Compassionate Satire: Why I Don't Hate Dear Evan Hansen
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- čas přidán 19. 04. 2023
- ... the musical, not the movie, we all know the movie sucks balls
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I honestly feel like one of the changes that damaged the movie the most was diminishing the role of Evan's mom. I think their relationship is integral to carrying this kind of messy story because its what allows us to forgive and empathize with Evan the most at the end of the musical ('So Big, So Small), which is further strengthened by the opening (Anybody have a map) and the fallout (Good for You.)
Yes, one of the movies most unforgivable crimes!
I saw a live performance in Washington DC before it went to broadway, and comparing it to broadway bootlegs they had already even all the way back then began to make changes to make Evan a less complex more "easy to root for" character whose actions were more half-accidental.
In the version I originally saw, it felt like the writers didn't need you to be on Evan's side. He was just plainly doing the wrong thing, and it was really interesting and made his redeeming qualities all the more redeeming. It also didn't feel as much like he needed more repercussions, because the narrative was giving the audience the space to judge him themselves instead of trying to forgive him before he had even said sorry.
Interesting! Yeah, I wish they'd continued to lean into the Evan just straight up doing bad things. The off broadway version must be unrecognisable from the movie lol
As you will recall, you had to explain what Dear Evan Hansen even was to me, but the effort you put into every frame is breathtaking. The sheer amount of work that goes into your videos almost makes your glacial publishing schedule look quite hectic. Amazing.
🥰
Woah, “glacial publishing schedule” is a bit harsh!
@@ThatJakers Haha no more harsh than it is true ;)
I know I’m a little late to the video since discussion of the show has kinda died down, but as someone who’s been having a lot of conflicting feelings about it due to people’s perceptions and stuff, I wanna say thank you so god damn much for making a positive video on the show. DEH is one of my biggest comfort shows for how it portrays anxiety and the dread of wanting to be seen but not knowing what’ll happen once you get there, and seeing it get torn to shreds by people who associate it with the movie has been crushing. The show isn’t perfect by any means but it gets on my nerves when people assume it’s just as bad as the movie (and honestly even though I’ve only seen the first half I don’t think the movie is even the Worst Thing Ever) because there’s so much to show that adds to the characters and makes it what it is, and why people loved it so much in 2016.
I wish more people understood that just because a main character makes bad decisions, doesn’t mean that you’re meant to agree with it. Evan may be a character written to reach out to the kids with anxiety but he’s also a cautionary tale, and I think you understand that better than a lot of people I’ve seen review the show
(Also I swear if I have to hear one more person describe the show as ‘a kid pretends to be friends with a dead guy so he can bang his sister’ when the most surface level analysis will tell you otherwise-)
Thank you! :) The video itself was already late to the discussion haha, but I'm glad people are finding it
I'll be honest, my first exposure to dear even hanson was a fan animation of "sincerely me" so I thought it was a gay coming of age rom-com for about two years before I actually found out what the plot was....
I know several people who thought the same
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat while I've come to embrace the fanfics (bc I'm a lonely wee gay who likes recovery stories and making myself cry), there's still a part of me that have mixed feelings around the brilliant irony of how fans, particularly fic writers, would create their own image of Connor when a point the show makes is how nobody ever truly knew him.
like for all we know, which is next to nothing, Connor might have offed himself completely by accident!
Anything between OD-ing to stumbling into traffic, as far as I remember we never got any info on exactly how he died(thank god, that would've been very ill advised), so we'll never truly know.
@@TindraSanThe novelization of the show has chapters from Connor's (or more accurately, his ghost's) perspective, where we actually learn how he dies
@@finleyforevermore I honestly don't like that at all. again I feel like the lack of knowing was kinda part of the point of the show, but that's just my interpretation.
I do not want to know how Connor died and if I'm forced to know I'm just gonna deny that this novelization is at all canon
Seeing the show blind when it was fresh on broadway I never felt like the "wow, this is really fucked up" aspect of the plot really went away. Or the feeling that we never knew Connor, adding to how fucked up everything was. The shock factor was absolutely part of the experience, and I feel like all the dry Wikipedia summary readers never really felt that when talking about how "likeable" Evan is. He's definitely a character you can read parts of your own social anxiety and life experience into, but you never forget that he fucked up.
Yeah, seeing the show was an exceptionally uncomfortable experience for me in a way that I thought was very deliberate
See, this is why I support bootlegs when stage recordings aren't available for purchase, lets ppl actually experience the songs in their proper context :P
Although my first experience with this musical was so bizarre bc it was through a bootleg that was cut up into two videos, but I didn't realize this at first so for like a week or so I thought Dear Evan Hansen ended with "You Will Be Found" and it left me so shaken with unease and a sense of uncanniness XD
Once I saw the whole thing tho I loved it! I cried rivers during "Words Fail" and I still cry when listening to "So Big So Small"
Haha that would have been such a strange ending. Words Fail and So Big So Small really get me too, but when I started crying at Anybody Have a Map I knew I'd spent too much time thinking about this show lol
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat Understandable tho, it's heartbreaking listening to it while knowing what's ahead😭
How is the editing AND the analysis on these so tight??! Dear Evan Hansen came out my Junior year of HS and then my show choir immediately sang like 3 of the songs, so my early impression of it screamed heartfelt innocent story, which always rubbed me the wrong way. Thanks for explaining why!
