The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
The Vitiation of Taste.

Now that the season IS closing. IL may
not be undressing 10 look back over the
list of musical comedies that entertained
large audiences during the season. and
to note how far and how fast We are
travelling the road of vulgarity. indie
cency. profanity. and salaciousness. Bit
by bit these things have crept into the
so-called musical comedies until there are
few of them on the road to-day that
could not be compared. TO their discredit
IN this regard, with the vulgar burlesque
shows of a decade ago that went so far
out of the bounds Of morality that they
had TO be watched by the police.
The astonishing thing about this growth
toward indecency is that it would never
be possible were il not for the public
Gradually the public taste in such mat
tiers has been vitiated until things that
a few years ago would have shocked
people. would have sent some in the
audience Indignantly out Of the theater
affects them not at all
The stage had its era OF vulgarity and
OF dealing with forbidding themes. but
the influence OF the Victorian reign was
markedly for purity of speech and man.
ners, which were reflected on the stage
It is strange and almost unaccOuntable
why nous avons change tout celal A
few years ago, and a mildly spoken
damn" on the stage would have been
regarded as a reprehensible license; now
the show that does not indulge in all
sorts Of profanity nowadays is by way
OF being a curiosity. Swearing has ceased
10 be shocking, and the present age seems
TO have discovered in it a vein of hitherto
unsupported comedy.
Then, too, many Of the musical comedies
OF our time are built-up things. such as
the one that closed the regular season at
the National Theater last week: ''MaTys
Little Lamb" a thing Of "shreds and
patches" and II, Ike many others Of its
class. finds It necessary 10 interpolate
suggestions of nastiness to make up for
its paucity of wit and legitimate fun.
There is a song in the second act of Mr.
Carries show the chorus of which brings
on company OF girls CARRIED IN dressing
gowns. held loosely about their figures.
The appearance Of these girls in itself
was Indecent, but as If 10 emphasize that
side Of the show a screen let down served
TO show some of these girls in silhouette
IN poses and costumes that were savagely
vulgar.
There was plenty OF this sort OF stuff
in THE Follies of 1907" which played two
successful weeks here this season. and
we are told that the new edition of this
show, The Follies Of 1905" promises to
be even more risque than its predecessor
It seems to be about time for some Iegis-
lation against this tendency OF the stage
toward salacity.
It used 10 be that the public taste could
be counted upon TO correct and keep sweet
the public morals but this is no longer
true Taste has been vitlated, manners
have been made coarser, morals more lax
We shall probably never have such an
Office in this country as censor Of plays,
but that is not to say that we might not
be q lot better of If We could have.
There seems. indeed. to be no remedy
against this phase OF theatrical vulgarity
we are passing through, unless 1t is TO be
found In the people themselves. So long
as the indecencies and criticism Of such
shows as "Mary's Little Lamb" is not
only eondoned, but applauded, by people
who should know better, so long will the
managers-WhO always care more for
money than morality-pander TO the pub
TO demand