Tim Minchin - Play it Safe BLIND REACTION (50th Anniversary Sydney Opera house)

[@PianoDiary85]

Like most of Tim's songs you have to give it at least 10 listens to catch all the different meanings interwoven in the lyrics. He is concurrently singing about the design of the Opera House being outside the box and the lines, and the performers who perform there, and people in general I guess. This is really captured in the line "you've got to build your walls around you, build them straight and make them square" which of course is the opposite to how the Opera House is built, and the opposite mindset to artists. I think this is one of my favourite lines. I also like the last line "your mind is like a house, if you keep it locked up tight you just might keep the world out" - which kind of makes you think, "wait, do I really want that? Do I want to keep the world out?"

[@DrDaveW]

Also, straight = heterosexual and "square" is euphemism for boring.

[@brianmcafee2269]

❤️❤️❤️❤️ I cannot stop watching Tim Minchin

[@suzanneneesom7473]

Next time I visit the Opera house, I'll be looking at her through completely new eyes. Thankyou Tim, only you could make me emotional over a building. What a mind our Tim has!

[@halosandheroes]

I love this because of the multi-layer perspectives. The humanity of going against the grain, the building of the opera house against the grain, and the juxtaposition of the do as I say mentality.

[@Dr_KAP]

The best reaction to this brilliant and moving piece I’ve seen yet. What better person to teach us about breaking the chains of conformity than Dr Minchin himself.

[@halosandheroes]

Dr Minchin has never shied away from being his own person, expressing his views, and being wise and insightful. I absolutely loved the message in this song, and I appreciate the compliment.

[@SimonEnglish-ec2fo]

Tim Minchin is one of my heroes. He has so many layers, he makes you think. Genius

[@andrewbayada2475]

When Jorn Utzon, ( the person who is being referred to in the line "Leave the weird ideas to the Danish), was sitting at that table eating an orange, who knew we would end up with the most Iconic building in Australia. Inspiration can come from anywhere. He was treated unfairly & needlessly criticised! And, if you could rearrange all the sails of the Opera House, they would come together to form a perfectly sphere. Crazy, I know. A building that's a sphere. Great reaction mate!

[@halosandheroes]

WOW. I just realized that is completely true and what a trip. Some of the best inventions happen by accident.

[@jemxs]

Only Tim could pull off an ironic tribute that expresses everything the Opera House stands for!

[@halosandheroes]

Exactly. It's a fitting tribute. It kind of goes beyond the Opera house too in a lot of ways, so many of the greatest artists engineers and scientists were mocked during the invention phase of whatever they were doing, and yet some of the greatest discoveries came from those same people. The Sydney Opera House is no exception

[@wendycohen9038]

You have to watch it several times to get all the layers of stuff going on. For instance, the blonde lady in the bright blue dress is actually Courtney Act, a very well known Aussie drag queen. I get very emotional watching this. I see you did, too. Great reaction video!

[@halosandheroes]

I've watched it a lot. Every time I peel back a layer, I find another. The duality of the relationship between humanity and the opera House is striking.

[@mocte9219]

I love your reaction video. It was such a joy to watch you, watching the video for the first time, going through the same reactions I had the first time I saw it. Tim is so brilliant and so is this video. It's wonderful. Thank you for this reaction video. It was like experiencing it again for the first time.

[@halosandheroes]

It was well worth the watch and reaction. I love all the layers to dive through!

[@mgreen1206]

Great song. Love Tim and the legends performing with him especially Courtney act and the legendary singer Jimmy barnes

[@halosandheroes]

He has always been unabashed and unafraid, and this is a great way to give back to the Opera House and continue that tradition at the same time!

[@ktwashere5637]

The first time I listened to this it completely blew my mind too. Tim Minchin is a freaking god.

[@halosandheroes]

Going back and rewatching it has been eye opening. I think it's been about 5-6 times and I catch something new each time

[@YFIOFtho]

that thing that was happening on the steps - that was an art project photo shoot in 2010 where they expected 2000 sydney siders to rock up for a once in a lifetime photo and 5200 rocked up & took their kit off. One of my friends was a part of it and I remember thinking how brave and liberating! heaps of those shots were iconic moments at the opera house. 100% he's talking on a larger scale about not having black and white ideas and staying open and curious as human beings because look at what we can achieve when we do.

[@Mark-F-Hopper]

Thank you brother. You get it - your reaction is the best! I also loved Iggy Pop!

[@BookHermit_au]

Thank you so much for an interesting and heartfelt reaction. You actually got the message. I absolutely love this song and video. I adore Tim Minchin, he is brilliant, so creative, such a genius.

[@halosandheroes]

Thank you that means a lot. Tim has evolved from his early comedy genius to his more in depth side now, and I love all of it. I have a few more scattered across the channel

[@marcepard8049]

Thank you for this fantastic reaction. I've watched the video many times, but you saw aspects I'd missed. I'm a huge Tim Minchin fan and love this song, but I think Director Kim Gehrig also deserves as much credit for crafting the amazng images that make it work.

