Top 10 Broadway Songs That Haven't Aged Well

[@MsMojo]

Which Broadway song do YOU think aged poorly? Let us know below, and be sure to also check out our video of the Top 10 Annoyingly Catchy Broadway Songs - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJjCYoucZqyFi7M

[@aimeejo3405]

I don't think any have aged poorly. People need to just lighten up and enjoy fun little songs for what they are.

[@jkwehrman1650]

Poor Jud is Dead. I was trying to guess what took the #1 spot, but it didn’t make the list. I think a song encouraging suicide is more problematic than many of these others, though the racist ones need to go too. I remember auditioning with an Annie Get your Gun song. That whole show is problematic.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Any song lip synced by Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady hasn’t aged well for me!

[@michaelmonthey5974]

I think Danny was bragging to impress his sexist friends!

[@debbietroyer9480]

@@michaelmonthey5974 And that never happens in real life, does it? 😂

[@geraldineclarke5434]

If you throw out "Why Can't The English", you throw out the whole premise of Shaw's original play. He was making very important points about the terrible class structure when people had no possibility of escaping it.

[@rixx46]

Exactly! As I pointed out in my own comment, the leader song “A Hymn to him“ as a sexist and ignorant song showing what a monster he is. And yet they don’t even bother with it. The entire point of Shaw’s original play was to point out what a fool Henry Higgins is. Eliza Doolittle is a great example of female empowerment, but they make her out to be a victim. They did no homework at all to create this video.

[@LaLayla99]

@Rick Drew and they referred to HH as Eliza's husband, so I can't really give any consideration to their opinions.

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

The people that make these videos are ridiculously concrete. They take everything out of their intended context and hope people won't notice.

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

@@rixx46 and they referred to him as Eliza's "husband." 😂

[@vincegay986]

Also: Eliza doesn’t bring him his slippers. He demands them, and it ends. We never know whether she gets them or not, but they could be seen, at the end of the movie, as at the beginning of a standoff.

[@supernerd1643]

I think I have to disagree really hard on I Enjoy Being a Girl being problematic. This song is Linda Lo declaring she is proud to be who she is. She doesn’t shame anyone else for not living, thinking, or living like her. She if anything she is saying she doesn’t care if anyone disapproves of her lifestyle, especially since she’s looked down upon in her community. She just wants to live her life the way she wants and find someone who will love and appreciate her for that. Linda is pushing back against the values her fellow Chinese Americans say she should have and just living her life the way she pleases. If you think about it this song is actually quite empowering.

[@vincegay986]

Your point about being comfortable with who she is makes sense. The first problem, though, is that she’s a woman, not a girl. The second problem is that she’s defining, and in a very limited way, what “girl” means for every female, not just herself. I don’t expect much better from that era, but it still doesn’t sit right.

[@carmensandiego3691]

Here here 🙌 👏

[@MariaT6317]

I agree. Greased lightning from Grease is far worse than this song!

[@Quarktehduck]

I have noticed that WatchMojo has a tendency to ignore context and make some real stretches to make things sinister sometimes.

[@nestorsifuentesaguirre2722]

@@Quarktehduck They want the world to just see beyond deception like a ninja. But they are no Kakashi-sensei

[@suzi8145]

I think the problem here is that My Fair Lady isn't actually trying to sell us on the idea behind "Why Can't the English"--it's trying to show that Higgins is wrong. Yes, the film is sometimes problematic (especially the ending!), but the song itself is only meant to show a character trait that sets up the premise for the film. It's like a villain song. (Also, Higgins isn't Eliza's husband. I'm wondering how much research went into this.)

[@57Strudel]

Oh thank you. I was hoping someone else had caught that. One of the central themes of the show is Will Eliza Marry Freddie - NOT will she marry Henry Higgins. Who is lovingly shown to be an absolute tool in this song and others ;)

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

Between zero and none, is my guess.

[@genev101181]

Yes - many of these are taken out of context.

[@wordforger]

Exactly. Basically every Higgins song except "accustomed to her face" is him being a prig. We aren't meant to take him as a paragon, or admire him. He's there to be laughed at for his absurdly arrogant behavior. The biggest problem that the movie had (which Shaw's original play did not) was the ending with Eliza returning to Higgins. That undermines the whole point that Shaw was trying to make about Eliza, the lower class woman, being strong and smart enough to choose her own destiny, and that the only thing holding her back was a lack of education and opportunity, not a lack of will or intelligence. Leaving Higgins proves she is more than a match for him. Staying with him just proves he can continue to be a jerk and she'll just take it.

[@marycanary86]

i just love when the internet get angry at bad or wrongful characters being bad or wrongful.....

