Jump to content

Drum Corps as an example of Meaner Society?


Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, Bob P. said:

Actually, corps is a collective noun and singular, just like herd, which many think is "always plural".  So if you are using that as an indictment of the article, the haha is on you.  I think the use of "corp" was just a spelling error, but I will grant that the plural of "corps" should be corps'.

Correct, except for the last bit. An apostrophe denotes either possession or a contraction, never plurality. The plural of corps should be, and is, corps. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Society, in itself, is in a state of dystopia.  Look at all of the Armageddon, end of the world stuff on tv.  And it was like this before the last presidential election.  For some reason, people feel bad.  Not me.  I’m:12_slight_smile::xmas:

i don’t love the dark shows, either.  But it’s a societal reflection. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

Society, in itself, is in a state of dystopia.  Look at all of the Armageddon, end of the world stuff on tv.  And it was like this before the last presidential election.  For some reason, people feel bad.  Not me.  I’m:12_slight_smile::xmas:

i don’t love the dark shows, either.  But it’s a societal reflection. 

 Its amazing how the world view can change when we surround ourselves in our daily lives with mostly non cynical, optimistic, caring, compassionate people. It then makes the cynical and world view " mean ones " on TV become essentially irrelevant, imo, Terri.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think some of the shows in past years have presented a view of our society that reveals the demise of civility, problem solving that values the person, and fails to see the power of living in tension with one another. It’s definitely a way to present a reality that needs to change, usually through people who change the reality through embracing a better way. 

Edited by Rileydog
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never been a huge fan of "dark shows" .... some corps (like the Blue Knights) tend to do them better than other corps.

But whether the current crop of shows has anything to do with societal trends or not... well... I have no idea.

I am just thankful I can remember my name most days and get from Point A to Point B without a train wreck. :8_laughing:

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just looked at the list of the 40 corps that competed in prelims this past year, only 5 had what I would call dark themes. Of those 5, one was based on history and was an audience favorite, two shows were dark with humor added. Of the five that were in my dark category, two were not all that dark. Three shows of the overall 40 that got quite a bit of attention were controversial, one due to theme, two because many believed the female guard members were objectified, one more so than the others. I do not think these three shows were dark or mean.

The person critiquing drum corps says Sousa marches are long gone. Well, Madison did "Stars and Stripes" in 76 and to be safe, I looked up Sousa on DCX and they also did it in 1987. It's been 30 years since a finalist performed a Sousa march. Fascinated with death?  Phantom and "Spartacus" is on many short lists of favorite shows and we did give a standing ovation to a woman being burned st the stake this past summer, but I would hardly call it a fixation on death. Sexual intrigue, somewhat mild though some have objected to guard uniforms, particularly last year.   While I do not foresee a huge shift towards more modest uniforms next year, we may see some modification in light of the many sexual harassment and #metoo, it could be a different ball game. Regarding the occult, I do not think we see dabbling in the occult, but I wonder if designers understand how symbols strike people and I can sympathize. 

I took the time to read the entire article, and I found it interesting. I don't think he means every corps has these characteristics and he puts it in a larger context of society as a whole. Whether you agree with his observations or not, at least he sees drum corps as relevant.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, Tim K said:

Sexual intrigue, somewhat mild though some have objected to guard uniforms, particularly last year.   While I do not foresee a huge shift towards more modest uniforms next year, we may see some modification in light of the many sexual harassment and #metoo, it could be a different ball game. Regarding the occult, I do not think we see dabbling in the occult, but I wonder if designers understand how symbols strike people and I can sympathize. 

I took the time to read the entire article, and I found it interesting. I don't think he means every corps has these characteristics and he puts it in a larger context of society as a whole. Whether you agree with his observations or not, at least he sees drum corps as relevant.

well said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, shofmon88 said:

Correct, except for the last bit. An apostrophe denotes either possession or a contraction, never plurality. The plural of corps should be, and is, corps. 

I stand corrected on the plural of corps.  You are correct.  My point was that a small grammatical error should not negate the whole content of a persons opinion piece.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Bob P. said:

I stand corrected on the plural of corps.  You are correct.  My point was that a small grammatical error should not negate the whole content of a persons opinion piece.

Sort of like we should not dismiss your comment for the lack of the possessive apostrophe in (a person's opinion)! :doh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Stu said:

Sort of like we should not dismiss your comment for the lack of the possessive apostrophe in (a person's opinion)! :doh:

Clever and 'piece' is 'peace' this time of year.

(says a person who struggled with grammar and spelling as a child 'cause I spoke 4 languages; ergo very few opinions online until now:)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...