Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 09:57:20 -0700 (MST)
From: "Stu & Diane (aka HDulc & Freshwater)" <freshdlc-AT-primenet.com>
Subject: Re: Gratuitous Violence in Punch & Judy


I still believe that the violence in Punch & Judy is instructional, if
viewed within the context of traditional audience participation.  In my
view, it is largely this element of participation that makes Punch & Judy a
positive rather than negative experience for modern audiences (and
performers.) If there is no audience participation, we're talking about an
entirely different show.

~ Diane

*******

>Robert Smythe wrote:
>
>> >And how can we denigrate other
>> >violent entertainment but celebrate that of Punch--just because it's
>> >ours?
>
>
>Stu & Diane (aka HDulc & Freshwater) wrote:
>> Because there's a fundamental difference in the way TV violence is
>> presented (gratuitously, for the purpose of garnering ratings by appealing
>> to the baser side of human nature, and as an answer to everything)
>
>Don't get me wrong: I believe that if you're going to do Punch, you live
>up to his
>name. But the violence in Punch lives up the label of "gratuitous" you
>give to TV
>violence. The violence in Punch is there to get laughs, to appeal to the
>side of
>human nature that finds that funny. After I laugh at the sound of the
>slapstick, I
>appreciate the significance of its target. Punch certainly uses his
>violence as
>answer to everything: those with more reasonable approaches are swiftly
>dispatched.

****************************

Freshwater Pearls Puppetry (Diane):
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~rosesage/puppetry/troupes/freshwater/freshwater.
html

Greenwood Tree (Stu):
http://www.primenet.com/~freshdlc/gtree.html




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