Guys, why do you hate musicals?

Question

There's this social stigma that guys loathe musicals and I'm just curious what's your reason for the dislike or perhaps maybe you do like them? I'm interested to hear your thoughts please.

SociableGuy · Accepted Answer

I wouldn't say I love musicals, if I had to choose a movie it definitely wouldn't be my top or middle choice. But I do appreciate some musicals that use the music and singing to add something to the movie itself, usually this is an emotional level that just can't be reached without music and singing. What I hate is when singing is simply thrown in because the movie has decided it is a musical. Disney movies especially do this annoyingly for me. I understand that they do it for the kids because the kids love it, but from an adults perspective many times I've been left sitting their thinking "for god's sake just do it/say it, you don't have to sing and dance about it for 5 minutes!". This is especially an issue for me when it slows the plot.

Another way to think of it is how a good music video works, for me if it is just 3+ minutes of singing, dancing and talking about how awesome you are, than I don't really care, but if there's actually a story woven in that elevates the lyrics than I am strapping right in!

If I were to pick I would say Moulin Rouge does things very well. Most of the musical scenes actually show feelings that couldn't be easily depicted without it, and they move the plot forward.

MCheetah · Accepted Answer

I wouldn't say "hate" rather strongly averse to seeing. They're boring storywise and annoying music wise. The music is usually super effeminate and any dancing involved makes it that much worse. They also tend to be expensive to go to. There's a reason only gay men like them. Movies and video games are so much more straight-forward, less expensive, and don't involve any fruity singing.

The ONLY "musicals" I can give credit to are the Disney renaissance animated movies of the 90s and even some of them, like Aladdin, seem super effeminate and fruity once you grow up. I don't think there's a single masculine musical in existence. No, not even any of the Trey Parker and Matt Stone ones.

DizzyDesii · Accepted Answer

Its sad a lot of the guys find it awkward, boring or gay. I want someone who will sing along to the Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, Cats, Annie, and Grease. Its not like im making em watch more girly musicals like Dreamgirls and Chicago lol

lilyanony1 · Accepted Answer

I don't I love them.
Much of my childhood was dictated to me by my mother.
So I missed out on the things I really liked.
I watched the ones I could on TV but that's it really.
Life is for living. Musicals and all!

NamerOfStars · Answer

Because they're for people who can't hack it in something as manly as opera.

More seriously- but only slightly so- I have, on multiple occasions, messed with the over-political by claiming that I'm gay, but "a psycho-pervert kind of gay where you're exclusively attracted to the opposite sex". Do the delivery right, and they'll invariably say something like "Wouldn't that be, like, straight?", to which I respond "Yeah, it's LIKE being straight, but with more musicals and white zinfandel". That shuts 'em up.

I actually LIKE musicals, but a lot of guys don't. I don't think it's purely a matter of stigma, either- how many guys actually like plays? On the other hand, there's certainly SOME social aspect to it, or rock operas would be more popular. Pretty much everyone's heard of Tommy, but when's the last time you even heard someone MENTION Quadrophenia?

HighlyVolatile · Answer

I think it's mostly because I don't care for the type of music and stories in those. If it was like a thrash metal musical set to an extremely violent horror film, I think I'd like that. Like Saw: The Musical featuring Jinjer.

TOMaxe · Answer

Not all men loathe musicals. For me, I was introduced to musicals by my mother. She was involved in our community theatre and would take me to rehersals (SP) a lot. I usually did my homework, but when finished, I would watch them. Over time I really began to enjoy them because of this early introduction. In addition, whenever any musical was on TV, we would watch them together. The last movie we went to was "Lost Horizons." Afterwords, we talked about it and she told me about the original version that came out in the '30"s which she preferred. Understandable. We also watched several Martin & Lewis, Astaire & Rogers movies as well as many others over the years.

TheSpaceGnome · Answer

It's awkward, boring, irritating, and dumb.

My personal opinion of course, but it's like asking why people like or don't like the taste of whatever food/drink.

If I had to be specific, I can't stand it when conversation takes longer than needed, has pauses in dialogue, or draws out words to take longer to say, and the type of singing used in musicals is ear grating, like nails on a blackboard.

I honestly hate a cappella in general, or most music where the voices overshadow the instruments, and the dancing in musicals looks dorky and out of place.