[@chelsv58]

As someone who has played Val in A Chorus Line and intimately studied the character, this video doesn't understand what "Dance Ten Looks Three" is about at all. It's actually an empowering song. She calls out the performing arts industry for the fact that they often place a higher value on looks than talent, and the song is about her clever and creative way of getting around the biases of casting directors to get them to see her actual talent. She took back the control in a sexist situation and used it to her advantage. She's actually a strong, intelligent, feminist character.

[@sigsin1]

THANK YOU. I’ve been a feminist my entire life but love this song and have always recognized it as such.

[@mattruffin8643]

Yes-that song doesn’t belong on this list. That character is a badass. That song is totally misunderstood here.

[@afoolishfopdoodle3284]

Dance Ten Looks Three is one of my favorite songs from A Chorus Line because not only is it extremely catchy, but it's a really good middle finger to the systems that place beauty above all else

[@mananimal3644]

Chelsea, Thank for bringing reason to the most misguided Mojo list of all time.👍🏿💯

[@kataw0404]

I don't know all of these songs but I do need to point out something about the ones from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The musical makes it the moral of the story that Adam and his brothers have their ideas on women wrong. That they were wrong to kidnap them, that Adam was wrong to think that picking out a spouse was like choosing a horse. They had good instincts at falling for women who fell for them but they were wrong on how they won them. Funny enough, it was the choice of the ladies that won a happy ending.

[@selenapatterson7273]

That's what I thought. I feel like if listened to in context, most of these songs have deeper mranings

[@cripplious]

When Adam found out he had a daughter he thought about if some stranger took her. Hed have hung him like any thief.

[@karatemamanr]

Thank you! That is it exactly.

[@lauravalentine9488]

Thank you! You put this beautifully. By the end of the movie Adam tells Millie how sorry he was, and realizes that he truly loves HER.

[@bricktam]

EXACTLY! And Adam realizes this after his daughter Hannah is born and how upset he would feel if a guy took her away like that.

[@SmashBroRazz]

You do realize that "Dance Ten; Looks Three" is based on the true story of a Broadway dancer, Mitzi Hamilton, who contributed to the project alongside other real Broadway dancers whose stories are chronicled throughout the show, right? The song is meant to underline and make light of an irony she had to overcome in her own career which, sadly, speaks some serious truths for literally hundreds if not thousands of others even to this day. The entire show is meant to bring light to the real, lived experience of Broadway dancers while letting the audience see and reflect upon the light and dark of each lived experience.

[@normanwhite6677]

No, they don't realize it. And, to be honest, they don't really care. As long as we click on these, they'll be doing them. This is the first one I've watched in months, and I didn't even watch the whole thing, I just clicked through it to see what cans of worms they were opening. These songs were of a time. If you don't like them, don't listen to them. Don't pay money to go to the theater. Don't pay for Netflix or Amazon Prime or whatever service you use. But for heaven's sake, don't make it difficult or impossible for anyone else to hear them. The vast majority of people who watch these understand the context, and while we may cringe a little, we have no major problem with them. Get over yourself MsMojo.

[@andrewstephens231]

Thank you for saying this. A Chorus Line is an amazing show taken from an all-night interview with dancers with Michael Bennett. All kinds of stuff that would make people all upset today, but TRUE! BTW, the dancers call themselves Gypsies. Also, not meant derogatory; rather they’re proud to be Gypsies/dancers.

[@SmashBroRazz]

@@normanwhite6677 I'm just really surprised since WatchMojo and its spinoffs usually do better when it comes to 1) research; and 2) understanding and contextualizing the content they're covering. This was, needless to say, a disappointing video in that regard, because as someone who knows a great deal about musical theatre and has relevant experience in its history and workings, it's just really shocking to see them shoot down so many shows that walked so that modern shows could run, and in ways I don't think many people fully appreciate when it comes to social discourse and why things are better today than they were back in the day.

[@SmashBroRazz]

@@andrewstephens231 Of course. I almost didn't, but then I saw other comments calling out the rather narrow-minded views this video was sharing and I thought I should throw in my two cents, especially since I personally know the woman whose story inspired Val's, and I knew the man whose story inspired Bobby's (and who, as many know, originated the role on Broadway)

[@natalieford3238]

To be fair, if you have actually watched "7 Brides for 7 Brothers" you also are aware that the ladies DON'T put up with these shenanigans, especially his wife. These men DO learn that the male toxicity they have been taught is NOT acceptable.

[@colleen4ever]

But they still stay with them despite the fact that they were KIDNAPPED! Hello! Stockhom syndrome anyone?

[@kennethwayne6857]

True and Adam does grow by the end. That's not mentioned because it doesn't fit their agenda.

