Feb 13 2009
Where is this generation’s slapstick?
It could start with a slap in the face like the antics of Larry, Moe, and Curly? It could be the amazing production of director, producer, and actor Charlie Chaplin? Harold Lloyd entertained my grandparents for years. We can’t forget the women like actresses Lucy and Ethel. I have to ask where are this generation’s slapstick actors and actresses?
Call it by any other name a rose is still a rose. It’s been called vaudeville, campy, and wild. The important thing is that slapstick is an important movie, theater, dance, and television genre. It’s a part of movie and celebrity history. Sad but true slapstick comedy may be vanishing slowly from the movie screens along with the arts in our High Schools.
I have fond memories of actor Bill (Bojangles) Robinson, Jerry Lewis, Jim Carey, Jackie Chan, Johnny Depp, Martin Lawrence and actor Steve Carell slapstick style performances in a movie. This is one of the reasons why people should fight to keep the arts as a subject in school.
The arts in schools will foster the next generation’s slapstick Actors and Actresses. Keeping the arts in schools will bring forth the box office hit, the next award winning movie soundtrack, and the next award-winning director.
Music, dance, and visual arts in school not only foster our next Hollywood celebrities and movies but they help every student that is involved. Music, Dance, Theater, and Visual Arts all help to improve the process of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning in a student.
The most important thing is that there is a demand for the Arts in schools. If not for movies then for a higher education. In a New York 2006 – 2007 school report. High School students reported to take far more artistic credits than was required.
The major problems that arise are funding, space, and the need for qualified teachers. I urge you in the hard and financial troubling times of the United States to still fight to keep the Arts in schools around the United States. So that no one else will have to ask “Where is this generation’s slapstick movies?”
Photograph by Discover Black Heritage on Flickr
Love Harold Lloyd, Johnny Depp and many others. You are so right about the importance of the arts in school. How great it would be if the classics could live on through others to entertain us in the future.