I don’t know whatever happened to the Missouri rodeo clown who earned international condemnation for merely putting on an Obama mask. But I hope he’s enjoying the return of an old favorite: depictions of U.S. presidents being violently murdered.
He looks like Donald Trump, with his fluffy hair, dark suit and tie hanging below the belt. He moves like Trump. He even has a wife with a Slavic accent.
And at the start of the third act, the actor playing Julius Caesar in Central Park’s free summer Shakespeare in the Park festival is knifed to death on stage, blood staining his white shirt…
But of course, it’s not what you think:
Oskar Eustis, the Public Theater’s artistic director who also directed the play, said in a statement that “anyone seeing our production of ‘Julius Caesar’ will realize it in no way advocates violence towards anyone.”
Well, sure. It’s an artistic statement. Y’know, like Kathy Griffin.
Just imagine, between 2009-2016, depicting Obama as Julius Caesar. Showing him being stabbed to death like Julius Caesar was. It would be the biggest story on the planet.
This? Shrugs all around.
Shakespeare in the Park has the right to do this. The people who are offended have the right to say so. And those of us who can’t help but notice the double standard have the right to make that observation as well.
And nothing is changed. Nobody is convinced, one way or the other. Everybody stays in their little hidey-holes.
Hooray.
Update: Here’s what that looks like. I can’t help but remember when the cast of Hamilton scolded Mike Pence from the stage for somehow fostering hate…