The Filth is in Your Face

There was a review in the WSJ by the paper's theater critic, Terry Teachout, of a Broadway play called "The MF-er with the Hat." (I've redone the abbreviation to make it less offensive than the abbreviation in the actual play title.) Interestingly, comedian Chris Rock, for whom the "F" word is a mainstay, is among the cast. Mr. Teachout concludes: "Don't let the stupid title put you off. If you do, you'll miss one of the best new plays to come to Broadway in ages." Ages? And, no doubt, one of the most profanity-filled plays to come to Broadway, probably ever. I don't think that's good enough. It's bad enough that movies, TV and plays are full of profanity. Now we get treated to it in the titles. That way, you can't escape; they're forcing their filth and vulgarity on you. They're not giving you any choice. I mean, all I did was open my daily newspaper. This play could be the second coming of "Othello," and in my mind, the title would be enough reason to boycott it. And publications like the WSJ should make a stand by not enabling the further dragging of our society into the gutter. This is the same newspaper, after all, that only recently ended its policy of referring to people in its articles with their surnames preceded by "Mr.," "Mrs.," "Miss" or "Ms."