My Fair Lady as a Retrograde Example of Erasing Women's Emotional Work

[lookfar]

Toby and I went to see My Fair Lady at the Kennedy Center tonight; he got the tickets as a birthday present from his sister Ann and BiL Jeff.

So, you know the story of My Fair Lady, right? It's the musical version of Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, which is roughly based on the Greek myth, in which a sculptor, Pygmalion, makes a model of a woman

Comments

[lookfar]

You wanted her to end up with Freddy? I always felt she was out of his league in terms of personality and strength. He would have shaped up, but he wasn't her equal. For some reason the musical presents you with two choices for her; a man who isn't her equal in strength and one who isn't her equal in emotional intelligence.

[daphnep]

Oooh, this is so true! And it means the whole story is due a rewrite, a modern version in which Eliza finds a partner worthy of her, and an ending that demonstrates her newfound self-respect!

[lookfar]

I'd go for that! Maybe a nice lady suffragist.

There was one tiny addition to the action that the review played up - instead of ending with "Eliza, where the devil are my slippers?" it goes on to show Eliza silently caressing his face and then walking off - a sort of dominating move that makes a declaration of how it will be. But I still think it leaves her with this undeveloped emotional baby as her partner and - bleh.

Freddy

[amorettea]

Freddy was played by Jeremy Brett in the movie.