Reason for hope
An already grim situation has deteriorated even further over the past week. There is ample reason for fear and shame and outrage and righteous indignation and well-meaning plagiarism of anti-fascist rhetoric.
But there is also reason for hope. Because we now live in a world where people are doing figure skating routines to Hamilton songs:
Not only is this awesome[*](The idea, certainly, if perhaps not the execution) on a purely aesthetic level, but anything that increases the visibility and accessibility Hamilton to the people and brings it more into the public consciousness is a good and healthful thing, like a vitamin shot to our ailing democracy.
At first, I was skeptical about the decision of the ISU to allow skaters in all disciplines to skate to music with lyrics, but now I see that it was not only a good and necessary decision whose time was long past overdue but clearly divinely inspired as well.[*](To be clear: it appears that the skater featured in the video posted above is NOT competing in an ISU competition; however, this is now something that could--and, more than likely, eventually will--happen in official ISU competition, if it hasn't happened already!) As I've noted before, the world of figure skating is largely a world without borders, despite the best efforts of Russian dictators and bitter Canadian journalists. Therefore, I'm looking forward to the day--and it might not be long in coming--when skaters from countries besides the United States do routines to Hamilton songs.[*](Remember that we've got the Winter Olympics coming up in a little over a year, and people will be looking for fresh ideas for routines.)
Oh, and here's something that I never thought I would say...This makes me miss marching band:
But there is also reason for hope. Because we now live in a world where people are doing figure skating routines to Hamilton songs:
Click to viewNot only is this awesome[*](The idea, certainly, if perhaps not the execution) on a purely aesthetic level, but anything that increases the visibility and accessibility Hamilton to the people and brings it more into the public consciousness is a good and healthful thing, like a vitamin shot to our ailing democracy.
At first, I was skeptical about the decision of the ISU to allow skaters in all disciplines to skate to music with lyrics, but now I see that it was not only a good and necessary decision whose time was long past overdue but clearly divinely inspired as well.[*](To be clear: it appears that the skater featured in the video posted above is NOT competing in an ISU competition; however, this is now something that could--and, more than likely, eventually will--happen in official ISU competition, if it hasn't happened already!) As I've noted before, the world of figure skating is largely a world without borders, despite the best efforts of Russian dictators and bitter Canadian journalists. Therefore, I'm looking forward to the day--and it might not be long in coming--when skaters from countries besides the United States do routines to Hamilton songs.[*](Remember that we've got the Winter Olympics coming up in a little over a year, and people will be looking for fresh ideas for routines.)
Oh, and here's something that I never thought I would say...This makes me miss marching band: