The Problem With Musicals is...the Music (for starters)

Congratulations to Johnny Depp for his Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. We unfortunately will not be watching this award-winning performance since we detest musicals in any way, shape or form. ("Surrey with the Fringe On Top" from Oklahoma! is a nice tune, though.) We didn't even know Sweeney Todd was a musical, especially since all the straight dudes in the "5" offices were enthusiastically awaiting this Tim Burton-directed film last year.

And speaking of avoiding musicals...we had an idea of what Rent was about despite not having seen the popular Broadway show in its heyday, numerous opportunities and the lure of free tickets notwithstanding. But this past week we came across the movie version while channel surfing and caught a few of the musical numbers from the movie. And there it was...every single bit of hokiness that musicals represent to those of us who hate them: lame songs, ham-fisted lyrics, contrived plots...ugh. There goes a chunk of our lives we won't get back.