2,452 posts
|
Post by theatremadness on Jul 12, 2017 16:04:18 GMT
Oh absolutely. She definitely should always be allowed and should continue to use her platform and voice, I just wish sometimes her choices or intentions were a little better. Which is all completely my problem, not hers, hence my unfollowing her. But yeah, she shouldn't be silenced, or something else that doesn't sound like I just said something straight out of a 1950's gangster movie.
(Oh, and Wiki tells me that Cynthia played Madeleine in Umbrellas. She looked after Guy's aunt and is secretly in love with him, according to the film's plot!)
|
|
2,041 posts
|
Post by 49thand8th on Jul 12, 2017 16:59:39 GMT
Looks like she's got a lot of spare time to tweet so much... I'd rather focus on her stage performances, than her twitter rants. Some people can multitask.
|
|
2,809 posts
|
Post by couldileaveyou on Jul 12, 2017 17:55:22 GMT
Once I wrote about her that she's great but a little full of herself and now I'm scared to leave the house in case she has tracked me down
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2017 18:11:28 GMT
I'm going to read the Twitter spat before I comment on it. But the first time I saw Cynthia was in Sister Act and she was superb in that. As people may know, I'm also a big autograph collector so I stage doored afterwards and she seemed genuinely surprised and humbled that fans were waiting to see her.
As regards stars re tweeting criticism or abuse of them then the people sending this have to think about this outcome and if the star has a lot of followers they may defend the star. I certainly wouldn't condone anyone retweeting to fans and say "Go lynch this *******" but if abuse is sent and the retweeted the perpetrator only has themselves to blame.
Thinking back to the 2012 Olympics a would-be Social Media star made some disparaging comments about Tom Daley's dead father, this was picked up by some of Tom's huge fanbase. By that evening the would-be guy had been taken into police custody for his own protection.
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 12, 2017 18:18:25 GMT
That definitely depends on your definition of abuse. The way this started out definitely wasn't and even by the end I don't think you could class it as abuse.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2017 7:48:27 GMT
I can absolutely understand her frustration as a black woman of only being considered for certain types of roles, being typecast etc.
However, this wasn't a casting director. This was a young fan on Twitter. When these young fans dreamcast projects, they don't tend to take into consideration elements like levels of fame, how big the roles are in comparison to how big the star is etc. never mind the nuances of race. For instance, I've time and time again seen people dreamcast Tony nominees/winners who have thus far only originated roles to be the 75th replacement Elphaba. It will never, ever happen, but these fans don't think about that when making their dreamcasts. Similarly, they're not going to think to themselves 'is Cynthia Erivo likely to take on a role as small as one of the Muses at this point in her career', they'll think 'who is my favorite black musical theatre star who could play one of the Muses? Ah, Cynthia Erivo!'
I can understand it must be irritating to receive these tweets dreamcasting you for a role that at this point is not big enough in comparison to what you have achieved, especially when it's just because you match up race wise. But I see very little point in publicly calling out someone young for being naive so he can be piled on by your fans. It's one thing if he had tweeted 'Cynthia can't play Megara because she's not white'. Quite another to have a naively optimistic view of how likely your favorite star is to play a smaller role in a new show.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2017 8:13:54 GMT
@baemax has said exactly what I was coming on the thread to say, after spending a bit of yesterday reading it all. Of course she's entitled to, and indeed should use her platform to address issues of racism and sexism, but coming after people in an aggressive manner who from their original tweet seemed to mean no harm isn't the way to do it. (I think I'm right in that the tweet that started it off was a person fairly innocently suggesting her for one of the Muses? which he clearly meant as a compliment to her)
Also this quote-tweet thing yes. I had a nasty experience myself- there's a prominent (by which I mean loud) academic on twitter who has a fairly blind devoted following mainly because anyone who disagrees with her she quote-tweet-shames until her followers also pile on and attack before she then blocks them. It's a nasty approach to disagreements because a) it pulls in potentially 1000s more into an argument that previously only a handful of people would have seen. B) its far easier to twist things because people won't always read back the debate.
Anyway I respect Cynthia as a performer and I'm glad that she's a woman of strong principles BUT I really think she should take a step back and think about the long term impact the way she's going about that is going to have.
|
|
2,051 posts
|
Post by infofreako on Jul 14, 2017 3:38:26 GMT
I only get the gist of this twitter exchange from the last couple of posts but I agree. I'm not sure Cynthias presence on social media and the tone she sometimes adopts does her many favours. Young fans will dreamcast and get over excitable and by the sounds of things thats whats happened in this case. I feel sure that many of us have been in that position and to be called out in front of many followers for simply having a bit of fun seems incredibly harsh.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2017 7:48:36 GMT
I was thinking about this again last night and the more I think about it the more angry I actually get. It's one thing to challenge actual racist/sexist comments that are thrown at her (or anyone else) but it actually really annoys me that someone was trying to say a nice thing 'hey I'd love this actress I love in this show' and got a royal sh*tstorm of abuse (from followers not saying she crossed the line into abuse) and this is also where 'social justice' causes cross a line- he wasn't being racist in any way, simply her I have to say it-arrogance at her own status- took it as an insult and then turned it into a race issue as well. I'm sure it's very easy to perceive something as racial when you've had racial abuse your whole life, but I think she does need to take a long look at how she interacts with people online and how she approaches it. Feel really bad for the poor guy who thought he was just tweeting a fun/nice thing.
