Skip to main content

Critique of Feuer

Here you have a final set of questions to consider. This section will take you approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Activity 7.1

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. They are meant to help you reflect on the issues you have learnt reading Feuer's chapter and listening to these podcasts on the Hollywood musical.

1

How convinced are you that the audience would see the Hollywood musical as 'folk art'?

Open answer.Check your answer

2

Would audiences consider the likes of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers or Gene Kelly as amateurs?

This image shows three moments during a dance scene by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Both of them are smiling. He is wearing a dark suit and she is wearing a long light dress and a short sleeve jacket. His hair is shinny, straight and dark, hers is blond and curly. The first two shots show the same instant where the couple is moving together to their left. Their right upper arms and lower legs are up in the air. The third instant shows them turning around to face and look at each other.

Open answer.Check your answer

3

In your opinion, does the Hollywood musical successfully mask its 'engineered effects'?

Open answer.Check your answer

4

Would audiences of the 1930s and 40s have fallen for this illusion of 'folk art'?

Open answer.Check your answer

5

What about contemporary audiences?

This is a photograph of a red neon sign at night with the word 'cinema' and an arrow below pointing to the left.

Open answer.Check your answer

6

What did you find useful about Feuer's article for looking at dance in the Hollywood musical?

Open answer.Check your answer

7

What well-known theorist talks about the way capitalism operates, particularly the idea that we are oppressed by this economic system of production?

Karl Marx.

Remember: Feuer is basically arguing that, as a capitalist art form (i.e. we pay to watch Hollywood stars singing and dancing in musicals), the musical masks this through an illusion of 'folk art'.

Check your answer