GlassTop · Answer

Honestly, it feels pretty gay. Not in the literal sense but in a south park sense. These people dressed all extravagantly, singing while portraying a story that is usually a drama or romance story. It’s all the same. It does nothing for me. It’s pretty boring and there isn’t much to talk about afterwards except for someone hitting a certain note or a certain part of the play. I knew a person who was super into musicals, and they were kind of special in their own way. People who get into acting or musicals are kind of weird people to me. Their personalities don’t mesh with mine. I’d do it for the wife if she wanted it. I’d rather go to a concert or see a boxing/mma fight.

Anonymous · Answer

For me it’s because they’re cheesy. They’re not “manly” in my opinion, my opinion not anyone else is. Men jumping around in tights sometimes. I want action, fighting. Not the type of fighting in a musical where they pretend to be fighting but it’s dance fighting. It’s slow. I told my girl I’d take her to see Mama Mia 2 when it came out a while back, but I said I’d have to watch the first one. I didn’t even want to see it to begin w cause it’s a chick flick but she wanted to see it. Boy I made a big mistake, didn’t realize it was a musical. Stick my mouth in my foot so I had to suck it up when I took her to see the second one. I guess in short they’re girly.

Loveisgirthy · Answer

I don't. Encanto was amazing. I'll watch anything Lin Manuel anytime. Tik Tok Boom with Andrew Garfield isy favorite of Lin's. I love how breaking into song can bridge the fantastical and realities to expression of them both in poetic ways. As well as explain concepts such as harmful family structures like encanto or a crushing economy, all could be incredibly depressing and disengaging for people but it takes the right artists to bring you in like these Lin movies have. Moana was my first like woah moment where I realized how inclusive musicals could be with other genres of song. Les Mis was alright but I'd love to see Lin's version of that one

God_of_Thunder · Answer

I don't hate them, exactly. I just find the whole concept to be kind of ridiculous. Like, do you have to sing and dance for  everything? 🎶 I'm gooooooing to the store! 
  We need eggs and miiiiiiiilk 
  What do I have coupons for? 
  Look; that brand is called Siiiiiiiilk! 🎶 Just, like... really, right now? 🤨

TickleMe4ForFun · Answer

I think guys hate music because it is so subjective, just like any art form. It is also why guys don't care for poetry. And we look at art through a "math mind", meaning we love to problem solve. Art is not meant to be a "problem that is solved" but rather something contemplated for hours and days. Guys just aren't programmed to "waste" that much time thinking about one thing, unless it is for the protection or betterment of society. Engineering... construction... auto mechanics... a guy's mind works great in those fields because 2+2 will ALWAYS be 4. There is no interpretive "right answer" where 1000 different opinions could all be right.

Anonymous · Answer

It's boring and a niche entertainment for fans. It's also stereotyped as rich snobs only going to musicals to show they can do old rich things. Many children remember just waiting for musicals to end.

We have been spoiled by visual effects and movies so old things like musicals and jousting are boring in comparison. Some of us can't even enjoy some movies because video games actually immerse us into being the character in the story instead of just watching it in third person.

Video Games are like eating cake, films are like watching someone else eat cake, and musicals are like looking at an old painting of a cake. It's also the reason why pop music always sees higher charts and views than old classical music. Times change.

manfromsomewhere2 · Answer

i think its coz its very cliche sometimes.
but, la la land for example is a great movie. and still, i mean, its begining is very cringy for me and id skip it. the reason i liked that move is coz its kinda unusuall story line. and mainly the music, no, not the dances in the beginning, but the music itself. the composer is a genius.
other than that, as i said, id skip some of the parts coz they look a bit cringy to me.

and other musicals... i haven't seen any i think. i prefer a regular movie. regualr movie can also have really good soundtracks. take for example the pirates movie, requim of a dream, avengers endgame, rush, and some others (tho they are mainly pure music, not lyrics, and still, its great).

SladeTannon · Answer

For the same reason I'd hate it if everyone in my life sung 24/7 to explain what they were doing. The entire premise makes no sense to me.

RandomDouchebag · Answer

"Hatred" is a rather extreme reaponse to something so trivial. I will say that with a handful of exceptions, I don't much care for musicals... not even "Grease," or "West Side Story". When I say that, men and women, alike, act like I've committed sacrilege. lol. I don’t know how to describe why I find most of them irritating. They just strike me as cheesy, corny... cringe-inducing. People gratituitously breaking into song annoys me. The choreography is overdone and cheesy. Basically, I'm saying I don't like musicals because they're cheesy. Not much else to be said.

