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Old 10-28-2012, 07:06 PM   #15
issybird
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamlet53 View Post
I did find it amusing at the superior attitude Shaw took towards the Eastern Europeans regarding bathing and personal hygiene in general.
Hah! This probably bothered me more than anything else. The first joke might have have been mildly amusing, but then we visited it again. And again. Some things were funnier in the 1890's.

I really do love Shaw, but I must say he's better off in his his usual milieu, that of the English drawing room, where the wit can sparkle and where the social commentary is more subtle and not so superior.

I hadn't read this since 11th grade and while I was glad to revisit it, I don't think it deserves its popularity now, except that I can see that it's a fun play for a high school or community group (and I have seen many, many high school productions. Better Shaw than Shakespeare!). What was prescient in the 90's is irrelevant in the current age, which means we're left with jokes about dirty hands and libraries that would disgrace a summer cottage. Not so funny after all.
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