A musical about a pedophile? Even it's ad causes a brouhaha

[Dakota Valkyrie]

"Love Jerry" plays June 4th – 20th, 2010 in Philadelphia.

Nice People Theatre’s new play, Love Jerry, is a musical about a pedophile and the damage he inflicts on his relationship with his brother.

Producers Nicole Blicher and Miriam White wanted to buy a video ad on Philly.com, which rejected it.

Philly.com president Ryan Davis said the spot — whose opening frame shows actor Scott Boulware in front of a plain background — was turned down because the subject of the ad was not clear from the outset. Once the ad rolls, the words, “This is Jerry. Jerry is a pedophile,” appear on the screen. Davis said the word carries “significant shock value."

“All we did was apply the same sensibility and standards we apply to all content,” Davis said.
[...]

Davis said the producers were offered solutions, including the placement of a banner across the ad or an intro that would have clearly indicated it was a show. “Nonetheless, by the time we got to that agreement, they’re getting enough free publicity that they aren’t interested,” Davis said. “I can’t blame them.”

Nice People had planned to pay $800 to Philly.com for the ad (it was its only media buy). Now, Blicher said, if 50 people mention the social-media campaign at the box office, the group will donate the $800 to the Child Abuse Prevention Effort.

The play, by Megan Gogerty, opens at the Latvian Society (531 N. Seventh St.) on Friday, June 4. It runs to June 20. Gogerty will lead a discussion Friday.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/t.../95547379.html
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnMBnuHge00"]YouTube- Love Jerry @ Nice People Theatre, Philadelphia[/ame]
From the writer's site:

What the show’s about:

A musical drama that combines highly theatrical songs and movement sequences with naturalistic dialogue and characters, Love Jerry grapples with the long term effects of child sexual abuse in a family.

Jerry is likable and shy; his brother Mike is a macho family man. When Jerry is accused of sexually abusing his young nephew, the brothers must reconcile their love for each other with the grim circumstances that force them apart.

Dreamy movement and song interweave throughout the story, creating a highly theatrical work. As Jerry wends his way through the justice system and the subsequent mandatory therapy, the brothers must confront the dark side of what it truly means to love someone.

This play contains strong language and mature themes, and is not suitable for young audiences.

Does this play condone child abuse?

This play is sometimes called, “the pedophile musical,” which conjures up images of a “Springtime For Hitler” style romp. In light of the frothy image we have of most musicals, some have wondered if this play makes light of child sexual abuse. Love Jerry does not in any way, shape, or form, condone or exonerate child abuse. Instead, it’s a serious examination of a problem that flourishes in silence.

The play is not so much about child abusers as how child abuse affects a family. According to Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, an organization aimed at preventing child abuse before it happens, 90% of child abuse is perpetrated by a relative or close friend of the victim’s family – it’s someone the child knows and trusts. This play illustrates some of the early warning signs of abuse in a fictional but common American story.

This isn’t a typical musical – there are no tap-dancing child abusers, nor does the play make light of this very serious and important issue. The play is actually a very small, quiet, and honest look at a problem that is plaguing this country.

Love Jerry has been endorsed by child abuse prevention organizations. For its January 2006 premiere, Actors Express Theatre company partnered with these Prevent Child Abuse Georgia to create literature the audience can take home with them, educating them about child abuse prevention, as well as hosting nightly post-show discussions about the topic after each performance. I strongly urge other producing theatres to follow a similar approach when presenting this play.

http://megangogerty.com/plays/love-jerry/

If I saw the ad, I would wonder WTF?. Curiosity would make me look into it. But I think a lot of not curious people would be angry. Not sure if I would appreciate the play. It's a bit weird for my taste.

[Athena]

I think it's great, myself.

The things that are too taboo to even make fun of or address in, perhaps, a more light-hearted manner, are the things we should truly fear. Not because those things are so bad (they are), but because our reaction to them often causes more harm than good.

Today, in this country, we've got a real, live witch hunt occurring. It's less blatant than the Salem witch trials but more widely accepted than McCarthyism. In our rabid hunt to track down and expell child molestation from our society, we have created an environment where even the mere (and unfounded) accusation of child molestation can ruin a person's life forever.

Child molestation is a terrible, terrible crime, but it is NOT worse than murder. Depending on the circumstances, it's not even worse than other types of sex crimes. It's high time we take it off its pedistal we've placed it on. Only when our reaction to it is consistent with its gravity can we limit the damage associated with it.


That said, I wouldn't watch it. I can't stand musicals. I'm down right allergic to Grease.