DirTdreamer · Answer

Not all guys hate musicals. Some guys really like music, to their core. They may even be musicians or really enjoy hearing good voices. In High School, I worked a spotlight for some of the plays, I’ll never forget the songs from South Pacific. I occasionally sing them in the house, out of the blue, 30 years later.
“🎵I’m as corny as Kansas in August, I’m as normal as blueberry pie… 🎵”

Craftsman · Answer

I for one like musicals. Usually they are uplifting, amusing, and a pleasure to watch and listen to. I'm a male. Maybe an odd-ball, but none-the-less a male aficionado of musicals.
Sound of Music, West Side Story, and the like are ones I like to experience over and over.

MarkRet · Answer

If I watch a movie (or a play), I want to get engrossed in the story, or interested in the characters. When they all of a sudden break into some song and dance, it destroys my focus on what’s going on. I mean, it’s not something people would do in real life, right? About the only musical I like is Cabaret, because there’s still a story, and the song-and-dance stuff is pretty much contained in that nightclub.

DaveJord · Answer

I do not hate them persay... but seriously it takes like 5 to 10 minutes of dancing and singing to say something that only should of took 2 minutes. So the story lines kinda of move rather slow and all the dancing and singing doesn't really add any more depth to the plot or climax for me.

Guy13 · Answer

Because women are already enough drama. Last thing I need to see is some guy acting as crazy as my women “for fun night out”. That’s pretty close to living hell 🔥. I probably should have checked your age before this…that’s the question one with Zero knowledge of men or lack of dating experience asks…. Really now⁉️-not even the Shades of Grey 🤷🏻‍♂️🙃

Kaneki05 · Answer

There often badly done and the fact they expect someone who cannot sing to sing is funny.
That been said give me Phantom of the Opera the film and we are good.
Give me Sweeney todd and we are good.
But this is 2 names I can mention out of all the rest that are bad to me.

GingerGuy · Answer

I've been to a few and really enjoyed them. However it's also not something I'd go to often or necessarily "seek out". Like I wouldn't think, "I want to go see a musical" lol. But if a partner wanted to go or something, depending on the musical, I wouldn't necessarily be against going.

AviatorTom · Answer

I like musicals. 1776 is my all-time favorite, with JCSuperstar and Phantom close behind. I haven't seen Hamilton, though I've heard some of its music. And you can't go wrong, entertainment-wise, with classic shows like West Side Story, Carousel and The Music Man.

smahala1991 · Answer

I like some musicals like Grease, Frozen, Little Shop of Horrors, Rocky Horror, Encanto, Anastasia, Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. But it depends on how good the story is and the acting. A lot of people make a lot of anti LGBTQ statements about them though which theatre and musicals have always welcomed diversity. Rocky Horror in the early to mid 70s was ahead of it's time.

Anonymous · Answer

Any guy who’s smart loves musicals and taking his woman to them… Lol

Jackblue · Answer

I don't hate watching musicals. There is some stigma against men being live theater actors, since they wear tights and all, but not really against watching plays or musicals. Men in New York watch them all the time. The only stigma some people might have against it is live theater can seem a bit bourgeois.

Godsvengeance · Answer

It's hard to put my finger on I just deeply dislike them with limited exceptions. I like Disney movies from the 90s, Little Shop of Horrors, and I absolutely loved Wicked. Other than those, I've generally despised any I've seen. In guess Grease didn't make me physically ill but I'd sign up for a lobotomy before I'd willingly watch West Side Story or Frozen again. Maybe it's the emotional drama. I hate that crap in non-musicals and real life as well.

TwoToTooTutu2 · Answer

Few reasons. The songs are rarely any good, the story is forcefully stopped at stupidly random points and in musicals it is consistent. Plus it breaks Emerson every time a song breaks out. Plus most if not all musicals have a boring plot. My uncle was a director of a local drama club so I have seen my fair share of plays and musicals. The musicals allways have a generic plot tailored towards entertaining women.

AndrésC64 · Answer

I don't necessarily. It's been many years but I've seen the play Les Miserables three times and I love it! I have the soundtrack and can sing along to every one of the songs.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/0c2sx47p31M

One of my favorite movies of all times is Across the Universe which is a musical based on Beatles music, it's great!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/o2aswTkISk4

Hanrej · Answer

We do? There is? 🤔
First I've heard. Perhaps people tend to put musicals togeather with les miserables or some similar depressing pieces of music meant to invoke unwanted negative feelings... Musicals like that tend to go on for quite some time as well wich probably bores people.

