Joklahoma actually comes from a deep-rooted love for musicals even though it may come off as cynical or spiteful. I grew up in a family that loved the works of Andrew Lloyd Weber. There was one time when I was 11 or 12 that I got in trouble and my punishment was that I wouldn’t be allowed to see Phantom of The Opera Live. I even cried about it, that’s how much I cared. Needless to say, I really do have a bizarre love for the more modern musicals.
My (ex) girlfriend, however, grew up on those black and white “classic” musicals. She loved those damn things and often forced me to watch them, but my god they’re all so terrible. There was a period in Hollywood (in the so-called “Golden Age” of film) that all they’d produced were musicals. They pumped those things out in a weekend. They’re so dated that they really don’t hold up anymore.
I watched “South Pacific” and suffered roaring belly laughs when the song “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Our of My Hair” came on. It was a ridiculous and stupid song that I couldn’t help but believe it was an innuendo, or double-entendre. Mary Martin may as well have been singing “I’m Gonna Wash That Man’s Jizz Right Out of My Hair” as far as I’m concerned.
But the brilliance in the humor and fun in the classic musicals is the fact that they were played so straight. That’s why I firmly believe ALL classic musicals need to be reclassified as “unintentional comedies.”