Opera Director sets production of Little Mermaid in brothel

[Nyac]

As you do. If you're a man and that's how you view women.

Audience members walk out:

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/9111807/Royal-Operas-Rusalka-greeted-with-chorus-of-boos.html

I suppose it gave them the chance to sex up their female performers and dress them in scanty outfits, and what male director can resist that?

[SardineQueen]

It could be quite an interesting idea if it wasn't an excuse for the women to take their clothes off!

[KRITIQ]

(checks calendar . . . strange it's not 1st April yet!)

[Trills]

I also think it could be an interesting idea.

The "Little Mermaid" story is in itself fairly anti-feminist - woman is willing to give up her best quality in order to meet man that she has seen very briefly from a distance. The woman who takes this quality from her uses it to try to seduce said man.

Setting it in a brothel doesn't seem to make it any less feminist to me...

[MoChan]

I agree, Trills. I think it's a horrible story (especially when not Disney-ed up - though I've no idea how this version ends) and I think such a setting would probably emphasis the unpleasantness and darkness of it. I'm not saying that this hasn't been done just to be controversial/salacious, but the depiction of women in brothels, especially if done in a way which makes it clear that they women are in misery, is propaganda against prostitution, isn't it?

I don't know, maybe I'm talking arse. I haven't seen it.

[Trills]

^?Rusalka is a fairytale but, as we know, all good fairytales are also about not just the pretty pictures but about the demons, about the nightmares in life.
?As with all great operas, this is essentially a tragedy and I hope there will be good reason to share a tear or two towards the ending of Rusalka.?^

Fair enough.

[Nyac]

What does it being less or more feminist have to do with anything? I'm talking about the misogyny of some male directors who can't resist putting women in the "wh*re" role, even when that's not what the story is about.

[Trills]

You posted in Feminism, therefore I commented on the story from a feminist angle.

[Nyac]

Are you going to use some feminist analysis on why some male directors like to turn female performers into prostitutes, even when the story doens't call for it? Because that's what the thread is about.

Also feminists don't generally rate things on whether they are feminist or not - that would be navel gazing unless we're talking about the quality of actual politics. We examine whether something is misogynist or harmful to women.

This production doesn't claim to be feminist, so I'm not really seeing why whether it's feminist or not would be a useful measure.

[Trills]

Alright then, the original story is "harmful to women". Better?

Setting it in a brothel highlights how the only goal of both of the main women in the story is to please a man. This is an interesting way of looking at the story.

[Nyac]

Is the goal of women in brothels to please a man.

They're forced to service them generally, particularly if there is a pimp or a madam involved, but I'd call that being raped, not pleasing.

[LittleWhiteWolf]

I personally don't see a problem with it as a modern re-working of the original story. I agree with Trills.

But I shall probably get told off by the OP for not discussing what the thread is about

[LittleWhiteWolf]

If this were a re-working of a fairytale in a book by Angela Carter, rather than an opera directed by a man, would that make a difference OP?

[KRITIQ]

Couple of different issues here really.

One, there's the story of the Little Mermaid which reflects and reinforces gender stereotypes, so in any form (unless seriously reworked like some fairy tales have been,) is unlikely to convey feminist messages.

Two, there's the decision to set the story in a brothel, providing the opportunity for the production to stylise performers in an overtly sexualised way and generally capitalise on the "taboo" of "sexing up" what's supposed to be a children's story. The aim there is to court controversy and no doubt they hope, generate more sales at the box office.

So, both the fairy tale it's based on and this particular production are misogynist, but for different reasons.

I do see the connection between the Mermaid "selling herself" for the sake of a man and a prostitute literally selling herself, but I can't see that either the fairy tale or this interpretation add anything positive to discussions about gender stereotypes, sexual equality, exploitation of women, etc.

[KRITIQ]

And, just to clarify, I don't mean that either the Little Mermaid or a prostitute necessarily have agency, which might be suggested by the term "selling herself."

[TunipTheVegemal]

good post Kritiq.
It looked to me like the director trying to have his cake and eat it - you get the titillation of looking at women dressed in their underwear and imagining them as prostitutes but it's opera doncha know, high art, so actually it must be saying profound things about the relationship between the sexes. Or not.

[KRITIQ]

Bingo Tunip! It's not the first nor sadly will it be the last example of this. Sounds like it was crap though, so hopefully this example at least will shortly sink without a trace.

[sonicrainboom]

Dammit why do all modern media have to include women in their underwear? Women as whores?
If I'm gonna watch some sexist opera at least put the actors in some nice costumes.

[Nyac]

I don't think the Little Mermaid sold herself (also women in prostitution generally don't sell themselves, they're sold). She sacrificed herself.

A pernicious sexist story, but something different from prostitution.

[Nyac]

Basically they stretched this story madly to fit their prostitution agenda, so they could get their performers to act sexee on stage.