Have a Nice Day

The other day, I get a text message from one of my best friends, Kevin, who always educates me on obscure musicals.

"Get online ASAP. I have to Dorothy Loudon song to end all Dorothy Loudon songs."

I'm in a class, so I don't get online right away, but I'm thinking about it on the way home. Dorothy Loudon is a class act, she's so peppy and clean, and just an old fasioned Broadway star. I absolutely love her.

So later, when I heard the song "Have a Nice Day," I was absolutely taken aback at the use of racial slurs flying out of her mouth. It was obscene, and the audience was laughing hysterically. What's even funnier is that this song was penned by Jerry Herman, the squeaky-clean composer of such old-school hits of Broadway, such as "Mama," and "Hello, Dolly."

Naturally, I played this for my roommate, Marisa.

"I can't believe that this was written by the man who wrote 'Hello, Dolly!" I exclaimed.
"That doesn't really surprise me," she replied, doing her nails while waiting for her hair dye to set in.
"Why's that?"
"Well, isn't 'Hello, Dolly' kind of a racist play?"
"No, it's like the most beloved family musical of all time."
"But it's got all white people in it, right?"
"Usually, yes."
"Well, there's a start."
"Just because a play has only white characters in it doesn't make it racist. 'The Importance of Being Earnest' is a satire making fun of white people and is in no way racist."

Without taking a pause, she then said,

"Well, it could be."