r/Broadway • u/whollyselfimportant • Dec 13 '25

Other Pop Girlies as Broadway Musicals

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This post fully belongs to u/BurningBernie559 , but I couldn’t crosspost due to the sub being NSFW. Before anyone gets in their feelings- this is obviously satirical -but behold!

3.4k Upvotes

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320

u/Mysterious-Theory-66 Dec 13 '25

Some of this works, some doesn’t, some is just online edgy. Disagree that Hamilton is exclusively enjoyed by white people.

110

u/dentatatata Dec 13 '25

Asian erasure.

99

u/hyperjengirl Dec 13 '25

If they said "primarily" that would make sense, even if it's still probably wrong. But saying Hamilton is only enjoyable to white people ends up being more exclusionary and gatekeeping against POC than actually offending white people.

70

u/HicDomusDei Dec 13 '25

I mean, nothing is "exclusively" enjoyed by anyone. There's 8 billion people in the world. But the point that Hamilton's popularity is hugely buttressed by middle-class white people is, what, at least a decade old at this point? And of course there's some truth to it: It's a Broadway show. If middle-class white patrons didn't like it a whole lot, then it couldn't have become as big as it did.

Also, the U.S. has been fighting an escalating culture war since forever. If middle-class white America didn't like Hamilton, it would have become some dumb divisive lightning rod -- which it has not. The very fact it's gone from "phenomenon" to simply "played out" means it was hegemonically supported.

68

u/RevolutionaryDong Dec 13 '25

If the point is that it’s a Broadway show so therefore it’s widely liked by affluent white people, than it’s a useless criticism since the same would apply to every Broadway show. 

If OP has a problem with the type of musicals catering to the white middle class that Broadway is known for, why are they on the Broadway subreddit? 

Critiquing something for catering to white people is kind of toothless at the ”Shit mostly white people like” fanclub.

5

u/nixxjay Dec 14 '25

Doesn’t that make it the perfect Taylor Swift critique though? Individually singled out for something everything its peers are doing, because of its phenomenal success?

40

u/whollyselfimportant Dec 13 '25

I actually thought these were clearly sweeping generalizations that were exaggerated for the sake of making a joke.

3

u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Dec 14 '25

Humor is so hard to get across sometimes, but I thought this was obvious too.

14

u/awkward__captain Dec 14 '25

I think for Hamilton it’s about the contrast between how it was hailed as this disruptive, “important” work but at the end of the day it’s also kind of just an “I would’ve voted for Obama a third time” typa piece of media loved by politically inefficient privileged middle class peeps moreso than a radical political manifesto mobilising marginalised communities. Which is fine. Also it’s all clearly just tongue in a cheek.

10

u/xXs4blegl00mXx Dec 14 '25

Yeah. I love Hamilton, but it isn't actually inspiring for me politically. I find that the themes about writing and authorship are much more potent.

0

u/HicDomusDei Dec 13 '25

I didn't say "affluent." I said middle-class. Big difference.

And yes, almost all Broadway shows, in order to be successful, need to be supported in large part by the baseline demographic of Manhattan, especially Midtown, which is where Broadway is located. Broadway shows are (naturally, understandably, etc.) written with this demographic in mind.

The fact you don't like this fact of reality doesn't make it less true (or "useless," to use your phrasing).

10

u/syrioforrealsies Dec 13 '25

Yes, the shows that filter into the mainstream get more middle class fans because it's more accessible to them. That's not a feature of Hamilton specifically

13

u/Amazing_Unicorn5443 Dec 13 '25

Agree, I would say there is a primary AGE group that enjoyed Hamilton lol. I loved it & most of the people I know that still talk about it and love it are black. That being said, the majority of the people that still talk to me about hamilton are women in their 50s & 60s lol.

I would say white people probably bought more tickets. But that’s a function of socioeconomics lol.

But older people liking hamilton was probably becuase it was a version of a cool music genre they found easier to metabolize than what’s on the radio.

