Everyone's A Little Bit Racist

The Broadway musical is stereotypically fluffy and sweet with happy songs and spontaneous dance numbers. However, that is not always the case. Though Disney would have you believe otherwise. In fact often a musical takes on issues of the time and makes a social commentary on it. One musical that is a perfect example is Avenue Q, which is musical with puppets. But not just any puppets, muppets, except these Muppets aren't as warm and fuzzy as the ones we know and love. These muppets are actually facing real life modern issues, with songs such as Everyone's a Little Bit Racist, If You were Gay, Sucks to Be Me, and There's a Fine, Fine Line. The idea that musicals don't make statements is incorrect. In many cases theatre and musicals are a light-hearted way of showing people their short comings, in a non-threatening manner. The songs in Avenue Q tackle issues pertinent to today's society without chastising people or getting on their case. The song Everyone's a Little Bit Racist, makes the point that there isn't really such a thing as being "color blind",  but as the song says that doesn't mean all people go around committing hate crimes. The show makes serious/"taboo" subjects, such as racism, and homosexuality more accessible, in an attempt to open lines of communication. The song If You Were Gay, is all about tolerance, accepting people for who they are no matter what. Fine, Fine Line is about relationships, and how when you cross the line of friendship into something more things can get messy. While there are other musicals that handle social issues, Avenue Q is the one that does it very bluntly and like Dane Cook says, "It is so true, that's why it's funny..." People see the show and get a good laugh, because it is relatable. There are very few mediums that can call people out for their short comings and not offend and/or chastise them. And the idea, that theatre just has to keep people happy, and go along with what the audience is comfortable with is complete BS. Musical Theatre has consistently pushed people out of their comfort zones. Shows like American Idiot, Chicago, West Side Story, Memphis, and even A Chorus Line deal with subjects of war, murder, intolerance, racism, and A Chorus Line deals with those and more. From the outside Broadway Musicals look like all sequins and fluff, but almost all deal with deeper issues. So the next time you groan and criticize show-tunes, remember that those songs could be making just as big a statement, to a possibly larger population, as your protest music.