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which_chick) wrote2023-02-09 07:41 pm
which_chick) wrote2023-02-09 07:41 pm
Entry tags:
Gilbert and Sullivan plots (with spoilers, I guess?)
Okay, so I've been watching me some Gilbert and Sullivan on Youtube. Sue me. The songs are fucking catchy and the plots are simple and I tend to latch on to things and enjoy them until... until I'm done.
Six books, one plot is a somewhat unkind and unfair characterization of Jane Austen's work. Gilbert and Sullivan have a bit of the same problem. Here we're going to look at the following (because these are the ones I have been watching on YouTube, a sampling methodology that is 100% science-y and valid.)
HMS Pinafore
The Mikado
The Gondoliers
In all of these things, we have a dude who is bombing around in some disreputable employment, said dude in love with a chickie of decent standing, and of course they cannot wed because no matter where these things are allegedly set, all of them take place in England, somewhen between 1870 and 1890, where things such as who one marries matter VERY MUCH INDEED.
In Pinafore, Josephine loves Ralph-the-ordinary-sailor.
In Mikado, Yum-Yum loves Nanki-Poo-the-wandering-minstrel.
In The Gondoliers, Casilda loves Luiz-the-servant-attendant.
As we see, Ralph-the-ordinary-sailor was swapped-at-birth with the captain of the ship so he's now, y'know, of better standing and therefore can marry Josephine.
In Mikado, Nanki-Poo is the only son of the Mikado (supreme leader of Japan or whatever) so of course he can marry Yum-Yum.
And in The Gondoliers, turns out that the baby princeling was supposed to be being raised up by the gondolier dude alongside gondolier dude's own son but Events Happened and he wound up being raised by the nurse, who swapped her own baby for the wee prince and raised him up as her son Luiz. So, of course, Luiz can marry Casilda because he's totally husband material as the new King of Barataria.
It's always the lady of high standing and the dude of questionable means/station and it's always resolved by the dude being revealed to be OF DECENT STANDING so that the marriage is OK.
So, once I got past the delightfully catchy tunes (my god they are so fun), I was like... why do we keep seeing this exact same fucking plot? WHY? How come it's never the girl who's disguised as a commoner?
I considered this question because I figured they'd try it the other way 'round at least once for variety. Except... they couldn't do that. As silly and unbelievable as this plot is, it's at least within the realm of the possible whereas the other way 'round it's completely impossible.
If the guy is a noble and the girl isn't, there isn't any conflict or problem to solve. There's nothing there to hang a plot on.
If he wants her, he can have her.
(Side note: While all three of our ladies are full willing, it's fair to say that in the face of sufficient money and power on the dude's part, the lady's wants are... not really relevant to the If he wants her, he can have her statement. In our examples, Ralph probably is not equipped with sufficient money and power but Nanki-Poo and Luiz totally are.)
He can keep her (discreetly, one hopes) AND get married later, if he wants.
He can discard her AND get married later and that's OK too.
Like, this isn't a decision tree. There are no consequences. There aren't any stakes.
It's just... whatever the dude wants to do. That's not a plot, even for comic opera.
*sigh*
Six books, one plot is a somewhat unkind and unfair characterization of Jane Austen's work. Gilbert and Sullivan have a bit of the same problem. Here we're going to look at the following (because these are the ones I have been watching on YouTube, a sampling methodology that is 100% science-y and valid.)
HMS Pinafore
The Mikado
The Gondoliers
In all of these things, we have a dude who is bombing around in some disreputable employment, said dude in love with a chickie of decent standing, and of course they cannot wed because no matter where these things are allegedly set, all of them take place in England, somewhen between 1870 and 1890, where things such as who one marries matter VERY MUCH INDEED.
In Pinafore, Josephine loves Ralph-the-ordinary-sailor.
In Mikado, Yum-Yum loves Nanki-Poo-the-wandering-minstrel.
In The Gondoliers, Casilda loves Luiz-the-servant-attendant.
As we see, Ralph-the-ordinary-sailor was swapped-at-birth with the captain of the ship so he's now, y'know, of better standing and therefore can marry Josephine.
In Mikado, Nanki-Poo is the only son of the Mikado (supreme leader of Japan or whatever) so of course he can marry Yum-Yum.
And in The Gondoliers, turns out that the baby princeling was supposed to be being raised up by the gondolier dude alongside gondolier dude's own son but Events Happened and he wound up being raised by the nurse, who swapped her own baby for the wee prince and raised him up as her son Luiz. So, of course, Luiz can marry Casilda because he's totally husband material as the new King of Barataria.
It's always the lady of high standing and the dude of questionable means/station and it's always resolved by the dude being revealed to be OF DECENT STANDING so that the marriage is OK.
So, once I got past the delightfully catchy tunes (my god they are so fun), I was like... why do we keep seeing this exact same fucking plot? WHY? How come it's never the girl who's disguised as a commoner?
I considered this question because I figured they'd try it the other way 'round at least once for variety. Except... they couldn't do that. As silly and unbelievable as this plot is, it's at least within the realm of the possible whereas the other way 'round it's completely impossible.
If the guy is a noble and the girl isn't, there isn't any conflict or problem to solve. There's nothing there to hang a plot on.
If he wants her, he can have her.
(Side note: While all three of our ladies are full willing, it's fair to say that in the face of sufficient money and power on the dude's part, the lady's wants are... not really relevant to the If he wants her, he can have her statement. In our examples, Ralph probably is not equipped with sufficient money and power but Nanki-Poo and Luiz totally are.)
He can keep her (discreetly, one hopes) AND get married later, if he wants.
He can discard her AND get married later and that's OK too.
Like, this isn't a decision tree. There are no consequences. There aren't any stakes.
It's just... whatever the dude wants to do. That's not a plot, even for comic opera.
*sigh*