[@nestorsifuentesaguirre2722]

@@kennethwayne6857 What would you say to them if they accuse you of promoting Stockholm Syndrom which is the movie's implied problem??

[@kennethwayne6857]

@@nestorsifuentesaguirre2722 The movie's creators didn't consider that for a second. Stockholm Syndrome certainly existed back then but it wasn't a 'thing', especially not in a light-hearted musical. If we watch these classic films with a 21st century mindset, we will continually trip ourselves up.

[@desk.set.]

the thing about "happy to keep his dinner warm" is its SATIRE i was in this show over the summer and its supposed to be satire. you have songs like "a secretary is not a toy" that are all satire. the entire show was written for satire

[@reinette]

How about 'As Long As He Needs Me' - basically excusing domestic violence. These songs definitely do not sit well to modern ears but are very accurate reflections of the periods in which they were written so gives us an interesting insight into the mentality of different eras.

[@islasullivan3463]

Personally I saw the song as not an excuse of domestic violence but insight into Nancy’s mindset as the victim of said violence, it shows us how Nancy has never felt needed or loved by anyone so which makes her the perfect target for an abuser like Bill. The song is her justifying to herself why she should stay with him even though she somewhat logically seems to know that she should leave him. Which is made even more clear, to the audience, when Bill kills her.

[@vincegay986]

And not to spoil, but we know how Nancy ends up.

[@rebeccamaracle2878]

"As Long As He Needs Me", "What's the Use of Wondrin'" and "Something Wonderful" all have the message "who cares if he's abusive, he's your MAN?

[@vincegay986]

@@rebeccamaracle2878 Carousel has a similar problem, with dialogue about how, if a woman truly loves a man, then it doesn’t hurt at all when he hits her. This gets mentioned several times with deliveries that suggest that a truly loving woman actually feels more loved when the man she loves hits her. What a mind melt (that’s “melt” with a capital “f”): “if you feel natural physical pain, it’s because you’re not loving enough.” Frankly, I can just listen to the title instrumental and “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, and that’s all I need from Carousel.

[@KittyKatt_Luna80s]

@@vincegay986 Yes, and the most horrid thing was seeing him smack his daughter, and she said that the smack "felt like a kiss". It is a scene from the book that inspired it too - except the main character went to Heck in the book. He earned his wings in the film as he "didn't mean to hurt her". He didn't mean to hurt her in the book and he still went to Heck. The book was called Liliom.

[@chirpie11]

“Cain’t say no” is Ado rebelling against the idea that she needs to be pure and resist men’s advances and not listen to her own wants (similar to “there are worse things I could do” from Grease) That’s pretty advanced for a musical from the 50s. Summer Lovin’ is exaggeration by the boys…and it’s the T-Bird, the bad boys of the movie.

[@taraswartzbaugh9780]

Some of these (The English, Dance 10) show the audience how the character thinks at the time the song is sung. It exposes the superficial nature of how women are cast in the theater, and shows Henry Higgins' bigoted views at the beginning of the show. Also Cain't Say No, shows that Ado Annie is ahead of her time enjoying her interactions with men, not just fearing and avoiding them.

[@amandastumpff5252]

Actually, in A Chorus Line, they called the song “Dance 10, Looks 3” because when it was originally titled T & A in the program, it didn’t get any laughs, and they found out it was because they were giving away the joke. So when they changed it to “Dance 10, Looks 3” Everyone laughed through the whole song because the words came as a surprise. They changed it in previews before they premiered on Broadway.

[@vincegay986]

The song is about how looks matter too much in the entertainment industry, and about how people, especially women, are pressured to destroy themselves, trying to meet ridiculous standards.

[@amandastumpff5252]

Yep, I totally get that. That’s not what I was talking about at all, they were just talking about how it had an alternate title, and I was just saying that the reason they changed the song title was because no one was laughing during this song, and Michael Bennett wrote it to get laughs, as this is how the original story was told to him. He and the Director changed it and then the song got laughs. I wasn’t talking about what this song is about or how they interpreted it today, I totally get all of that. I was just talking about why the title was changed.

[@rixx46]

Like many of these so-called “problematic” songs they miss the entire point the song. The woman singing this song isn’t really advocating that Women have themselves surgically altered. She’s making a point that it’s wrong. They should NOT feel like they need to.