Haha, you're welcome (and thank you :D )!
I found out about your channel when my media teacher showed my class your video essay about video essays, and the consistent level of quality in your writing and editing is so impressive to me. I know very little about Dear Evan Hansen but you made this incredibly engaging and thought provoking I'm so impressed, sending big applause and high fives.
Thank you very much! And good to know it still has value for people who aren't familiar with the show :D
lol that clarification that you're referring to the musical is clutch 😂
😂
I'll admit to being wary due to the subject matter but as always, amazing video. I love that you talk about the rise of "embrace cringe, be free" culture online but how even that gets commodified and adapted.
Thank you :D Yeah it's been difficult to know how to title this video lol such a divisive show at this point
i never know what's gunna come next on this channel, but i know it's going to be unique, thoughtful and beautifully executed.
Hehe thank you!
"Well sure, I didn't watch the play or the movie, but I've seen Jenny Nicholson rave about it for about an hour and a half, so I am somewhat of an expert - let's see what Grace has to say about it" My brain at 2AM apparently.
Seriously though, beautifully produced video, convincing, and makes me wish to see the play perhaps, as the movie, as noted in your description, does suck.
Thank you 😊 and yes no one should ever watch the movie, Jenny Nicholson's video is excellent and tells you all you need to know 😂
This is the only channel I've found that can swim in the sea of postmodernism and deconstruction and explains it where I can halfway imagine I understand postmodernism and/or deconstruction. I would love it if you could tackle "Gravity's Rainbow" because I have been stuck on page 100 for about ten years, and I doubt I understand much of what I've read. If you don't, I'm more than happy with what you produce. I've re-watched these videos more than once. I learn something new each time. Thanks for all your work.
Thank you very much! 🥰
I love this musical still, and I think anyone who didn’t get in at the ground floor were done a disservice by the paratext. I think the show would do better to lean further into the satire, but I can’t deny that some of the most affecting parts of the show are the bleeding heart vulnerable parts. Thanks for your always wonderful analysis ❤
Yeah, I listened to the soundtrack around when it first hit broadway and thought it was really interesting and dealt with it's subject matter well, but then when everyone started saying it was bad actually I thought "welp guess I was wrong". It wasn't until I saw it at the West End last year that I thought "no wait I was right the whole time!" haha
Acepting that you love HSM is growing up
I held a grudge against DEH because I was a huge fan of a different musical which closed not long after losing several Tonys to DEH. So I felt super vindicated when everyone started shitting on it. But honestly this video makes me think I should have given it chance. Just the analysis here is forcing me to come to terms with some stuff about myself I had kind of repressed. That’s pretty powerful.
Thank you, glad it's helping you work through some stuff! ❤
This was a really good video that I enjoyed, so I am letting the algorithm know. Very refreshing after the flood of "DEH is bad actually" takes post-movie.
Thank you :D
You continue to be one of my favorite video essay makers.
Whenever I get to see you made a new video I get a little excited since it's like a rare but very good treat.
Anyway, you knocked out of the park with this one.
I was discussing Dead Evan Hansen with a friend recently and I look forward to subjecting them to this video.
Thank you sp much! ❤ I too look forward to anyone and everyone being subjected to my Dear Evan Hansen opinions 😌
holy shit! i did not see this when it came out, gotta click on that bell ig. i had no interest in a deep dive into dear evan hansen before this but as always, an amazingly written, edited, and narrated video! one of the best channels on the entire site 💜
Thank you! :D
I am an unabashed DEH enjoyer and I'm proud
Wonderful work here. Thanks for sharing your time with us
Just wanted to say that I've seen every youtube video essay and yours are my favorite
Thank you ☺ and congratulations on completing every video essay 🏆
Argh, you are so good at these essays!!
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Ooh a real hot take, can't wait to watch it!
P.S.: oh, it's not about the movie, still pretty good video
Ah yes, the take may appear hotter at first glance
i’m always hyped for a new video
LETS GOOO!!!!!
:D
It's been a while. Thanks for making a new video. All the best.
:D
Glad you’re posting again
Holy shit new WSGAT!! Amazing video as always, absolutely loved the analysis
Thank you!
The body in pain is one of my favorite books of all time! So happy to see it referenced in such a well put together and fun essay
Thank you, yeah it's a great book! I think this is actually the second time I've referenced it haha
ugh that bo burnham quote is so good that i typed it out into my phone notes. bo burnham begging for everyone to forgive him, when really, he was never cancelled. and then what a comeback he had! opposite trajectory of dear evan hansen, sky high all the way
Haha, yes!
Thank you for making this.
YOU"RE BACKKKK
:D
See, what i would think/say is "I would have gladly cried considering the logistics, but for most of my life i've been unable to even cry because idk what happened to me, so i just sit here frozen in a blank stare, while time passes so maybe people forget i even had to do something", yet somehow some of the time my body moves and does things on autopilot and i'm left wondering if i ever did that or if i'm dead or simply dreaming.
