When people say that some concept is too complicated for voters to understand, I remember Stephen Sondheim's line about the "West Side Story" movie. He was told that it didn't have "hummable" songs. Then United Artists spent a ton of $ promoting it, the movie was a hit, and suddenly it was hummable. - ThreadSky

daveweigel.bsky.social • 1 day ago

When people say that some concept is too complicated for voters to understand, I remember Stephen Sondheim's line about the "West Side Story" movie. He was told that it didn't have "hummable" songs. Then United Artists spent a ton of $ promoting it, the movie was a hit, and suddenly it was hummable.

Reposted from Jonathan Ladd

I was told that protecting due process couldn't be a winning political issue because a poll from before this gained wide publicity showed people weren't already upset about it.

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peppermcfly.bsky.social•1 day ago

I love this analogy🫰

bbones47.bsky.social•1 day ago

This should be a disqualification for any Presidential aspirations. My governor included.

psiluvu.bsky.social•1 day ago

Corporate cowarice. I remember when no one would ever mention safety in car ads because "talking about car safety would make people think that cars are unsafe."

jarekfa.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yah, but also, don't blast Jet Song on your external music player while biking through Brooklyn. It gets awkward. Stick to Sergeant Krupke.

stillngb.bsky.social•1 day ago

bskolo.bsky.social•1 day ago

Dave are you saying people in power with the ability to message to people can actually shape the public perception? Wow. I didn’t know that. You’re telling me now for the first time.

argica.bsky.social•1 day ago

It has ear worms!!!

shellyfriedland.bsky.social•1 day ago

Of course the hummable tunes were written by Leonard Bernstein, not Sondheim, who wrote the lyrics.

jakelaperruque.bsky.social•1 day ago

"We're gonna have to dial it down"
"Why not dial it up .... numbers lie all the time"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7FJFuuvxpI

berryfields.bsky.social•1 day ago

Boy, boy, crazy boy... Stay cool, boy!

soapsscifi.bsky.social•1 day ago

One of the problems is that a lot of people don't care about understanding, rather than not understanding. If the GOP and the media tell them to go along with this idea, they will.

fplynch.bsky.social•1 day ago

I Feel Pretty isn't hummable? America isn't hummable? Sure.

realchrispeterson.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yeah, the problem is that it was a ludicrously bad take from the outset.

cantard.bsky.social•12 hours ago

~There's gonna be a rumble....toooooonight.~

nmgelfond.bsky.social•1 day ago

Who knew you were not just a prog rock guy, but a musicale guy, too

decmusicology.bsky.social•1 day ago

There's lots in West Side Story to keep a prog rock dude happy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoQEddtFN3Q

mariarobinson.bsky.social•1 day ago

Sondheim noted exactly one autobiographical song ("Opening Doors" from Merrily, which addressed this precise situation.

sethdmichaels.bsky.social•1 day ago

in a song so painfully catchy that I hope it drove that original producer mad

morfaleji.bsky.social•1 day ago

Never stops being true

brianbhorne.bsky.social•1 day ago

Beyond WSS, he also talks about in an interview about how many “hummable” songs from classic musicals benefit from repetition within the shows themselves: in the overture and the entr’acte, at least once in Act 1, however many reprises in both Acts 1 and 2, and maybe even the bows/exit music.

processanalyzer.bsky.social•1 day ago

They don’t have to understand anything. That’s kind of the point of MAGA and why they hate democracy - they want to be told what to think. Do you think they understand Trans people?

jimj.bsky.social•1 day ago

Politicians and journalists are there to make complex concepts accessible to the public, for their deliberation. It's contemptuous to write off the "average voter" as too dumb, when it is YOUR JOB to communicate the issues.

mojavette.bsky.social•1 day ago

This is it. I've experienced a really high level of ignorance in my district. And I would not write off these neighbors as dumb or bad people. If I'm not ignorant of the same things it's because someone in my past made a patient and skillful effort to show me. Contempt is poison.

megankcool.bsky.social•3 hours ago

So sick of all the Democrats willing to throw marginalized people under the bus and who don't have the courage to stand up for what's right because of "polling" and who push right wing policies to get votes.

megankcool.bsky.social•3 hours ago

BLOOP.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/democrats-border-bill-wrong/

schwanderer.bsky.social•1 day ago

IF ultimately Abrego Garcia is brought back & tried before Aileen Cannon & deported again to El Salvador what do the dems win/lose politically? Moral wins are something else. PS Why is Wes Moore not more vocal on this??

drwohl.bsky.social•1 day ago

I have quite literally been humming "A Boy Like That..." all morning

joeldueck.com•1 day ago

Cf. Minnesota Magats mad about our brand new state flag because it “doesn’t represent Minnesota”.

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