Cancel 'Hamilton'? - A Worthy Discussion or Cancel Culture Disruption?
I’m hesitant to write this column. I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not to weigh in on what has become a hot button issue with its heat increasing with every day. But it’s time that we discuss the problematic elements in Hamilton and the movement online, #cancelhamilton.
While many might dismiss it out of hand as ludicrous, that would be unfair and would ignore some real flaws in the musical’s storytelling to what it ignores and how it depicts certain events. It also needs to be mentioned that these issues have been pointed out since the musical’s opening. These are not recent revelations.
On the other hand, I’m very distrusting of the reasons why the hashtag is trending given the right-wing personalities that are pushing it, who would love to see nothing more than additional division among those across the political aisle.
So let’s get into it. What are the problematic elements of Hamilton folks are talking about?
(Warning spoilers ahead)
Treatment of Slavery
Let’s start by being 100% honest: Hamilton glosses over slavery except for a few subtle mentions. With the exception of a couple of lyrics, especially in the cabinet battles, the subject is given a very light touch. This is where the show’s spiritual partner, 1776, excels because the topic is the subject of an entire debate and song.
But yes, Hamilton is a show that features slave owners where slavery is hardly mentioned and goes a step further to glorify them(i.e. George Washington). This show isn’t the first to gloss over the realities of its subjects, the short-lived Broadway musical Amazing Grace was guilty of it too.
Tracy Clayton had an eloquent response that caused Lin-Manuel Miranda to chime in with his own response that all criticisms were valid.
Hamilton’s treatment of its characters is questionable. While Lin-Manuel Miranda can’t be solely blamed for this, he did base the work off a white biographer, the show’s casting design with mostly people of color only further complicates matters.
Before anyone takes a side on this argument, you must take the time to read historian Lyra Monteiro’s insightful essay on the issue. It can be found here.
In an interview with Slate in 2016, she said,
Basically what the supposedly color-blind casting does, is it gives Hamilton, the show, the ability to say, Oh, we’re not just telling old, white history. This isn’t your stuffy old-school history that’s just praising white people. Look, we’ve got people of color in the cast. This is everybody’s story. Which, it isn’t. It’s still white history. And no amount of casting people of color disguises the fact that they’re erasing people of color from the actual narrative.
Treatment of Women
In the post-MeToo era we’re living in, much of Act II in the show hasn’t aged wonderfully. “Say No To This” seems to put the blame on Maria Reynolds and portray her as a sexual object that Hamilton just couldn’t say no to.
Comedian Katherine Ryan has an excellent and humorous take on the scene. Here it is:
A Worthy Discussion or Cancel Culture Disruption?
Talking about the problematic elements of Hamilton is a worthy discussion, anyone who says anything different is ignoring viewpoints that deserve to be heard. But do I think it should be “canceled”? No. It’s a play, not a textbook. If you want to read about the accurate history of these people, it’s out there. Hamilton doesn’t erase that history.
CNN Host and political analyst S.E. Cupp put it best:
The debates we’re having over Confederate statues, monuments, military bases and high schools are very different than any we might indulge over “Hamilton.” These memorials were meant to honor men we now roundly agree were in fact dishonorable, traitors, and the losers of a war that tore our country apart. Our monuments must be reflective not only of the nation we once were, but the nation we strive to be. Because they are earnest reflections of our aspirations, they must be honest.
Art faces no such burden. Art can lie, it can cheat, it can steal. It can manipulate you, trick you, tease you. Some of the best art is uncomfortable, often offensive, and thought-provoking. Miranda’s musical is — and is allowed to be — all of those things.
So while I recognize the arguments to “cancel” the show and also admit this blog’s contributions to cancel culture, I don’t agree with it. I’m also skeptical of why this is coming up now.
For the past couple of months, we’ve seen right-wing personalities try to either expose contradictions in cancel culture or create ludicrous hashtags to try to cause division on the left. When I see #cancelHamilton being endorsed and spread by these morons(whose accounts I will not mention in this piece, no need to give them any more attention), it’s easy to see their plan. This is why I was hesitant to even write about the subject.
My personal take on the situation is that with the Disney+ airing of the show, it gives the opportunity for a widespread worthy discussion of how these figures are portrayed and where the musical excels and fails. But blindly declaring it canceled disrupts those discussions and prevents any positive outcome. So let’s be smarter and better than that.