I'm at my laptop at a desk in the local library, making use of the library's wifi and ergonomics. At the moment, I have junk everywhere and no suitable workstation. I've been finalising a textual analysis on gender differences in the study of literature and had to use The Handmaid's Tale as my literary text. I didn't mind that. Story is gripping and in many ways as bleak as a drizzly sky, but to my curiosity, it is classed as satire. Given its futuristic setting and oppressive government, I had classed it as dystopian, but the cultural texts I had to study for my analysis classed it as satire, so it is satire with which I ran. I had the choice of using this text alone or interspersing my analysis with Pride and Prejudice, but you know something? I would sooner take a handful of Fishermen's Friends cough lollies and stuff them into my bum before I suffer though that book again. The Bennet family (with the exception of its patriarch and the Lizzie character) are simply the most insufferable and shit-boring lot ever to grace a page. Anyway, here's hoping I answered the question sought in the assessment.
If you're on social media, then chances are your feed has been clogged with clickbait about the ejection of a breastfeeding woman from Arj Barker's comedy show the other night. The 'breastfeeding' is the clickbait. By all accounts, the woman was asked to leave because the baby was NOISY. For those who don't know: babies who are feeding, whether by breast or bottle, are fairly quiet.
I have no real opinion on Arj Barker's comedy because I've not seen much of it. However, I am totally with him on this issue and am getting increasingly irritated by the accusations and chest-beating about people having a right to go out and not be shut in at home, and Barker can't be much of a comedian if he can't take a bit of noise, and why is the sky so blue blahdy-blahdy-blah, Let me spell it out: comedians rely upon timing. The audience has paid to see a show and they don't want it compromised because the performer cannot perform to standard owing to an unreasonable disruption. I saw a comic years ago who got tetchy with an audience member clapping and shrieking 'Woooo!'. I was in agreeance when he called him out, and I daresay so were my fellow audience members.
Furthermore, I am aware the late Warren Mitchell, when playing Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman some years ago, actually stopped the performance because a patron had used a camera (this was in the days of flashes etc). I have had my own experience with unexpected disruption as a performer. Some years ago, I was in a play and the previous scene involved other characters leaving the stage, ostensibly to make love. Anyway, I was doing my lines, interacting with another actor, and from offstage, the female cast member decided to improvise by shrieking in an orgasmic fashion. Was this funny? I don't know; I wasn't in the audience. Was it downright inconsiderate to fellow actors who weren't expecting it, and not only were they drowned out, but their timing was thrown? Oh, you betcha. I remained in character and delivered my lines, but I detected a slight flinch of annoyance from the guy with whom I was sharing stage space, which indicates he was pissed off at our castmate, too. This was our final performance, which was fortunate for her, because I would have complained vociferously to the director to ensure this did not happen again.
Anyway, the woman took the bub to Arj's gig has been (breast!)milking her Warholian fifteen minutes for all it's worth. She claims she felt humiliated at being asked to leave. Apparently, there was some abuse and pile-on from guys in the audience as she was leaving. That's not on, but seriously, folks: your crotch-fruit is not welcome everywhere, okay? I love babies. I have had two. However, I would not be thrilled to have a stage show spoiled because there was one squawking next to me, thereby drowning out the performance. People have paid to watch the show, so have some consideration before taking an infant to a venue and show that is really not appropriate, okay?
No sympathy from me, lady.
