Oregon Daily Emerald
Thursday, November 4, 2004
"Imagine The Creator as a stand-up comedian —
and at once the world becomes explicable."
H.L. Mencken | Political commentator
■ In my opinion
RYAN MURPHEY
MR. SOPHISTICATION
Snotty stars
should be
slapped with
humiliation
Celebrities are the spinner hubcaps of society.
They are flashy, entertaining and easily noticed,
but when it comes down to it, basically useless.
So why do I know more about Paris Hilton’s dog,
Tinkerbell, than 1 do about the policies of half of
my elected officials? Why is it that the criminal
activities, wardrobe malfunctions, and scan
dalous sex lives of the rich and famous draw as
much, if not more, media coverage than geno
cide in Sudan, political upheaval in Haiti or even
the measures we voted on last Tuesday to decide
the future of regional and national legislation?
The argument has been made that airing the
dirty laundry of the stars reminds us that they
are not perfect, that they are “people just like
us.” Right. The truth is that most people just
like me have never had a birthday party hosted
by the King of Morocco. Most people just like
me would not make international news for ap
pearing in an amateur sex video. Being the
particularly covetous and childish person that
1 am, I find that my interest in the lives of the
social elite is less motivated by a desire to re
late to the stars than it is by a petty hatred for
people who have more than I do.
Watching a snotty musician or actor get
publicly humiliated provides me with the
kind of warmth and satisfaction generally re
served for a daytime television program
about a former gang member trying to turn
his life around. As far as I’m concerned, Ash
lee Simpson’s recent lip-synching mishap on
Saturday Night Live is ironclad proof that
there is an omnipotent God. Of all the per
formances at which the talentless little faux
delinquent’s ruse could have been revealed,
it was on one of the most well-known live
television shows in America, and not long af
ter she had denounced other performers for
doing the same thing. How’s that for a divine
bitch-slap?
All too often the true reasons for outrage over
celebrity indiscretions are overlooked in light of
more conventional objections such as morality
and social expectations. When I heard rumors
that Britney Spears’ most recent marriage may
have been the result of an unexpected pregnan
cy, I was not in the least bit upset by the thought
of the teen icon being impregnated out of wed
lock. What horrified me was the realization that
if the rumors were true, Britney Spears would be
raising a child, and that disgusts me far more
than does the violation of unrealistic social
morals. During Britney’s career as a talentless
void, she has managed to inflict irreparable
damage on an entire generation of preteen girls
and yet no concerns have been raised about the
results her parenting might yield.
Normal people go through messy divorces,
have drinking problems, raise children, take
stands on issues and develop eating disorders,
but are lucky if members of their own family
take much notice. For whatever reason, if these
same people starred in a movie or performed a
hit single, they would be hard pressed to break
wind without making headlines. I suppose I
should insert a little diatribe here about the dan
gers of celebrity worship, but I’d rather get home
and watch “The Simple Life.”
ryanmurphey@ daily emerald, com
Musical pokes fun at politics
'Good Morning Athens' provides comic relief
while sending a serious, timely political message
BY NATASHA CHIUNGERIAN
SENIOR PULSE REPORTER
Don’t expect to see any to
gas in the musical “Good
Morning Athens. ” The
University Theatre’s second pro
duction of the school year, which
opens Friday, will be full of con
temporary music, language, cos
tumes and political themes.
Former University of
Wyoming student Sean Keogh
wrote the musical, which he
based on the ancient Greek play
“Lysistrata.” The production
tells the tale of a Greek commu
nity whose leader, General Tan
talos, is up for re-election. Tan
talos, who bought himself into
office the first time, decides to
go to war for no reason other
than to increase his chances of
re-election. The women in the
community decide to protest the
war by refusing to have sex with
their husbands until the fighting
stops, and their vows of celiba
cy become a hot topic on the lo
cal TV show, “Good Morning
Athens.” University Theatre De
velopment Director Joseph Gilg
said although the show sends a
serious political message, it is
heavily comedic.
“It’s a spoof and a farce; it
pokes fun at politics and war,”
he said. “People will read into
those deeper, darker meanings,
and that’s fine because they’ll
laugh. It’s like watching ‘The
Daily Show.’”
Gilg said he and other theater
department staff members chose
the production after viewing it
last winter at a college theater fes
tival at the University of Idaho.
He added that it makes references
to World War I and II, Adolf Hitler
and the current situation with oil
and the war in Iraq.
“We thought it was very
exciting and timely,” Gilg said.
