of The Crucible in it, but let's get real. The "affair" is a McGuffin, the device that gets the action going and is nearly forgotten as the drama moves forward.

I think we have to reconcile ourselves to dealing with people who do NOT live in the same America as we do; there are pockets (many, many of them) out there of "UN-America", places where the cultural and civic values we believe are at the heart of America are stifled, ignored, and stamped out wherever they try to draw breath.
:scared:

[Greyhound]

21. Gee, ignorant dumb-ass wackos in MO. Who'd have thought it.

The fake '50s isn't backward enough, no we need to regress to the Victorian era, and I'm sure the good "doctor" doesn't even know what Miller's play is about.

[RayOfHope]

22. I USED TO TEACH IN THIS DISTRICT!

Dr. Enderle's main concern is not pissing anyone off. I've never seen anyone who play sthe middle any more than this man.

Sickening. I hope that drama teacher raises some holy hell.

Oh, at this high school one of the science teachers had a student teacher who was a lesbian. The science teacher gave the student teacher literature on the error of her sinful ways. Can you believe it?

[derby378]

28. He bends over backwards so often that he's lost his spine

Wonder if those churchgoers are connected with the Christian Coalition?

[liberalpragmatist]

80. I'm sure there are many more stories where that came from

I'm guessing this whole episode doesn't surprise you much.

How was the community as a whole? I can see that it was probably conservative - but 3 letters in a town of 3000 and the play and other "controversial" plays are being banned?

[salin]

23. What rock does this Supt live under?

His excuse for "approving" before hand: hadn't read the script - er... the movie has run on cable tv and network tv over a gazillion times since about 1980 - and you aren't familiar with the content? Oh please. Bending over because of three letters from a single congregation - by folks who hadn't seen the production? Man oh man.

[TheGunslinger]

26. Footloose was a documentary

;)

[chat_noir]

27. story in the NYT, but not local paper

http://www.fultonsun.com/


Are they embarrassed? [e-mail]


Bush Accelerated School :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

http://www.fulton.k12.mo.us/~bush/

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. Nothing in the KC paper either

[RayOfHope]

37. Named for a former district administrator n/t

[gauguin57]

29. Though Grease is a cute musical, I never liked the ending.

The fact that Sandy feels she has to become the town slut in order to keep Danny interested. Nah. No thanks. But compared to what's on TV and in the movies 24/7? CHILD'S PLAY!

That said, I've seen the movie about 50 times! And I despise John Travolta (because I hate all Scientologists for shilling for a cult that robs and kills people). And I've STILL seen it 50 times.

This holy-roller outrage has become thoroughly tiresome. There was a big hoo-hah in my area years ago over "Little Shop of Horrors" done at a high school. I guess they won't be happy till "Oklahoma!" is performed every year. Oops ... nope ... Judd Fry is a sexual predator. Uh, "Carousel." Nope, Billy Bigelow is a wifebeater. "Bye Bye Birdie" ... uh, nope ... kids out of control and disobeying their parents. Well, let's cancel all the musicals! SHEESH!

[liberalpragmatist]

54. Ha! They mentioned exactly those two plays...

Read the article and they're like "we can't do Bye Bye Birdie because of this..." and "we can't do Oklahoma because there's an attempted rape..." And they mention "Little Shop of Horrors" as well.

[proud2BlibKansan]

75. Yes we musn't expose our kids to violent carniverous plants

[mitchum]

30. Nothing but stagings of The Passion Play for high school productions

[The Icon Painter]

31. Another Suggestion

"The Sound of Music" would probably get by if they omit the nuns so as not to offend the Baptists.

[donco6]

39. That's awfully violent.

There's death and torture. "Would you take a six year old" - as the article asks.

I say they stage any play they want, with any theme they want, but perform it all in floor length dresses and mime any smoking/drinking. That seems to be the only thing these whackos care about. They don't even notice the message of the play, just the visuals.

[proud2BlibKansan]

81. Who the hell would take a 6 year old to a high school play anyway?

[JVS]

83. Parents of people in the play who have 6 year old children

Duh!

[proud2BlibKansan]

84. They don't have babysitters in Fulton, MO?

I teach elementary school. 6 year olds do not have the attention span for a high school play like The Crucible or Midsummer Night's Dream.

Finding Nemo would be more their speed, but I don't think it works on a stage too well. :eyes:

[JVS]

85. First of all we're talking about a musical in this thread, which is not...

same as a play. 6 year olds are perfectly capable of sitting and watching musicals. But even more importantly, this is an issue of the event in question being a family affair. The primary audience of High School productions are the families of people involved in the production. As such, the whole family is likely to be there unless they are infants or to advanced in age to leave home (and I've seen infants at HS productions, so you can't rule them out of the audience) They are there for the same reason that they go to graduation ceremonies: to see their brother or sister go through the event. Families would turn out in full force even if it were to watch a recitation of the digits of pi

[proud2BlibKansan]

87. But they aren't doing the musical

Remember - 'Grease' is not appropriate family fare in Fulton. LOL

I wouldn't take a 6 year old to a high school play even if he was related to every cast member on the stage. But I guess that's just me. :eyes:

[jakefrep]

33. The community discourages drinking, smoking, and kissing?

Doesn't sound like a very livable community IMO.

[RayOfHope]

38. This community has an unbelievably high # of teen pregnancy n/t

[kevinbgoode]

34. These people just disgust me

Naturally, they want to cover up historical periods where "christians" were so often the bad guys. . .and anything else that might more closely reflect reality than their fantasy lives. I hope some DU'ers send LTTE's to that little town's newspaper and ask them what planet they are living on. . .and if their town is completely crime-free or is it just covered up in church?

[mitchum]

36. Their faith in their magical beliefs is actiually rather shakey...

and they don't want ANYTHING that could possibly lead to self doubt.

