March 3, 2009

Interesting tidbit from my class

On occasion class can relate to my nerdiness without me trying to hard.  Today it was in my shakespeare seminar, and it relates to cross-dressing.  I know, it already sounds like a stretch but here me out.

Back when Shakespeare was writing his plays men would do all the parts, including young men who would play all the women's roles.  So we're discussing the costume history and how changing in and out of costumes for certain plays was a bit of a hassle but completely manageable.  The subject of the Puritan's objections came up and why.  My professor explained that some people back in the day felt that women were merely underdeveloped men, and that one could change between the sexes if one worked it right.  Hence, the theatre was a dangerous place because all these boys pretending to be women all the time would soon be changed to women just because of all the practice they were getting.  

It turns out it was mostly a puritanical logic, hence a christian belief.  I started thinking... isn't that the same logic that right wing christians use against video games?  They do sort of hold to the belief that violent video games will transform a person to be violent.  That playing GTA IV will make you kill hookers for cash and deal drugs while doing mob errands.

Coincidence? 

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