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Southern Hospitality?


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The New York comedy group, Rash Behaviour, is invited to perform at the Charleston, S.C. Piccolo Spoleto Arts Festival. However, when an openly gay actor performs an openly gay character in front of 3,000 people, some audience members get offended and put the group in an interesting position to decide how far they will go to stand up for themselves, for the arts, and for freedom of speech.
Trenkamp

19 responses // Southern Hospitality?

  • Sad but true. forget all the inbred's down thare uhugh.why be offended theres nothing wrong gay folks dude they put there pant's on the same way as we do.
    joey_
  • great interviews
    Hugh_Martin
  • ya
    joey_
  • I have lived in Charleston SC my whole life. Not all of us are closed mined, just most. They hate gay people as much as they hate education around here.I can't stand that hate is it's own relgion that is tought to be taken out on others (in the name of Jesus). I want change and It could be possible in the youth, but expect nothing from the older natives of chucktown (we have had the same major for about 40 years).Thanks to you the whole world can see what i deal with every day being a left winged person living with close minded hate mongers. On behalf of all of the people of Charleston who can think for themselves "We are sorry to you for any pain caused by are locals. We love you all " .
    pigmonkey
  • Bravo to Rash Behavior. Sorry for the kookie Southerners. I grew up in SC as a gay man and had to flee the insanity at age 18 to the West coast. S.C. is 100 years behind the US. They are still fighting the Cival War.
    Steve98121
  • i think it is overall upsetting, and irritating that someone would decide to take their prejudice to that extreme. technically, thats like me yelling at that guy because he had on a megadeth shirt only because i think they suck. who cares if there is homosexual in the group? good for him, hes open and confident. really, art is expressing yourself and sharing a feeling or opinion (in most cases). with that, how can you go to an ARTS* festival and complain when you disagree with some of the content? this just reflects how far we still have to go as a nation to become a well functioning society.
    DJmizer
  • In my opinion, Rash Behavior allowed one man to stop the performance of a second set because he disagreed with the material. They should have stood up and performed their second set. Standing on stage and explaining that you weren't going to perform your second set is akin to apologizing, and accepting one man's terms, who could have very well walked away or went to another stage or festival if he didn't like what he was seeing. Art is meant to provoke and open minds. In this case, Rash Behavior behaved very cordially.
    TyMarshal
  • sorry to see the troupe get pushed around, it would have been more heroic if they had stood up but a compromise that kept the festival going is more impressive.
    advice, stay outta the south, travel west!
    keep up the good work!
    brian d
    wolftop
  • Well, i think it really rings true that no matter where you go there will always be people who disagree on one hand and who support you in the other. Generalizing an area like Charleston by the actions of the few would be no better than them judging you for something you brought to the artistic table. On a specific level, those who criticize ANYTHING at an arts festival are rediculous because art is subject to the interpretation of the one who sees it. For the record, you did have the moral and legal high ground on refusing the apology, but its hard to make snap decisions like that, and spoleto hardly seems the appropriate place. Take it easy.
    MMcCormick86
  • i would'NT have thought of charleston (proper) as any kind of backwoods town. it really is too bad that one a-hole left such an impression about the place, notwithstanding the south as a whole. there are lots of gays down here, (as one of them) not to mention some towns (like atlanta, charlotte or asheville) where it's completely acceptable. even churches are opening their doors now.
    cabasse
  • This upsets me. Although even I don't "support" the lifestyle, i do onehundred percent support their right to say anything they too. Don't censor yourself to try to be accepted, if they don't like it let them deal with it and figure out WHY!?
    iknew
  • So when are those fuckbags going to apologize for making the rest of humanity look bad?
    kibiyama
  • I wouldn't take it out on the south in general. Like everyone has said, it was one man. Also, being a performer, you might want to consider your audience before a show. You can still express yourself, but if you give a message that your audience doesn't want to hear you will only bring anger. I am sure the troupe has many sets that would express and be less offensive. You perform for your audience as well as yourself. Keep them in mind.
    cmhuguenard
  • this is not a southern problem! it's an ignorance and hatred issue! so sorry that happened the way it did, it sucks when one person ruins things for everyone
    bradleyc1
  • One person should NEVER EVER EVER EVER, ruin it for others, it's there choice, and if they made a bad decision,, it's on them!!!
    iknew
  • i respect your descision for folding but i think you should have seen it through. Art should be about challenging perceptions and pushing boundaries.
    teddy14
  • This pod generalizes too much about the South. These actors encounter one stereotypical, over-reacting, non-tactful white male and call it the decadence of Southern Hospitality? I think this is a good reminder of the way NOT to act when you disagree with someone, but I think falsely reflects the character of not only my Southern self, but that of my family and friends. Not cool.
    stratuscloud9
  • I think this pod represents a lot of the bigotry that STILL exist in the south...the country... These are some of the same people would not vote for Obama because he's a Black man, and no other reason. I do not think that any artist should be forced to change their material because the audience may not like it. So what, its about you getting over your on prejudices and stepping outside of things you've been taught to be true. If they are so strong the they should be able to be tested by alternative views.

    These back woods views and "morals" are shared enough that the CITY LAWYER came down to shut down the performance. If it isn't then why didn't the people of Charleston, who still believe in the fundamental American right of freedom of expression and speech, not stand up for the artist and make sure that they were able to perform without the Gestapo type censorship.

    So, I would like to here form those individuals in Charleston and see why they let this happen in the 21st century.
    taylor32
  • As a person from Charleston, I do not feel that the troupe should have been forced to apologize. However, I grew up going to Spoleto since I was very young. My grandmother would take me and I feel their performance would have been better received at night, not while young children are walking around.
    southern_belle

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