“At this point in American histo
ry, this play has a certain reso
nance with everyone, we think. ”
Cast members were selected
last spring and reviewed the
script and music over the sum
mer, but they only began re
hearsing this term. Senior the
ater arts student Sarah Griner,
who plays Lysistrata, the wife of
General Tantalos and leader of
the women’s peace movement
against sex, said she enjoys the
modern aspects of the show and
working with other women.
“1 love how this part allows
me to reach back into my femi
nine side,” she said. “I’m on
stage with girls most of the
time, and it’s like having a girls’
night out. It allows for natural
acting qualities. This show has
a lot of contemporary characters
whom people can relate to.”
Today’s society is reflected in
the show’s sets, costumes and
music, which include graffiti
painted buildings, street-wear,
army fatigues and a mixture of
rap, hip-hop and rock tunes.
Senior theater arts student
Deric Davis, who plays
Herodotus, one of the hus
bands, said he loves that the
show is hilarious yet sends out a
message of peace. He added
that one challenging aspect of
the production was getting used
to a large amount of physical
contact with other actors.
“It’s such a touchy-feely
show; there’s a lot of groping
and feeling, and that was differ
ent for me,” he said. “It was
quite strange to jump into that
and do sexual things. In one
scene, the women are trying to
entice the men and make them
horny, and they’re really touch
ing and rubbing and dancing in
V
ir
Lauren Wimer | Senior photographer
From left to right: Danielle Kardum (Chrysis), Sarah Griner (Lysistrata) and
Juliet Strong (Thalia) perform in "Good Morning Athens."
front of them.”
Although the show’s message
takes a stance against war, Davis
said it shouldn't offend viewers
who supported the war in Iraq.
“1 can see how it would be
controversial, and people could
read into it, but 1 think the mes
sage is a good message,” he
said. “It’s a message of peace.”
The University Theatre will
present “Good Morning Athens”
at the Robinson Theatre Friday,
Saturday and Nov. 12,13,19 and
20 at 8 p.m.; Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.;
and Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost
$6 for University students; $11 for
University staff, faculty, seniors
and non-University students; and
$14 for the general public. Tickets
can be purchased at the EMU
Ticket Office.
ruuchilingerian@ daily emerald, com
Local art collective heads to The Buzz
New Zone focuses on collaboration between students
and community members to create eclectic artwork
BY AMY LICHTY
PULSE REPORTER
With all of its art galleries,
artistic organizations and art
classes, Eugene is a wonderful
place for art lovers to live. Art
work ranges from glass-blowing
to photography to murals on
street walls. Today, the Eugene
based New Zone Art Collective
is making its way to The Buzz
coffee shop and the Aperture
Gallery, located in the EMU.
According to its Web site, the
New Zone Art Collective has
been around for more than 20
years and is a nonprofit organi
zation committed to presenting
and encouraging the education
and development of local artists
and art students.
“They’re all community
members and do many things
for the community,” UO Cultur
al Forum Event Coordinator Eri
ca Rothman said. “Not only are
they a nonprofit organization
bringing new experimental art
to Eugene and the surrounding
areas, but they also have an ed
ucational side.”
Although this won’t be the
first time the artists have dis
played work at the University, it
has been years since their last
showing, and they’re eager to
reconnect with students.
“This is a wonderful experi
ence for the collective,” New
Zone President Peter Herley said.
“Getting the diversity of the stu
dents who will see the work
every day and the interaction
with the students is great. We
haven’t had this kind of interac
tion since we left our space on
Broadway, where we had a really
good ongoing relationship with
the students of the University. We
hope to bring that back.”
With a membership of about
fifty Eugene-area artists, the New
Zone Art Collective ranges from
realistic painting to abstract art
and everything in between.
“I’m amazed by the depth that
their collection brings,” Rothman
said. “They have many media
represented and I think that the
show at The Buzz coffee shop
will be very diverse. ”
One goal that both the UO
Cultural Forum and the New
Zone Art Collective hope to
meet is for students and com
munity members to come to the
opening of the show at 5 p.m.
today in The Buzz. Art-lovers
are encouraged to attend the
opening, where light refresh
ments will be provided by the
Cultural Forum.
“The New Zone has a very
sizable following throughout
the community,” Rothman said.
“But hopefully the art will draw
more students so we can have a
nice mingling of both communi
ty members and UO students.”
The New Zone Art Collective
would like to achieve another
goal with the help of the com
munity.
“Our future goal is to get our
own space (to put up work),”
Herley said. "Anyone who
wants to help finance or be a
patron is more than welcome to
contact us by visiting our Web
site at www.newzone.org.”
New Zone’s art collection will
be available for viewers to enjoy
in The Buzz and the Aperture
Gallery throughout November.
“We’re looking forward to
this show,” Herley said. “It’s go
ing to be fun.”
amylichty@dailyemera.ld. com