[politicat]

40. My irony meter is way up in the red zone....

Banning the Crucible because of an edited version of Grease?

Oh. My. God.

I hope the teacher finds a new job and I feel really bad for that school....

[converted_democrat]

42. I swear to God these people make me want to pull my hair out..n/t

[dogday]

46. This is the same group who like Desperate Housewives......nt

[mainer]

48. But "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is okay?

Are they too stupid to understand how bawdy Shakespeare is?

[liberalpragmatist]

56. I thought the same thing!

At the end, the superintendent is like "well, even Shakespeare is a little objectionable, but it's historically significant..."

[TrogL]

49. OK, so what play are they supposed to perform?

...besides overtly religious stuff?

Seussical? Check out the lyrics. http://theatre-musical.com/seussical/libretto.html

No fundy church is going to tolerate talking animals and the script just plain sucks. It bombed on Broadway.

Brigadoon? http://musicals.net/cgi-bin/synopsis?sn=8&show=Brigadoon

Lots of sexual tension.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the forum? Damm those Romans and their drunken orgies.

[indie_voter]

57. They should adapt stories from the bible

Adam and Eve in Paradise?

Samson and Delilah (to jazz it up, they could play the Grateful Dead's song. http://www.lyricsfreak.com/g/grateful-dead/62473.html ) ?

Story of Lot?

[Bozita]

73. Jesus kicking the moneychangers from the temple?

The religious right wouldn't likely get it.

[Montagnard]

50. Small minds leading society

to censure in order to assure conformity

[lectrobyte]

51. I really don't understand what they are thinking (they = the ban-the-play

folks). If a high schooler is gonna be corrupted by "Grease", then they are probably a lost cause to Jeebus anyway, just think what'll happen to them the first time they see an R-rated movie. Much better to raise your children to have some common sense and ability to discriminate for themselves instead of wrapping up the world in bubble wrap so they won't find a sharp corner. It really is a culture war, isn't it?

[drm604]

53. Maybe he needs to receive more than 3 letters.

Maybe superintendent Enderle needs to receive a lot more than 3 very polite but to the point letters opposing his action and supporting Ms. Devore. Maybe that church also needs to receive some polite letters about the activities of their members and reminding them that if the church is in any way coordinating political activies (influencing taxpayer supported schools, for example) that they could be jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.

[indie_voter]

55. Paging the Daily Show to the white courtesy phone!

Now that would be an interesting segment! They should interview the members of the Callaway Christian Church, Dr. Enderle, and the kids.

[The Doctor.]

60. WTF?

What the hell is wrong with these people?

"Gosh, if we don't show teens drinking and kissing, then maybe our kids will suddenly have less desire for crystal meth and sex."

These people live in a fantasy world.

[Kurovski]

62. It's time for some fundie sects to consider the Amish model of living.

Then they can live as they wish, and others will likewise be free to live as they wish.

Just as The Constitution promises.

But I can't help thinking it's more about psychological traumas worked out in public rather than living in true faith when it comes to some (most?) fundamentalists.

[DarkTirade]

65. No kissing under 18?

Obviously someone who somehow managed to skip their own teenage years somehow...

[TankLV]

68. Surprisingly, I agree. I'd prefer they do "Hairspray" myself.

Never liked "Grease" since I first say it.

I can't remember what other movies "Divine" was in, or I'd recommend them as plays to do, too.

[Kurovski]

69. "Pink Flamingos"

That would go over big.

Or another winner: "Female Trouble" Where Divine bludgeons her parents to death with the Christmas tree for not getting her the cha-cha-heels she wanted.

Who could blame her?

[TankLV]

78. Thanks. I couldn't remember.

Which one had the "eggs" routine?

[Kurovski]

91. Pink Flamingos.

http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/23/pinkflamingos.html

'Waters devotes much attention to Edith Massey’s egg obsession, which culminates in a screeching fit when Edie somehow imagines all the chickens in the world might disappear. Babs soothes her by saying, "Mama, that’s just egg paranoia."'

'Pink Flamingos follows the adventures of Babs Johnson (Divine), a fat, style-obsessed criminal who lives in a trailer with her mentally ill mother Edie (Edith Massey), her delinquent son Crackers (Danny Mills), and her traveling companion Cotton (Mary Vivian Pearce). Their little dream life of shoplifting, egg-sucking, and chicken-fucking is threatened when an eccentric couple, Raymond and Connie Marble (David Lochary and Mink Stole), "two jealous perverts" according to the script, try to seize Bab’s title of "filthiest person alive" by sending her a turd in the mail and burning down her trailer.'

:-) I think this line from the movie might be the ultimate tribute to partisanship:

"I guess there are just two kinds of people in this world — my kind of people, and assholes."

[madmom]

70. maybe they could start acting out scenes from

the bible, you know the ones with violence, adultery, incest, and murder. See if they try to have them banned .

[TankLV]

79. I vote for the song of songs or the one where Lott is seduced by his

DAUGHTERS!

That would go over big, I think!

[ChoralScholar]

77. My GOD I can't STAND this anymore?

Will these morons stop at nothing to return us to Pleasantville?!?!?!

[NMMNG]

82. These wingnuts need to stop

The entire world does not need to submit to their puritanical ideals.

Maybe the kids should do some plays based on Bible stories. Those would be really wholesome. :sarcasm:

[iamthebandfanman]

86. damn nazi's

next they will want to burn the books.

[rodeodance]

89. The moral police are at it again.

[BiggJawn]

90. Do the 3 complainers even HAVE kids in the school system?

I'll bet they don't. Either they don't have kids in school, or they spend part of each morning teaching them around the kitchen table about how Adam rode around the Garden on a dinosaur before sending them off to watch Veggietale videos and Rod Parsley.