To Modernize or not to Modernize?
Our play was written in 2000, and some of the pop culture references are a bit out of date. Should we update them? Are there legal or artistic obligations we have not to?
Some mentions that might need updating:
Limp Bizkit
Dawson’s Creek
Elian Gonzalez
Korn
Marilyn Manson
Ford Excursion
Backstreet Boys
Rob Zombie
Blockbuster Video
The Gap
“You Might As Well Be Walking on the Sun” (Smashmouth)
March 11th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Hm. Speaking as a keen observer of the modern and past fads, I'd say you are within bounds to change the information. I use as my test case, the matter of the things that I think should be changed and what I think they should be changed to.
Limp Bizkit: Cannibal Corpse
Dawson's Creek: Glee
Elian Gonzalez: ?
Korn: Slayer
Marilyn Manson: Insane Clown Posse
Ford Excursion: Ford Expedition
Backstreet Boys: Miley Cirus
Rob Zombie: Judas Priest
Blockbuster Video gift certificates: iTunes gift certificates
The Gap: Abercrombie and Fitch
“You Might As Well Be Walking on the Sun” (Smashmouth): Hey, Soul Sister (Train)
March 11th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
We should update "Backstreet Boys" to "Jonas Brothers" (Not that I'm a fan) it just seems "Heather-ish"
We should change The Gap to something else but still keeps Sal's line.
March 11th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Nice ideas. Definitely thought of the "Jonas Brothers" for the Backstreet Boys line. I was already leaning that way, Regina. Preston, I love your suggestions. Although, I don't know that I would put "Glee" in as an equivalent to "Dawson's Creek." Maybe something more fluffy. One Tree Hill? Gossip Girl? 90210: The Next Generation?
FYI, Elian Gonzalez was a 6-year old who emigrated with his mother from Cuba to the US in 2000. His mother died on the trip. Relatives in the US of Elian wanted him to stay there, per his mother's wishes, while the father back in Cuba wanted him returned to Cuba. After much political upheaval in Miami and between the US and Cuba, Elian was taken at gunpoint by several SWAT team members because he hadn't been handed over at the required time. It was huge police undertaking and was seen very negatively in the press. Can we think of a more modern parallel?
March 12th, 2010 at 7:15 am
I think I have a good one. Gossip Girl would be good for Dawson's Creek, I just said Glee because I've seen that and not Gossip Girl. For the Elian Gonzalez thing, my dad told me about a story he read in the Atlantic or something about a kid who had the same name as a criminal on the most wanted list, so every time since he was two he had to get stripped at airports. Not as well known as the Elian thing most likely, but it might work.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Good suggestion, but I think, due to how the line is contextualized, that we need a name that everyone recognizes and understands what it is indicating by its use.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:52 am
You could change Blockbuster to Best Buy or something like Toys R Us?
March 12th, 2010 at 9:09 am
for the Elian Gonzalez thing we should find a famous illegal immigrant. instead of ford excursion maybe we could pick a truck that is well known to be big like a escalade or a SUV.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Preston, the name of the kid is Michael Hicks (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/nyregion/14watchlist.html). Perhaps we could replace Elian Gonzales to Bernie Madoff. Granted, there wasn't a major SWAT bust for Bernie, but he was still a major criminal. Also, the fact that he cheated and lied is more relevant to the play.
March 14th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
for Korn maybe we could do the Black Eyed Peas.
March 14th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
here is one illegal immagrant.
One person who has been publicly accused of being an illegal immagrant is Arnold Schwarzenegger.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, he effectively admitted to at least a status violation, and possibly immigration fraud, in his autobiography. Under todays law, that would make him deportable, and he could be stripped of his citizenship - obviously, the laws in the 1960s were more lenient.
According to this report, Schwarzenegger came to the US as a business visitor (status B-1) after having arranged for a job with a promoter, and receiving a salary. Now business visitors are generally not allowed to get paid within the USA.
March 14th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Sophia, Preston, and all: I think the point being made in the script when Elian Gonzalez is mentioned is that when the principals and officials stormed into the math class to catch you in the act of cheating, it felt like a huge police raid. (Possibly an inappropriately strong show of force.) So, if we were to replace the comment using his name, it would need to imply a huge military or police action.
March 14th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Well, there are plenty of infamous cases of huge police action: Tianamen Square, 1968 Democratic Nation Convention, etc.
March 15th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Personally, I think we should keep the Elian reference. There isn't a more recent example of what happened to him.
March 15th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
I agree with changing "Backstreet Boys" to Jonas Brothers. Also, Gossip Girl is a good substitute for "Dawson's Creek"
March 15th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
I agree with Zach. I think the Elian thing is recent enough that people will get it, but maybe not younger kids. For Sophia, I think it would be best if we changed Korn to Slayer because it needs to have a big heavy metal aspect to it, and the Black Eyed Peas are pop/hip hop, and Slayer is pretty well known since they've been around since about 1986 and just recently in 2009 released a new album.
March 16th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
I agree with Preston about changing the name Gap to something more modern. Sal's line is pretty funny though, but if we said forever 21, Sal can say "There will forever be 21cm of empty space in Heather's head." or something like that...I'm not really sure that Forever 21 is as funny as Gap but it might work. Does anyone else have another idea?
March 18th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Limp Bizkit: Weird Al
Dawson’s Creek: Glee
Marilyn Manson: Lady Gaga
Ford Excursion: Ford Flex
The Gap: Abercrombie and Fitch
“You Might As Well Be Walking on the Sun” (Smashmouth): Hey, Soul Sister (Train)
March 18th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
How about Linkin Park or Rage Against the Machine for the Limp Bizkit reference and Ozzy Osbourne for Rob Zombie?
March 21st, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I like the Marilyn Manson- Lady Gaga thing
March 21st, 2010 at 10:00 pm
isn't the gap a more modern store? I think people would understand it fine. i also like sals line after it.