But i won't, because it feels like one-up-manship, where expressed grief forms this weird echo chamber that inflicts a resonance cascade of infinitely more grief upon its creators; that is, until it is forgotten.
"Misery loves company", was it? So, we stumble forwards into the unknown, with blank stares and angst-crystallized hearts to our ever-closer lonely demise.
I wish i could even cry.
I wish i could post this without it feeling like a mistake afterwards.
"just considering the logistics of this simple task made me cry"
Crying right now. (Just another neurotypical, neurotypically struggling to plot a mental path from now to leaving for work in 60 minutes. Like neurotypicals famously do on a daily basis.)
Haha totally, just neurotypical things am I right?!
Excellent! Start to musical finish.
Thank you! :D
Ok the last line. Just pierce me right through the heart!
❤
The lyrics “It’s hard to be someone, but it hurts to be nobody” from half alive really apply here
on the one hand, WSGAT made a new video! on the other... that title. I'm scared.
Hahaha my more clickbait savvy friend suggested the title, I've lived in fear of ridicule for months but I think I make a good case for some interesting elements in the original musical
i really like this take! i reccomend reading the book version if you want to see more deph of conors and evans charactar :)
This is incredibly well-written :D really changed my perspective on the musical and made me love it as a satire
Thank you :D
I have nothing insightful to say, I’m just commenting to help the video of one of the best channels on CZcams! God-tier both editing and analysis.
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welcome back!
i was always a fan of the 8ook way more than the musical. i feel it does a 8etter jo8 getting its messages accross and fleshing out the cast.
Don't mind me - feeding the algorithm. Love your stuff!
:D
Full cover of Breaking Free when? 😂
Hehe at this point I probably have an EP worth of 30 second long covers 😂
Didn't even know this show existed but I still watched the whole video, it was this good
Thank you! 😊
Great video
Excellent video essay!! I haven't seen Dear Even Hansen but every time I see some reference or scene from it the protagonist reminds me of the protagonist from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Is this the case?
Thank you! I'm afraid I haven't seen or read The Perks of Being a Wallflower so I can't say 😅
14:44 - 17:16 : I think accepting the weird is part of self acceptance & growth, tho this has to be balanced with meeting others somewhere between due to the truth that everyone's weird, and so are at different points of weirdness, balanced along with boundaries and expectations even though maybe some of those b's & e's maybe should be torn down to build something more resilient or better - even if those new boundaries and expectations (and systems) will ripen and rot with time. And even if it's a trend, and with that accounting for how it can lead to justifying bad behavoir, I guess then I think to Steven Universe and the idea that everyone is projecting an appearance and we can't know someone directly yet are able to work towards intuiting who they are by getting to know them, but while having forgiveness to open up about what's invisible. And with that learning how to navigate tragedy with deciding what to reveal and evoke and what not to: And how, balancing to be known with acceptance (both for each ourselves as well as for each other).
Great video! I'm always excited for your videos - (I didn't know about Dear Evan Hansen until now.)
Thank you! Yeah, it can be hard when people have conflicting needs and access issues
Dear Evan Hanson are comfort songs, but I do like the meanings. I’ve always been anonymous mostly. It’s weird as an artist I was never a normal child I never really posted pics I only post art and even then I delete and reupload for each new world I create
5:29 Dunno if it was intentional, but it sounded like you were channeling a bit of @hbomberguy right there, lol
Haha wasn't intentional, but I can see him using 'muppet' as an insult
What I have taken from this is just watch the High School Musical trilogy instead.
This is a good take home message
Yeah, I think this kinda gets at how the show made me cry when fictional media otherwise never does that.
I'm sorry for ever hurting anybody, no more of that🙇🏻♂️🖤
Babe, wake up, a new What's So Great About That video dropped
niceee
War on Musicalsplain' declared
Haha! They haven't done an ep on Dear Evan Hansen yet though right? I am waiting for them to do it 😂
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat they haven't.... BUT they did read it to filth in their most recent ep on Great Comet
@@Draqua Ahh ok I'll have to check that one out! 😂
They probably won't cos Kaveh worked on the film. Or at least that's what I thought
@@beckyginger3432 oh right! I think they have mentioned this in the past
Yay you not dead, I jk, its always great to see your content.
I live!
This is gonna sound odd but did you get a retainer?
... no 😆
@@WhatsSoGreatAboutThat maybe it’s different mic quality, there’s just something slightly different in how you sound.
NEW WSGAT VIDEO
the movie lost so much of the depth that the musical had.
Thanks for this, beyond the usual "because I like your videos a lot". It's a great companion to Jenny Nicholson's takedown a while back.
Yeah, I loved Jenny Nicholson's video, there really is basically nothing of merit in the film lol
That style of singing is like nails on chalkboard to me and i had no interest in this show, but this video is great, as ever thanks to your insights and presentational style. THANK YOU GRACE
Thank you :) Good job I didn't use too much of the songs haha
6 Tonys
wtf why did I think 3?! 😂 Of all the issues I expected to come from this video, I did not foresee this one lol
Another one
I don't undesrtand the half ofrece it
Eh, agree to disagree.