Would a trigger warning before showing 1965 Othello film have saved this professor?

[Anonymous]

Geez, it's simple. Don't show things that use blackface. It's offensive, even on Olivier. Are there no other Othello productions he could show?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Geez, it's simple. Don't show things that use blackface. It's offensive, even on Olivier. Are there no other Othello productions he could show?

OMG. The entire history of this play, as produced, is the history of blackface in drama. You are not teaching Othello if you are not dealing with that reality in some way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Geez, it's simple. Don't show things that use blackface. It's offensive, even on Olivier. Are there no other Othello productions he could show?

There is a very good 1995 production starting Laurence Fishburn, who is a Black man. It’s actually notable for being the first major production of the play to have a Black man play the title role rather than using a White man in blackface.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geez, it's simple. Don't show things that use blackface. It's offensive, even on Olivier. Are there no other Othello productions he could show?

OMG. The entire history of this play, as produced, is the history of blackface in drama. You are not teaching Othello if you are not dealing with that reality in some way.

Which is why you have a discussion about that before showing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a path for redemption for him? If so, how must be atone?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2021/10/university-of-michigan-professor-steps-down-from-class-after-blackface-incident.html%3foutputType=amp

“The controversy surrounds Sheng’s showing the 1965 movie Othello on Sept. 10 to his undergraduate music composition seminar class. The film adaptation of the William Shakespeare play stars Laurence Olivier as the title character of the Moorish King, and features Olivier in blackface.”

The question should be: Is there a path to redemption for the university?

[Anonymous]

I’m probably just as appalled by the quality of writing of this article. “…saying it was a mutual decision between he and Sheng” — what teacher taught someone that foul structure is correct? That’s the teacher who should be let go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is McCarthyism now, pure and simple. Only coming from the left instead of the right.

I'm a lefty, and don't know anyone who would do this to such a professor.

I don't know WHO makes these stupid decisions.

Answer: ridiculous, overwrought, sanctimonious, leftist students and their counterparts in the administration. Very disappointed in Michigan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This is McCarthyism now, pure and simple. Only coming from the left instead of the right.

Nonsense. It is not true. This is the second time today I've posted that I'm a dem. Cancel culture is over the top, and this professor's situation is ridiculous. Students are adults! Keep it up and the navel-gazers will be too fearful to make meaningful impacts in the big world.

Do you know what McCarthyism is?

LOL, no she doesn't. Wow.

He probably thinks it refers to Kevin McCarthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, if you use "cancel culture" as though it's a real thing, I am going to know you're not seriously engaged in understanding much of anything.

Why do you think this isn’t “cancel culture”?

Did someone lose a job that was essential to their survival? Does that person have no hope of getting a similar position that will allow them to continue to function in their chosen field?

Or some someone lazy/sloppy about following developments in their field, or deliberately offensive, and are they receiving consequences as a result?

My husband is a professor and he is one of the least offensive people in history. He actually has nightmares about making a mistake and getting “cancelled.” It is real.

He can avoid that by talking to his students in advance about how he wants to be respectful of everyone and make sure he doesn’t make people uncomfortable. He needs to stress that he wants students to let him know if he is accidentally offensive.

NP. Oh, please. Enough of this babying students and tiptoeing around anything that could be perceived as even a tiny bit offensive. To anyone who feels the need for "trigger warnings" or "safe spaces" - grow the hell up. What has happened to our universities?

[Anonymous]

I'm curious why he was showing a non-musical film in a music class. Was he going to discuss Verdi's Otello?

[Anonymous]

Fortunately Engineering and Finance students and faculty never face such situations in their courses. Safe for faculty and safe for students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious why he was showing a non-musical film in a music class. Was he going to discuss Verdi's Otello?

I'm certain that Othello has a soundtrack in the background - films from that era (and today!) are backed by orchestral compositions even if they aren't "musicals" with singing and dancing. Music plays a large part in setting scenes and moods. You must know this?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, if you use "cancel culture" as though it's a real thing, I am going to know you're not seriously engaged in understanding much of anything.

Why do you think this isn’t “cancel culture”?

Did someone lose a job that was essential to their survival? Does that person have no hope of getting a similar position that will allow them to continue to function in their chosen field?

Or some someone lazy/sloppy about following developments in their field, or deliberately offensive, and are they receiving consequences as a result?

My husband is a professor and he is one of the least offensive people in history. He actually has nightmares about making a mistake and getting “cancelled.” It is real.

He can avoid that by talking to his students in advance about how he wants to be respectful of everyone and make sure he doesn’t make people uncomfortable. He needs to stress that he wants students to let him know if he is accidentally offensive.

NP. Oh, please. Enough of this babying students and tiptoeing around anything that could be perceived as even a tiny bit offensive. To anyone who feels the need for "trigger warnings" or "safe spaces" - grow the hell up. What has happened to our universities?

Oh good. The “I’m a racist and do not care about people being offended” view is posted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He is a two-time Pulitzer nominee and a recipient of a MacArthur fellowship. And he has to leave the university for showing an Oscar nominated film. The university should defend him. Instead they’re too scared of accusations of racism to support their own scholars.

+1

I am pretty liberal, but this is beyond ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

What would happen if a music history professor showed West Side Story?