amatyultare (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
amatyultare) wrote2018-12-30 08:07 pm
amatyultare) wrote2018-12-30 08:07 pm
Entry tags:
Questionable Media Month Part 14
Chapter 14 – Only Divas Need Apply
Halfway there! This is the part where I started getting legitimately angry at this book.
And, on a related note - I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but trigger warning for non-specific but incredibly blithe discussion of statutory rape.
Oh, Sadie’s parents are about to break the news to her that they’re separating (not actually stated, but we all know what’s going on). Except not, because she’s stressed because of theater so they decide to put it off. But Sadie overhears the conversation and is indeed stressed.
Meanwhile at school, we have another song; Take Me Out To The Ball Game for that famous baseball scene. I’m unsure how they’ll stage a baseball game in a high school theater production, but the last lines of the song are kinda funny: “Let me root, root, root for the Cullens, They hit the ball with a crack. But it’s one, two, three strikes Bella’s out, Cause she’s James’s snack.”
Rehearsal! They are indeed using the Glee arrangement of Don’t Stop Believing for their show. They block some of the scenes, and Sadie finds it painful to watch Lucey portraying Bella. All together now: OH, DRAMATIZE.
That evening, Adrienne drags Sadie to her house for dinner and to relay some Awful News: there’s a rumor from someone named Shawna (who the heck is Shawna? We have never met her before [note from the future: and we will never meet her again]) that Mr. Lord promised Lucey the role of Bella before auditions were even held. Possibly because she slept with him, or because he wants to sleep with her. Or maybe she just charmed him with her evil charm.
Shocked and unsure of what to do, Sadie coincidentally finds herself in the locker room with Lucey the next day and blurts out, “Is it true?” Lucey’s response can be summed up as, of course he promised me the part! He knew I was the best anyway, so what does it matter if he promised me the part? And if you tell anyone, I’ll start a rumor that you’re a slut. And maybe I slept with Mr. Lord to get the part, but what does it really matter?
Sadie debates what to do. She’s a little afraid of people believing the rumors that she sleeps around that Lucey threatened to spread if she ‘tattles’. She also isn’t sure if speaking up will even mean Lucey loses the part. Because that’s the most important thing here, who gets to play Bella.
But at the same time, she feels that this is a Moral Issue that she needs to do something about. Let’s examine that for a second.
Mr. Lord promised Lucey the lead part, either because:
“What about Mr. Lord? Would he get fired, or would it not be a big deal to the principal?” SLEEPING WITH A STUDENT SHOULD ALWAYS BE A BIG DEAL. Oh, wait, she doesn’t care about that; she just cares about the fact that she doesn’t get to play Bella, wah. But she doesn’t want him to be fired, because they need his help with the music and the choreographer is his friend. And she’s not sure if she wants Lucey kicked out of the show, or just wants someone else to know the unfairness of her not getting the part. Again, maybe the alleged STATUTORY RAPE is a bit more of a problem than who got what part in the show? Just a thought?
Also, in case you were wondering, it clearly never occurs to either Sadie or her author that Mr. Lord sleeping with Lucey would make Lucey, you know, A VICTIM. Nope, Sadie clearly sees this as entirely Lucey’s fault. (Hey, remember when I talked about how the thought process of 'men are uncontrollable and women must be the responsible ones’ leads to victim-blaming? I sure do!)
(I had to take a breath and restrain myself from throwing my Kindle across the room at this point.)
Halfway there! This is the part where I started getting legitimately angry at this book.
And, on a related note - I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but trigger warning for non-specific but incredibly blithe discussion of statutory rape.
Oh, Sadie’s parents are about to break the news to her that they’re separating (not actually stated, but we all know what’s going on). Except not, because she’s stressed because of theater so they decide to put it off. But Sadie overhears the conversation and is indeed stressed.
Meanwhile at school, we have another song; Take Me Out To The Ball Game for that famous baseball scene. I’m unsure how they’ll stage a baseball game in a high school theater production, but the last lines of the song are kinda funny: “Let me root, root, root for the Cullens, They hit the ball with a crack. But it’s one, two, three strikes Bella’s out, Cause she’s James’s snack.”
Rehearsal! They are indeed using the Glee arrangement of Don’t Stop Believing for their show. They block some of the scenes, and Sadie finds it painful to watch Lucey portraying Bella. All together now: OH, DRAMATIZE.
That evening, Adrienne drags Sadie to her house for dinner and to relay some Awful News: there’s a rumor from someone named Shawna (who the heck is Shawna? We have never met her before [note from the future: and we will never meet her again]) that Mr. Lord promised Lucey the role of Bella before auditions were even held. Possibly because she slept with him, or because he wants to sleep with her. Or maybe she just charmed him with her evil charm.
Shocked and unsure of what to do, Sadie coincidentally finds herself in the locker room with Lucey the next day and blurts out, “Is it true?” Lucey’s response can be summed up as, of course he promised me the part! He knew I was the best anyway, so what does it matter if he promised me the part? And if you tell anyone, I’ll start a rumor that you’re a slut. And maybe I slept with Mr. Lord to get the part, but what does it really matter?
Sadie debates what to do. She’s a little afraid of people believing the rumors that she sleeps around that Lucey threatened to spread if she ‘tattles’. She also isn’t sure if speaking up will even mean Lucey loses the part. Because that’s the most important thing here, who gets to play Bella.
But at the same time, she feels that this is a Moral Issue that she needs to do something about. Let’s examine that for a second.
Mr. Lord promised Lucey the lead part, either because:
- He legitimately thought she was the best choice. This seems entirely plausible, especially since Lucey has been a lead actress before. In that case, it’s a little frustrating that he made up his mind before seeing the formal auditions, but not exactly the big ethical question of our time.
- He bartered the role to Lucey in exchange for sex - Sadie clearly thinks this is the case, rejecting the very idea that Lucey was actually the better choice. This would be morally questionable (since he’s in a position of authority over her) even if it wasn’t statutory rape, which it is because Lucey is sixteen. That IS a serious ethical problem, but not because of who got the part.
“What about Mr. Lord? Would he get fired, or would it not be a big deal to the principal?” SLEEPING WITH A STUDENT SHOULD ALWAYS BE A BIG DEAL. Oh, wait, she doesn’t care about that; she just cares about the fact that she doesn’t get to play Bella, wah. But she doesn’t want him to be fired, because they need his help with the music and the choreographer is his friend. And she’s not sure if she wants Lucey kicked out of the show, or just wants someone else to know the unfairness of her not getting the part. Again, maybe the alleged STATUTORY RAPE is a bit more of a problem than who got what part in the show? Just a thought?
Also, in case you were wondering, it clearly never occurs to either Sadie or her author that Mr. Lord sleeping with Lucey would make Lucey, you know, A VICTIM. Nope, Sadie clearly sees this as entirely Lucey’s fault. (Hey, remember when I talked about how the thought process of 'men are uncontrollable and women must be the responsible ones’ leads to victim-blaming? I sure do!)
(I had to take a breath and restrain myself from throwing my Kindle across the room at this point.)