[@NebraskaGonvilleJones]

Thanks for this great reaction and for sharing Tim and yourself with the world 😊

[@halosandheroes]

My pleasure!! I have more from Tim coming as well

[@Anticrystal88]

Man, you picked up on this so well. Tim is a master of irony. I'm highly impressed, a pleasure to watch!

[@halosandheroes]

Tim is a genius at his craft, never one to shy away from standing up for what he believes in.

[@goatslunch6991]

Wonderful reaction thank you. YOu get it. I enjoy your shares.

[@halosandheroes]

Thank you very much I appreciate it. I got the layers, but it definitely took a few rewatches to fully gather it all

[@CrazyMaryJo]

Wowza is right on the money.💰 You really got the messages. Watch it several times to discover hidden gems.

[@gregengeler9368]

Very intelligent reaction.

[@halosandheroes]

Thank you. Tim Minchin is an artistic genius, whether through comedy or stoicism or satire, he just has a knack for it

[@mals4125]

Love your reaction and your honesty - Tim would be touched.

[@halosandheroes]

Thank you, I'd love his opinion and appreciate yours!

[@peterdubois65]

Off to see him live on Thursday. Tim is an aussie treasure

[@halosandheroes]

I would love to see him live at least once. I have watched him for years and truly enjoy his intelligence and wisdom!

[@JillFijolek]

Lucky you. I have to wait until March but am soooo looking forward to it!!

[@wendycohen9038]

Lucky bastard, you are.

[@user-xg6jw7mp5e]

Thanks for your reaction to Tim, it was very insightful. Hello from Sydney, Australia.

[@halosandheroes]

I have followed him for years and he is absolutely impressive with his lyrical ability. On further rewatch I realize why he was talking about making it square in contrast to the domed roof of the Opera House, and how disparaging everyone was when they wanted to first construct the opera House saying it was a waste of money basically and they did it anyway and now it's like one of the most prominent landmarks in Australia. Thank you for being here

[@JohnDickinson]

We need to show this to young people, once they atr grown enough to understand sarcasm, and be able to receive this message.

[@halosandheroes]

I agree completely. Tim Minchin is a genius and his talent on the piano, vocals, and his intelligence and whit are amazing!

[@bernadettelanders7306]

Oh - so powerful, I had tears of emotions watching this of, um, I’m not completely sure - yet. I understood the lyrics, but did I take them all in? No, need to listen and ‘feel’ more.

[@halosandheroes]

This has so many layers, I've watched it 7 or 8 times now and still not caught all of it

[@bernadettelanders7306]

@@halosandheroes It’s absolutely amazing. It’s like learning something new at school. U don’t understand it all in one lesson. It needs reviewing, quite a few times I’d say. And re visit it over time

[@Nielseet84]

Very interesting! Unique and truthfully played

[@halosandheroes]

About a year ago, I did a reaction to his graduation speech. He has never once gone back on what he represents, and is not shy about his approach to getting his message out there.

[@flor9389]

Your reaction made me tear up a bit. Some context: Back when they started building this, being LGBTQ and out or too different could lead to jail, beating, or death. That’s why a lot of gay actors had “beards” which were wives in name only. They had to play the part and know their lines in life or their careers were over. So, that’s how I interpreted that line. I As an LGBTQ person, I can understand how hard it is to not offend people and how easy it can be to be offended, even if none was intended. The reason is that if you were called all kinds of things (monster, predator, pervert, demon) that were intended to hurt you, it’s easy to be hyper vigilant and assume offense. The simplest way to handle it is a quick and heartfelt “sorry” followed by “what word makes you comfortable”? All most people want is a bit of kindness.

[@halosandheroes]

I've often been referred to as antiquated in my thinking. The irony of that is that I have learned over the years that people are people, regardless of make model or build. I'm honest and transparent in my responses, and I've never been one to shy away from standing up for what I believe in. The trouble that I run into now, is that as a straight white male, I'm often perceived to automatically making hurtful commentary because of the societal definition of a straight white male. I have so many people in my life from so many different backgrounds, And I can honestly say that I do my best to make everyone feel welcome, heard, and understood. I facilitate recovery meetings where I have to talk to groups of individuals that all have their own beliefs. Diversity is more than just accepting others, it's understanding and being empathetic and compassionate. I appreciate you speaking up, welcome to my channel, and please feel free to hang around. I do not discriminate on this channel, and I don't shy away from the topics I talk about. KZbin has shadow banned a lot of my videos because I refuse to bow to advertiser friendliness.

[@flor9389]

@@halosandheroes I get both sides of the story. I came to the LGBTQ community later in life. Although I’ve always been a female. That gives me a different perspective - because I’m not carrying around a lifetime of hurt, yet suffer the hurts now. I have a much harder time being a bridge when it comes to males and females, because I do have a lifetime of hurts there. I try to understand as best as I can. I was trying to give a different interpretation of lyrics. You seem like a pretty decent guy and genuine. I get how KZbin demonitizes stuff because they’re scared of the topic. It’s a shame when the person is genuinely trying to give a message of help and hope.

