Why do most men not like musicals?

[Rack]

They're of extremely varied quality which makes things difficult. Before Dr Horrible I tried to say "I don't like musicals except for" but by that point the list had grown too long, and since it now contained one of my favourite things ever I had to concede that I do like musicals, but there's a lot that aren't made for me.

Oh and no mention of "Cannibal! The Musical?" For Shame!

 

[Mcupobob]

I'm a musical fan, and so are quite a few of my friends, but i've found that very few of my friends who are male actually like musicals. Even though there are some out there that aren't hugely girly (such as Sweeney Todd and Repo! The Genetic Opera)
So I was just wondering why guys don't like musicals.

Never understood that either I loved rent, Avenue Q, A very potter musical, and Hair. But hey whatever get the girls fawning over you for being sophisticated.

Can't remeber the name but is was something set in middle America they guy who played wolverine was in it. Oh and forgot Cabaret and west side storys those fight dances just always get me laughing.

EDIT: Forgot to add one of my favorite songs

Spoiler

 

[Standby]

Maybe it's because the plots are almost always incredibly formulaic (What's that? The boy gets thee girl, again?)

 

[PayneTrayne]

From my understanding, a fair few popular ones have more "chick-flick" plots. I've seen a few that I absolutely love though. Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Across the Universe, Repo! The Genetic Opera. Although oddly enough, I also really enjoy Glee, not a musical at all, but also considered feminine.

 

[Technocrat]

The Escapist seems to have a higher percentage of musical fans than most places!

Also, ROCKY HORROR

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Because they haven't seen Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog yet.

[/thread]

That is the exception to my general dislike of musicals.

Why? I generally don't like the music, and the humor is often subpar.

 

[Faulty Turmoil]

I don't like musicals because they are way to cheesy, and they don't sing my kind of songs.

 

[katsabas]

Cause, in our majority, we are idiots. I liked Full Monty to death and would pay any kind of ticket to see Avenue Q.

 

[The Aimless One]

I'm not sure if it has anything to do with me being male.
Actually I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

I love music, and I love a good story, also I can appreciate good acting.

But in my (admittedly limited) experience I have found that in a lot of musicals some/all these elements suffer due to the nature of the performance.

To me, music is a way of conveying emotion and when you use it to bring across plot points, it just feels kinda....well flat to me..

Converseley I don't feel that singing makes for good storytelling.
When you have to consider musical rythm and melody aswell as choreograpy, it seems only natural to me that the actually storytelling should suffer a bit.

Wich isn't a problem perse....it just isn't my cup of tea.

Also.....
Many of my female friends do NOT enjoy musicals while some of my male friends do.
(Fact is, the majority of my friends, male and female do not enjoy musicals)

And personally I like to believe that my opinion is based on my own awkward sense of logic rather then the fact that I have a penis.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I love musicals. My favourite song.

I do get put off when things lean to heavily on dancing though. They're "musicals" not "dancicles"...

 

[Breaker deGodot]

I hate musicals, but Singin' in the Rain is among my favorite movies, so go figure.

 

[the December King]

...

Well, I do like The Mighty Boosh- their live stuff was hilarious, and they sing sometimes, but...

Beyond that, I'm sorry, I just don't like the singing and dancing. In pretty much all of them. Including most Disney fare, which I will not watch. And subject matter doesn't seem to change that, really. I saw Pet Shop of Horrors, and felt the same. And some just seem to be musicals to capitalize on a sort of 'mock- musical' status, like SouthPark- Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, or Avenue Q. Oh, I know, they sing and dance and all, but still.

For that matter, I'm not much of a theatre guy anyways. And most of my male friends are, in fact. Maybe I just zagged about the whole thing- I tend to be like that.

I LOVE Dungeons and Dragons, so acting is important to me... wierd.

 

[Krantos]

I can't speak for everyone, but I hate ones like Gillbert and Sullivan. You know, where the songs are pointless and shoehorned in.

Now, on the other hand, I really liked Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof.

 

[Plinglebob]

I don't like watching musicals and the stories often annoy me, but I enjoy listening to the soundtracks.

 

[Dogstile]

Sweeney Todd and Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog were good. I want to see Repo, so I'm assuming its just a case of not liking the ones that are obviously aimed at teen girls.

EDIT: Oh, the rocky horror picture show is AWESOME too

 

[Snownine]

I forgot Singing in the Rain. I like that one too.

 

[Daveman]

Because they're the worst form of performing arts there is. There's no subtlety in any of the characterisation or acting with all characters being two dimensional and is like pantomime without a sense of humour. The music is unimaginative and further breaks flow and characterisation, especially when they insist that people permanently smile. Also the music is drastically worse than opera.

And I'm male BTW. Opera and other pieces of theatre are fine in my opinion but 9 out of 10 musicals are terrible.

I don't put my dislike down to gender, I put it down to good taste.

 

[Pearwood]

Eh I'm not a huge fan of musicals. Phantom is amazing, Sweeney Todd was good too though. I can watch them and they're reasonably entertaining I guess but the acting in them tends to be abysmal.

 

[Aeriath]

The Escapist seems to have a higher percentage of musical fans than most places!

Also, ROCKY HORROR

From the polls I remember, this must mean that the Escapist is a magnet for depressed, bisexual, musical lovers. I'm genuinely interested as to any other groups the Escapist may have more than the average of, although the data would be worth little because it probably wouldn't be representative of the gaming community overall.


As for the topic, I'm not really into musicals. I can't persuade myself to see the singing as an Acceptable Break From Reality so it ruins all chances of me liking a serious musical. As Ironic Pirate has already said, the humour is generally subpar.

 

[RoyalWelsh]

The only musical I like is Sweeney Todd cause it's violent and bloody and manly.

Because musicals tend to have stories that I'm not interested in at all, and because having the whole cast suddenly break into song means you can't take it seriously.

Also this.