I love musicals. Not every piece, mind you, but a clever song that tell a take with wit and catchy rhymes is often better than the repetitative songs of main stream media.

wankiam · Answer

to me some things just dont work together... putting music and a play together is like an irish coffee to me. i drink coffee loads and i do like a good whiskey but put them in the same cup and it makes me wanna gag

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

I don't hate musicals I just really really dislike them🤣

magiusX26 · Answer

i dont hate them but also dont care for them. tge reason a lot (maybe most) dont stems from a stereotype that "only gay men like musicals" and that partly stems from the stereotype of "musicals are girly/feminine"

sirderpsalot123 · Answer

I don't hate musicals, I just don't care much for them. I really don't know why. I'd just rather watch a horror movie or something lol

Daniela1982 · Answer

What the fuck? I love musicals. From Grease to South Pacific.

Wester1967 · Answer

I love musicals

LC123 · Answer

I loathe musicals  There’s just too much singing and dancing and it’s all over the place. I just don’t see how people live for them but hey each to their own 🤷🏼‍♀️

Sonorous · Answer

I don't hate them, they just annoy me for the most part. I usually end up skipping the singing to get back to the plot.

Telekinetic-Potato · Answer

I don't hate musicals, I just get migraines when I spend too much time around people who act in them.

SupremeWarlord · Answer

It depends, I like Phineas and Ferb for example. But musicals are very theatrical in everything, I prefer works where the characters behave more like normal people and with a serious tone. But it depends.

jshm2 · Answer

They are tedious as fuck. 10 minutes of story dragged out into 2 hours of prancing on stage. Dont even get me started on opera...

hafinjun · Answer

I don't, I like some of the oldies , singing in the rain for instance I don't know does Andrew Lloyd Webber's stuff constitute musicals I like all his music

SmokyOne · Answer

2 of my top 10 movies are musicals. Repo: the genetic opera and Sweeney Todd.  I tend to like my musicals dark. Devils carnival is another I greatly enjoy.

dustybiker · Answer

It’s a cluster of insanity to me. Like viewing the world with a really high fever.

Apulu_3 · Answer

I don't think guys hate musical. Most of the males I know love music instead.

Anonymous · Answer

Because they are lame and stupid. Because people sing to one another instead of talking. Because there is absolutely nothing remotely realistic or inspiring about them whatsoever.

Now opera though, that’s completely different. 👌

Dayman343 · Answer

I always say this because I think of Rogers and Hammerstein type of musicals but some shows I have seen on stage I've enjoyed (Miss Saigon for instance)

Staximus · Answer

"Let's just stop this movie right here and have the actors start singing and dancing" makes absolutely no sense and is dumb when the movie is not about singers and dancers

notwoke · Answer

it's boring. to put it in context, think of your boyfriend taking you to a drag race. VERY EXCITING - for him

RebeccaBI2000 · Answer

I love them. Hamilton is coming here, but the tickets are insane.

AdithyaR · Answer

I'm a theatre enthusiast so I love watching them. I'd not act in one cause I don't have a good singing voice but i enjoy watching them.

tallcuck · Answer

Cause it is a complete waste of time. Stories are told better without singing. Singing is better in songs than musicals. They are like a bad mix of everything. Not for me...

OddBeMe · Answer

I just wonder about the actual reality of the narrative. Somehow the whole town has rehearsed song and dance moves just in case there’s a chance to use it,

MrtoddsWildRide · Answer

Depends on the musical. I like some I dislike some.

exitseven · Answer

I don;t know but they never had any real appeal for them. Maybe not enough car chases or explosions.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

I'd prefer to hear people in a movie talk rather than sing to each other.

Evan64 · Answer

I don't hate them. Little Shop of Horrors (the 80's version anyways) is one of my favorite movies of all time tbh.

SHB84 · Answer

Because they are boring, pointless, sometimes weird. I don't wanna watch adults sing eccentric, and flamboyant musical numbers while wearing tights.

Anonymous · Answer

Some musicals can be boring. be it music, dance, stage setting and costumes. but watching a musical with a great song can be really enjoyable.

FýrdracaDócincel · Answer

Only incestuous closeted queers think that (because their fathers told them to hate musicals).

clampfan101 · Answer

I love them! Especially famous classics with comedy and romance.

GMANN56 · Answer

I don't. When I was in high school I played trumpet in an orchestra for a few different musicals and it was very rewarding. Now Opera? No thanks.

Guys, why do you hate musicals?

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Guys, why do you hate musicals?

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