The Hasty Pudding Show Deserves A Better Review

To the editors:

Re: "'Commandments' An Uneasy Success," arts, Feb. 26.

I would like to begin by saying that I support the right of a reviewer to criticize or praise shows as he sees fit. However, I was extremely disappointed with your review of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals' 159th show, which indicated a lack of appreciation for the Pudding as a performing group and the tradition of the Pudding production. I’m going to venture a guess that Richard Beck has never seen a Pudding show until this year. This alone is somewhat confusing; The Crimson Arts Board sent a Pudding virgin to review the highest-grossing show on campus. This is a pretty safe assumption, seeing as everyone I’ve spoken to who has seen previous Pudding shows has agreed with me that 159 is perhaps the best Pudding show in recent history. The review indicated to me as a reader that the Pudding show was being viewed out of context.

Beck did get something right: The Pudding is vulgar, crass, outlandish, pun-filled, and wrought with sexual innuendo to the point where one more reference to fellatio is like beating a dead horse. No pun intended. It’s a lot like Shakespeare: boys in drag, rapid wordplay, sex everywhere. And people love it; they come back year after year to sit in their seats and be offended, to enjoy the comic material that would be edited from primetime and bleeped out on basic cable. Even matinees (which boast a median age of around 63) contain audiences filled with senior citizens trying to maintain straight faces while Travierso and Ingber strike some obscenely sexual poses I hope I never see from actual siblings.

People come to be offended, and while you say that the Pudding’s Asian and African-American stereotypes are offensive, I argue that the Pudding is a beacon of morality in this overly politically-correct world. Everyone is treated the same by the Pudding. The Pudding as an institution is an equal-opportunity offender. And, just for the record, as an African-American female, I was not offended.

Regardless, the review didn’t say much about the show itself. Yes, everyone knows the Pudding makes fun of stereotypes and has lots of puns–if you dislike either of these things, I suggest you purchase 10 Felipe’s burritos instead of spending $30 on a Pudding ticket. Did Beck mention that “Another Freak In Love Song” should be available on iTunes? Or that the kickline has temporarily cured my irrational fear of clowns? I know, I know. But the Pudding is like a fine wine. If you don’t like it, chances are it’s because you don’t know anything about wine.

And so I would think that, upon first viewing, it is difficult to appreciate such outrageous humor. My first Pudding show was HPT 156: "As the Word Turns". Perhaps I fell in love with the Pudding because my cultured palate had already had a long history with inappropriate humor at that point in time. But it is understandable to feel strong emotions after your first time: bewilderment, confusion, sometimes violation. I suggest Richard Beck return to Zero Arrow. Give it another go. Tell me if it doesn’t grow on you and, before you know it, you’ll be chasing after your first high.





KATHERINE L. PENNER ’07

February 26, 2007