"If there's one thing worth fighting for, it's freedom!" OR Footloose: Subversive Tool of Libertarian Values

Yes, my friends, it's shocking. Footloose, that fun loving all-American classic, is actually a subversive political tool designed by libertarian extremists in order to poison the thoughts of today's youth.

A small introduciton for those unfamiliar:
Libertarianism (from the rudimentary research and personal half-remembered conversations I'm basing this on) is a political ideology that can be summed up at its most basic with the phrase "Life, Liberty, Property". Libertarians advocate smaller governments and greater personal freedoms, and indeed see the two concepts as totally intertwined. Libertarianism also does not define itself along the traditional left vs right political spectrum. Instead, libertarians are very right-wing on economic issues (following another oft-quoted tennet "free markets, free people") while that same focus on individual rights and freedoms often puts them in traditional leftist territory on social issues. American libertarians will also tell you that they desire the return of America to the vision of its founders.
Footloose was a hit film in 80s which was quickly adapted into a Broadway musical, and many of the songs went on to become chart-topping singles. Anyone who has seen the film verison of Footloose will be surprised by its numerous differences from the stage adaption.

Footloose is a story concerned with liberty and freedom. It chronicles the struggles of Ren, a young man coming of age in small town America. In the particular small town in which the story takes place, Bomont, the liberties of the populace are routinely suspended and infringed upon. The town council maintains a stranglehold over the people and, with its close ties to the local clergy, enforces strict morality on the entire town. With their enforcers embedded in powerful positions on the police, in public institutions such as the schools, and within the citizenry at large, criticism of the council or its policies will be discovered and dealt with immediately. Indeed, privacy seems to be an outmoded concept in Bomont. Comments one teenage girl, "Think a naughty thought, and if you get caught, then boy you've got, a lot of trouble!"

Of course, when "official" means such as police harassment can not deter a detractor, the countil will easily switch tracks to less respectable methods. Throughout the course of Ren's struggles to change the opressive laws prevailing in Bomont he is subjected to such underhanded tactics as wrongful dismissal and vigilantism -- at the hands of several young men in ski masks.

The most sickening part of the council's iron-fisted rule is that the members themselves do not follow their own laws. The children of the local preacher routinely bypass the town curfew and engage in alcohol and substance abuse and underage sexual activity. In fact, this freewheeling lifestyle led to the death of one of the precher's children several years before the setting of the story. In a more disturbing example, Ren and his mother are subjected to physical and verbal abuse by his uncle. This goes unpunished and unremarked-upon, presumeably because of his uncle's seat on the council.

All these examples are given to illustrate a central point of libertarianism: that larger (and more powerful) government does not always make that government better. The implication is that it makes it worse. Libertarianism contends that government which is too powerful will only use that power to regulate its citizens beyond reasonable limits. It suggests that people need only to be left on their own in order to behave properly and that government's role is not to babysit or dictate how life should be lived to its citizens.

The fast-paced twisting plot will keep audience members in thrall throughout the whole show, and serve to make Ren's eventual victory all the more heart-warming. Even if you don't support dangerous and subversive anti-authoritarian movements you can still being your kids out for a good time! Although, due to the sensetive political nature of the production, you will need to give your full name, date of birth, permanent address, place of employment, and sexual orientation to the government representative at the door before you can enter to see the show.

This article is just a waste of time in order to make people come to my show. Since I've already got my fam in the bag and most of my friends wouldn't be swayed by a post about how cool Footloose is, I went for the only niche market left to me: Nick and, by extension, his family. So, anyone who actually knows anything about libertarianism (like Nick), be amused not offended and come to my show!

Tickets are $15, or $12 for students and seniors. The performances are next week, March 16, 17, and 18 at 8pm. There is also a matinee on the 18th at 2pm. I am encouraging anyone who wants to come and see me to try and come on Friday. Thursday and Saturday have excluive events for the cast and band afterwards, and we have been forbidden from bringing anyone, including significant others, who was not in the show. I would like to hang out with anyone who makes it down, so Friday is the night to try. Also, getting together beforehand is an idea.

If anyone wants me to buy a ticket for them in advance I will, but if you end up not coming I will still get that money from you. For anyone coming from Stratford, I can't offer any ideas on rides. My van is presumeably going to be full of people from my house. It would be great to see everyone though, so try and find some way to get here. Greyhound is cheap, and the busses from Stratford to Waterloo usually don't have any crazy people. Leave a comment or email me for any other info I've forgotten. If anyone wants/needs to stay over in my room they can.