|
|
7,498 posts
|
Post by alece10 on Jul 14, 2017 8:16:25 GMT
I don't use twitter and so have no idea what this is all about but it does seem that I am constantly reading about people using it when they probably shouldn't. There have been recent comments also about Laura Pitt Pulford and Sheridan Smith on the forum. People these days seem to want to share a little too much with the world and also the written word can be misinterpreted especially in short format like messages and twitter.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2017 8:22:33 GMT
You know. I'm not on Twitter at all but I'm almost tempted to sign up to send her a message and defend the poor chap that she and her followers are bullying.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2017 8:50:22 GMT
oh @ryan darling do it. Also imagine the perving opportunities Twitter would offer (FYI instagram is great for Broadway hotties if that's your thing...which I know it is )
|
|
4,799 posts
|
Post by The Matthew on Jul 14, 2017 9:14:21 GMT
I had a look to see what the fuss was about and it appears that some deletion has been going on.
|
|
4,418 posts
|
Post by Being Alive on Jul 14, 2017 9:23:51 GMT
I've done so well to keep quiet about this. I'm acutally really proud of myself. But I do want to just say this.
I've known Cynthia a bit since a bit before the Sister Act days. Genuinely the nicest person I knew. Kind, generous, sincere. Right up until Color Purple in London this was the case. Then she left for New York and it all fell apart. She just seems to think she's this MASSIVE thing now that she has a Tony and all this critical acclaim (and, the show has an Emmy and a Grammy, it's not hers, as people have been batting around...) To bully someone publicly and have a hoard of 'fans' attack someone singularly is something the Cynthia I knew five years ago would be disgusted about. How full this circle has come for it be her doing it.
That's my two pence.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2017 10:06:08 GMT
I think that's the issue- not that she's outspoken etc (all respect to her for that, it's a tough industry and you need a loud voice sometimes) but it's the arrogance that seems to come off her that's galling. From what I knew of her (never met her) in the early days she always seemed a genuine and sweet person. It's a shame that a bit of fame/attention seems to have changed that.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 10:45:51 GMT
Oooh it seems Danny Boys has waded in on it now, seems we're not the only ones sick of the attitude! *grabs popcorn*
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 17, 2017 10:51:12 GMT
Uh-oh. Head for the nuclear bunker!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 10:52:07 GMT
Uh-oh. Head for the nuclear bunker! She's already quote-tweeted the same tweet from him 4 times!
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 17, 2017 11:01:06 GMT
What none of them seem to have noticed is it wasn't 'Luke' who suggested it in the first place.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 11:07:27 GMT
haha yes that did entertain me as well!!
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 17, 2017 11:15:12 GMT
I wish there was a parallel universe, where last week's Tweet hadn't happened, and Playbill did this article listing her as a Muse instead to see if she would react in the same way.
|
|
448 posts
|
Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 17, 2017 11:36:34 GMT
I've just had a read through this Luke's timeline (who, as was mentioned, didn't even start this)
I think it's very telling how many actors and theatre people are tweeting against her tone (not what she's saying, but her general tone)
I've seen tweets from Scott Alan, Darren Bell, Sabrina Alouche, Christopher Marsh, Mara Wilson and some more.
EDIT- they do not @ her or mention her by name- but are very clearly about what went down.
Her arguement isnt wrong- like at all, poc should be considered for and cast in a spectrum of roles. But the poor kid who dream cast her was so not coming from a racist place- and her tone/style of quote tweeting instead of having an actual conversatio is disgusting. She isn't teaching anyone- she's plain shaming. I can't imagine this is good for her image, and I wonder what this attitude will do to her career in the future.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 11:37:57 GMT
Okay, just caught up. Cynthia definitely overreacted. The original post had a guy dreamcast a black actor as Hercules, 5 black actresses as the Muses (like in the film), and a white actress as Megara. I really don't see how this could be offensive. But Cynthia thought it was appropriate to call out this kid for dream casting a black actress as a black character. I've been annoyed at her constant combative posts for a while now. But this time she has lost me as a follower. Not that she cares, but at least I won't have to put up with that bullsh*t any longer.
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 17, 2017 11:58:01 GMT
Someone called Chris Jenkins has now got involved.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 12:24:57 GMT
Thrilled that her fellow performers and peers are getting involved. She really needs to get her ego in check and I'm glad it isn't just her fans/followers that can see it.
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 17, 2017 12:35:40 GMT
Thrilled that her fellow performers and peers are getting involved. She really needs to get her ego in check and I'm glad it isn't just her fans/followers that can see it. Especially people who have worked with her or have been fans of her work (see Daniel Boys tweet when she won the Tony). I think however that it will just harden her position rather than make her question her manner.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 12:56:44 GMT
What none of them seem to have noticed is it wasn't 'Luke' who suggested it in the first place. I dare you to point that out to her.
|
|
4,418 posts
|
Post by Being Alive on Jul 17, 2017 12:57:03 GMT
Any respect I had for her has gone. So glad that performers/peers are getting behind this and trying to make her see she's just being rude, and that Luke was attacked by her 'fans' - which she's somehow failed to see
|
|
|
Post by d'James on Jul 17, 2017 13:01:28 GMT
What none of them seem to have noticed is it wasn't 'Luke' who suggested it in the first place. I dare you to point that out to her. Can you imagine. There are several roles I'd like to suggest for her but I'm very reticent (even though they're leads) just in case I use the wrong word or it's a production she hates (we know she doesn't like some old shows being repeated).
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 13:20:43 GMT
Ooh Musical theatre twitter is getting wind of this and joining in. Hehe. I mean I wish her no actual bullying but she kind of asked for a bit of twitter shade to be thrown her way.
|
|