[@halosandheroes]

@@flor9389 I empathize with you being hurt, especially by the opposite sex in ANY capacity. Without delving too deeply, trauma is the root of a lot of my issues, and only over the last 6 months have I begun to come to terms. I realized that not all females, especially in authority capacity, are manipulative or gaslighting. It's not even something that I realized was an issue, unfortunately once I started digging into it, I came to realize that for as many negative females as I've had in my life in the past, it now gives me a beacon of hope for identifying problems before I invite them in and checking for red flags. Despite KZbin, I keep this channel going specifically because I know what it's like to be alone, or to feel like I don't have anyone, so if I can be that one person that speaks up and says you're not alone, that's worth more than anything to me

[@flor9389]

@@halosandheroes I’m glad I found you and your channel. BTW, my wife is a disabled vet. As her caregiver, it’s easy to get swallowed up in the tiny bubble. I’m hoping that when I retire, I can get my life coaching business up and running. I want to be more connected and help.

[@elli4210]

You might like the fact that the naked crowd photo ("stand out in the crowd"), taken by Spencer Tunick in 2010, was commissioned by the Sydney Mardi Gras (Pride festival). 🌈

[@okpaflip2]

You got it!

[@halosandheroes]

Thank you, you too!

[@peterdubois65]

For an autobiographical song from the album tim is currently touring (got my tickets for Melbourne on thursday) try Talked too much, stayed too long

[@halosandheroes]

I will get on that suggestion soon, and thank you!

[@freddieismyman]

Tim is a absolute genious.Please react to his song cardinal pell.

[@halosandheroes]

I will take a look at that one for sure Thank you for the suggestion, thank you for being here

[@freddieismyman]

@@halosandheroes it's my absolute favorite as he is saying what all of us cult school survivors have always wanted.

[@jackwhitbread4583]

​​@@freddieismymanand all proceeds were given directly to victims of the Catholic church. Tim also donates a portion of his earnings to local charities when he is touring. He's a good guy.

[@freddieismyman]

@jackwhitbread4583 he is amazing! I listen to that song over and over again to remind myself there was at least one person who cared what we went through.

[@planetcountryradio8622]

Imagine if they had of 'played it safe' and stuck with convention. Some of the designs put forward were plain square buildings that looked like 1950's department stores! At a time when Australia was still chained to the conservative ideal and against popular opinion that questioned the look, the cost, the time taken, we managed to build the most iconic building. Instantly recognised around the world. Thank god we didn't play it safe and not let anyone in.

[@halosandheroes]

Watched this at least 10 times after. For every layer peeled back, there is another underneath

[@JillFijolek]

I tried to watch this... I really did...but found your constant head bobbing and fidgeting far too distracting so I went to the official video to watch it. I've watched it 3 time already and agree it is wonderful. But still feel I need to watch it again and again.

[@halosandheroes]

Thank you for the criticism, I'll take it into account going forward.

[@freddieismyman]

​@halosandheroes, I loved your head bopping.How can you not head bob..it pulls you in so many ways.

[@ReddRubble]

The song lyrics are about conservatism (with the visuals as a juxtaposition) and you somehow got to 'political correctness'? Wat

[@halosandheroes]

Rewatch and relisten. The Sidney Opera house was criticized and ostracized when it was first built, for being too different. Build it square and safe, don't step outside the lines, conform to social standards and norms. There's a trans woman in the video to demonstrate that being politically correct is a juxtaposition of artistic expression.

[@ReddRubble]

@@halosandheroes "There's a trans woman in the video to demonstrate that being politically correct is a juxtaposition of artistic expression." Can you elaborate? I dont quite understand what you mean here

[@halosandheroes]

@@ReddRubble The video is intended to express the juxtaposition of the lyrics. The "do as I say, not as I do" mentality. For instance, referencing keep it square and safe is a comment made when the roof was designed to be domed. Staying inside the lines (being politically correct, afraid to speak or offend) while showing a trans woman (expression), someone who isn't afraid to think outside the lines, is the juxtaposition I was referring to, in my perspective.

[@ReddRubble]

@@halosandheroes Right, but thats not political correctness, a concept which didnt really exist in the 1970s. Thats conservatism. 'Finding a doctrine, stay locked in' is conservatism. 'Avoiding the discomfort you feel when you walk in another persons shoes' is conservatism. Time says in the behind the scenes video, that the lyrics are a conservative voice, like ones at the time, and the video is a progressive juxtaposition (hense Courtney Act, who is a drag performer, which conservatives in Australia hate). The break with the voice over of 'no one cares about the arts' is a conservative one. In fact, conservative governments *dont* value the arts. Hense why they raise the cost of Arts degrees, and defund art programs. Most of Tim's thing is challenging conservatism, yes he also challenges begin too politically correct, but this isn't it. EDIT: seeing your second comment now. I think we mostly agree, just I wouldn't have used the work political correctness. As what we call 'political correctness' is an extreme of a very valid practice of calling people out or correcting people on their biases.

[@halosandheroes]

@@ReddRubble "agreeing with the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people." That was the definition I was working off of. I agree with what you're saying; I'm neither conservative nor liberal. And 1970 vs 2023 culture has changed significantly, for better or worse.

[@gailseatonhumbert9199]

It's too dark. Sorry I can't watch it.