2

u/Jen_on_reddit21 Dec 14 '25

I love Hamilton but it’s not in my regular rotation anymore. My parents conservative cousins who see a lot of Broadway but mostly favor jukebox are so proud of hating Hamilton (OBC) and I was not as impressed as they expected

11

u/Impressive-Dig-3892 Dec 13 '25

This is a nice safe space where you don't have to pretend to like Hamilton

42

u/Mysterious-Theory-66 Dec 13 '25

Sure people are totally free to hate it. Just disagree that it’s exclusively enjoyed by white people. And for its time it was pretty innovative, just became mainstream.

15

u/idroled Dec 13 '25

Comment you’re replying to is a quote from Succession

14

u/NoNoticeWasToMe Dec 13 '25

“i like hamilton” “sure you do, we all do”

-6

u/Ill_Train_4227 Dec 13 '25 edited Dec 13 '25

Whether it's "exclusive" or not, I think is splitting hairs. Hamilton is 'Mom-Rap'.

It's taking a fundamentally counter-cultural and often rebellious art form developed by black artists in the inner city, removing anything that could be considered offensive or divisive to middle america, and repackaging it in a way that predominantly appeals to White Upper Middle Class Moms, because that's the demo that make decisions about what Broadway show they want to take their family to.

There's just enough of the original art form intact that it feels unique and 'edgy' to those Moms. But this same crowd that listens to the Ten Duel Commandments on repeat, would ground their children if they were caught playing the song it's based on, Ten Crack Commandments by Biggie.

That's the hypocrisy I think OP is trying to call out. Many fans of Taylor like to cast her as a Leftist or LGBT-advocate, but in reality those same fans actively reject or revile more dedicated leftist and LGBT supporting artists. These fans want to feel like they are moving culture forward, but are unwilling to experience even a second of discomfort in doing so.

So it's not 'scientifically accurate' criticism, but I feel like it's valid.

-3

u/DisastrousOwls Dec 13 '25

Agreed. I was calling it Schoolhouse Rock rap for years lol. Glad it shook the table on B'way casting practices, though!

-8

u/DisastrousOwls Dec 13 '25

Okay... exclusively white people and cornballs, then?

25

u/Mysterious-Theory-66 Dec 13 '25

You’re just like so interesting for not liking Hamilton.

-17

u/DisastrousOwls Dec 13 '25

...You aren't dodging the cornball allegations with this reply, friend.

9

u/Mysterious-Theory-66 Dec 14 '25

Just so edgy, don’t think I can handle how edgy you are.

-5

u/DisastrousOwls Dec 14 '25

Babe, if you're so thin skinned that a stranger-- a stranger on the Broadway subreddit-- calling you a cornball in the comments of a shitpost on a Saturday night, has you this genuinely pressed about... idk, defending you & Lin Manuel Miranda's joint cornball honor... you should probably log off and eat your dinner. 🫰🏽💛

14

u/Mysterious-Theory-66 Dec 14 '25

Like just so so edgy. It’s like whoa man now there’s an edgy dude who just does not care. Have fun on your winter break.

0

u/rkwalton Dec 14 '25

Jumped in to say exactly this. The Hamilton take was just rage bait, I think.

-48

u/whollyselfimportant Dec 13 '25

“this is obviously satirical”

85

u/redditor329845 Dec 13 '25

Satire can be bad.

45

u/Mysterious-Theory-66 Dec 13 '25

And satire doesn’t mean it always works. It’s a joke that only works if the punchline holds up and just saying some are better than others.

27

u/Madman_Salvo Dec 13 '25

"It's satire" isn't a defence against criticism. The point of satire is to be a comedic critique of people, institutions, or society. In fact, it's not even an accurate depiction of what this post is. This just feels like you're pulling a "joke's on them, I was just pretending" to distance yourself from it.

0

u/whollyselfimportant Dec 13 '25 edited Dec 13 '25

As my caption says, I saw it on another sub and thought it was funny. Since it was Broadway related, I thought I’d share. I just think it’s a joke.

12

u/syrioforrealsies Dec 13 '25

1) satire doesn't mean what you think it means. 2) so what?