Super depressing in 2019 - Annie (1982) Discussion

[–] pioneergrrrl (2389) 5 years ago

It's kinda interesting since Reagan was selling country on idea of 'trickledown' --- the idea that the 1 percent deserved to live life very wealthy and we would benefit 'naturally' as a result of them keeping all of their wealth.

We see from this that big class discrepancies infact do not workout well for the masses. The orphans are wearing rags and are crammed into an institution where they don't get schooling/adequate schooling. They do not even have toys.

The person technically in charge of them is an abusive drunk who apparently got the job bc she had 'connections' with somebody in city gov. Otherwise she would be out on street/underneath bridge selling herself.

reply

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

The person who wrote the "Little Orphan Annie" comics was so far-right that today's arch-conservatives would back slowly away from him. He was against mandatory education for children and teenagers, loved war profieteers, was in favor of child labor, etc.

I read a lot of "Little Orphan Annie" and other old comics when I was a teenager, because then as now, I'll read absolutely anything other than what I'm supposed to be studying. FYI the original "Annie" comics are full of Annie ranting against do-gooders who want to put children in schools, when they could be getting jobs and supporting themselves like responsible citizens. So whatever weird politics got into the stage show and movie, they're nothing on the original comics!

reply

[–] sslssg (27629) 5 years ago

I think it was depressing in 1982 as well, but it's still a movie I love.

reply

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Why is it depressing?

I loved the film as a kid, and I still like it.

I don't necessarily agree with the film's politics (although they are a vast improvement on the anti-New Deal conservative guy who conceived the comic-strip), but I enjoy the songs, the art direction, and, in particular, the performances.

reply

[–] sslssg (27629) 5 years ago

I was more responding to the OP's claim. I think that in many cases musicals are seen as happy, feel good types of stories, when really a lot of them deal with heavy topics. Especially on the stage. If one were to remove the dancing and singing, the story is a little dark. So are most fairy tales.

I have no issues with Annie personally. I still really enjoy the movie, and the stage production.

reply

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

But Annie ends up happy at the end. She ends up with a family. And none of the villains die. In fact, if memory serves me, isn't Miss Hannigan basically forgiven? Pretty much the entire cast ends the film dancing outside Daddy Warbuck's mansion as fireworks go off in the background.

As far as dark musicals go, it's hardly Sweeney Todd, is it?

reply

[–] sslssg (27629) 5 years ago

I'm not the one who originally claimed it was depressing, but just because a story has a happy ending, it doesn't mean that the story itself isn't dark. For instance, the orphans are abused by a drunk woman who uses them for labour. Annie is only taken to Mr Warbucks because he needed to use an orphan for a week to improve his image. The original plan was to give the child back after he had his pictures taken, at the end of the week. As well, the only reason Annie was picked was because she was locked in a closet under the threat of having her dog killed. Spends a somewhat overwhelming week in the lap of luxury knowing that it won't last. Then after turning down Mr Warbucks offer of adoption, because she was lied to and thought that her parents were still alive, she's essentially kidnapped for $50,000. After Annie destroys the cheque, Rooster tries to kill her. That's not exactly the happiest of stories.

That's also one of the reasons I like it so much.

reply

[–] pioneergrrrl (2389) 5 years ago

It's depressing now---but as little kid I loved idea of running around with other little girls and then getting to do 'whatever" I want.

Miss Hannigan was corrupt but she was not evil. Different than her brother who had actually served time in jail. People in public service do have some ethics, She understood killing Annie was wrong and that it could not be taken back, unlike oh say not giving them toys.

reply

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Exactly! In this version Miss Hannigan isn't portrayed as irredeemably evil. Just a jerk with a hidden heart of gold.

reply

[–] sslssg (27629) 5 years ago

I don't even know if Miss Hannigan was corrupt. Not that I know her back story, but I think having a brother like Rooster, her family life wasn't great either. She was depression era single, and without children of her own. The way she was played brilliantly by Carol Burnett never seemed evil to me even as a kid. Just a sad, desperate woman who drinks way too much, which led her to abuse what she wanted most.

Now I could be wrong, and as a kid I didn't have it all figured out but after we saw it I the theatre I asked my mom if Miss Hannigan was mean because she wanted her own kids, so that's always been in my mind watching.

reply

[–] pioneergrrrl (2389) 5 years ago

Women back then had to be single to work--especially in depression. If you were married you were taking away job from a man. And you were fired if you were pregnant. Maternity leave did not occur until 1970's as standard requirement. There was no reliable birth control (other reason why there are orphans).

Also being Irish (Hannigan) she is still yes considered an ethnic minority in the 1930's--it wasn't until after WW II that they (along with Germans, Poles...etc) were considered 'white'). that other lack of opportunity may be why she is depressed. She is doing work which is unglamorous and not 'easy'.....but ignoring at least she has a roof over her head and a government provided paycheck.

The play/film make much more sense now that I am older.

reply

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I don't buy this bullshit about the 'poor Irish' and the 'poor Germans'.

Back in the 1930s you had Irish Catholic priests on the radio virulently demonising Jews, alongside powerful Irish-American businessmen like Henry Ford, and influential German Americans exerting pressure on Washington to stay out of WWII.

Blacks, Latinx, (genuine) Native Americans, Jews, and, yes, Eastern Europeans, including Poles, and even Southern Europeans, were, and indeed still are demonised by the elites, but you can cry me a river for the powerful Tammany Hall Irish-Americans and the anti-Semitic German-Americans (Trump, or should I say 'Drumpf', is, remember, a German-American whose grandfather, with his many brothels, exerted a lot of power and wealth in pre-WWII America).

These bastards were in league with the 'Aryans' of Germany, and by those standards are about as 'pure white' as one can get.

reply

[–] pioneergrrrl (2389) 5 years ago

I'm talking about generations ago--not today. Kennedy's being president was big in the 1960's not just bc he was Catholic but bc he was irish

https://www.history.com/news/when-america-despised-the-irish-the-19th-centurys-refugee-crisis

The play/movie is a 'sly' nod to that anti Irish sentiment. Miss Hannigan has connections otherwise she would not have gotten the job.....or have been able to keep it. It is a government job.

Dealing with children (like being fire fighter, police) is dirty and/or dangerous and very low paid. But at least it is paid.