BYU Cancels Play

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Context is what matters. The objectification of nudity leads to the idiocracy mentality so common to degenerate societies.
While the Bacchae may be based on religion ( however limited its inspirational value may be) and while it's not sexually explicit, the idea of introducing young people who're fresh out of high school to a religion based on alcohol, sex, drugs and violence is just plain idiotic.

thier thier sinsterd of PA 2:56AM September 29, 2009

Actually, Michael, having lived in Utah my whole life until a month ago, I do know what you are talking about. However, I don't think that BYU let the play travel down there just to annoy them or whatever motivation you are implying. If you read the SL Trib article, you can see that they didn't realize how the play was being presented and the cancellation was really a last minute deal. If it was inconvenient for the U of U students, think of all the refunds BYU has to give for tickets bought. You talk about this decision as if it was made out of spite. Give them some credit: we Mormons don't just ban things on a whim. Some thought really does go into it. For example, I saw a version of King Lear on a BYU study abroad which included Ian McKellan fully unclothed. It's not the nudity per say, but the way it's presented that matters.

Liz of WA 11:14AM September 28, 2009

A lot of ancient writing is obscene slop. Same goes for modern art. If a religious university cannot discriminate then they are in danger of falling into the cesspool of degeneration with all the other low lifes who wallow in the inferior cultural products created by dirty old men. BYU made a wise decision.

Faithee Fakescoff of MT 10:04PM September 26, 2009

what the papers aren't reporting is that they let the students at the
U of U pack up the sets, travel down to BYU, unload the sets and then
they announced the cancellation. Liz, if don't live here in Utah, you
don't see the pervasiveness of a culture that assumes they know best.

michael gaston of UT 6:31PM September 25, 2009

Actually, the Rodin banning is a classic incident that caused a lot of controversy on campus. I know a lot about it, and we discussed it in several classes. I personally disagree with the decision. However, the incident had nothing to do with art history classes but rather with an exhibit coming to the BYU MoA. Bascially, BYU is a lot more conservative with things the public is invited to see than it necessarily is in classes because it has a lot of hyperconservative donors, but that doesn't mean it doesn't teach reality in the classroom. In fact, if you read other articles on this play banning, you'll see that the play is taught in classes at BYU and it's actually the specifics of this production that caused to University to make its decision (see here: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13396853). It's really a lot more nuanced than "OMGoodness! Nudity! Sex! Keep it away!"

Liz of WA 11:34AM September 24, 2009

Liz, it isn't bigoted. It's true. You can do some Google searches on it yourself if you'd like. BYU has banned art depicting nudity on multiple occasions, including Rodin's The Kiss. It sounds like they aren't letting their students know what's going on, and I'm guessing the only newspapers they let you read chose not to report on these things.

Tyson of UT 8:25PM September 23, 2009

Tyson, that's a rather bigoted statement which happens to be totally false. As a BYU Alumni, I can assure you that they don't sensor classical art in art history courses. I took several and each course began with a lecture/discussion on nudity in classical art and an invitation for those uncomfortable with it to switch out of the class. Never knew anyone who took advantage of that option.

Liz of WA 7:29PM September 23, 2009

This is pretty standard for BYU where they censor art as well. Imagine art history class where you can't view a painting that has nudity in it! It's no wonder that BYU produces students who leave the school with a skewed view of the world.

Tyson of UT 7:29AM September 23, 2009