[@rixx46]

I know this is MS mojo, but the entire basis for problematic songs, or what they consider to be sexist. A song like “thank heaven for a little girls“ always sounded creepy on the surface, but was in no way intended to be a celebration of child abuse, which is what they imply. Others “like I enjoy being a girl” is an innocent song that’s in the context of the characters in the time of the musical. Given the era, this was female empowerment. Not just because she could attract men but because she felt attractive for herself. They don’t even pick the right song from “my fair Lady”. They probably didn’t bother to watch the whole thing. there’s nothing wrong with “why can’t the English…?” it is about establishing what a narcissistic asshole Henry Higgins is! They treat every song as if it’s an advocation of what the lyrics say but very often the whole point of this song is to say the exact opposite. The song called “a hymn to him” includes lyrics like “women are irrational. That’s all there is there to that their heads are full of cotton hay and rags. They’re nothing but exasperating, irritating, vacillating calculating, agitating, maddening, and infuriating, hags…!” Higgins goes on to sing about “why can’t a woman be more like a man?” How did they manage to skip that one!? Same with Summer Nights from Grease. The whole point of this song is that Danny is lying to his friends. It’s just about adolescent attitude. It’s not the advocation of date rape! Which is what they make it sound like. Far more problematic song later in the play is Greased Lightning. “It ain’t no shit. You’ll be getting lots of tit in greased lightning“ again how did they miss this one? It’s like they just randomly searched for any song that had the word girl or woman and label it as sexist or ignorant. Of course the songs that make fun of native Americans are offensive by today’s standards, and should be cut - but none of them were intended to be hurtful or insulting at the time. Not so long ago when it was OK to call a baseball team “Redskins“

[@amandastumpff5252]

@@rixx46 I agree 100%. I was trying to think of something to say, but I could not have said it better myself

[@janecenufer9097]

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is my favorite musical! The whole point is about getting over misogyny, especially the oldest brother. Also my whole family will randomly start singing any of the songs loudly and purposefully off-key cause the lyrics are just so ridiculous lol

[@mgg5418]

OMG Dean Martin with a horde of mechanical dolls singing "Thank Heaven For Little Girls" is definitely the stuff of nightmares.

[@trinaq]

The whole show of "Oklahoma" is highly problematic under modern scrutinisation. In addition to "Can't Say No", there's an entire song where Curly, the alleged hero, tries to convince his rival Jud to commit suicide, all so he won't be around to ask out their mutual love interest. It's all kinds of messed up, and Curly is never condemned by the narrative or any other character for this.

[@FallenAngelBrass]

The 2019 Broadway re-imaging of Oklahoma explored many of these problematic ideas - to great emotion and imaginative artistry. This video shows a very empowered and self-possessed Ali Larder as Ado Annie in that production. To pick at the lyrics is to superficially judge the entire artwork of the musical.

[@vincegay986]

@@FallenAngelBrassThat’s, um, reaching…

[@vincegay986]

Sometimes, a show just has to be viewed as artifact, not as a show that has much to say to audiences, now or when it originally opened. Everything about the Judd character is an example of how strangely dark the “light and frothy” musicals of the mid 20th century could get.

[@ryebread9299]

@@FallenAngelBrass yes exacrlt. The revival

[@stvp68]

It’s even worse when you realize the ending of the source material was darkly pessimistic about becoming a State

[@barb-jm7990]

Today, most women do not want to be a "side dish" to their husband's "main course" life anymore, but during other eras it was more like that. I did not mind any of those songs as they were sung in period pieces and displayed the way they thought at the time. Plus, they were made to be humorous so we laugh at the thinking during that era. I loved Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was great! The dancing was WOW!

[@Medatreeme]

My personal pick is “Growltiger’s Last Stand” from Cats. Having been a massive musical fan and a Thai person, I didn’t know how to process this song when I first heard it. (Siam is the old name for Thailand so what were Thai people called back in the day? Siamese.) The melody of the song made me cry because it reminded me of home but the way the Siamese cats are portrayed is blatantly racist. Not to mention they literally used a racial slur. “Abandoning their sampans, the Chi *nks they swarmed aboard. Abandoning their sampans, their pullaways and junks” Another note on Cats is that line in The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and Pollicles : “Now the Peke although people may say what they please is no british dog but Heathen Chinese”. And “And together they started to grumble and wheeze In their huffery-snuffery Heathen Chinese.” What is it with Cats and villainising Asians? It’s quite a shame since these 2 songs were songs I used to enjoy and might contributed to my internalised racism back then. (Edit: just censoring the slur just in case)

[@paulthenerdycat4139]

I saw the touring production the other night, and they replaced it with another song which is used in and out, and they used the music from growltiger sometimes, it was really good and politically correct.

[@corey57255]

The lyrics to the songs in Cats are actually written by TS Eliot who was born in 1888 so references like that are to be taken in context. They’re also written even then as a tongue-in-cheek comic exaggeration. He’s not calling the Chinese heathens, but commenting on how prideful British people are.

[@HAPpykiddo79]

Summer Lovin' doesn't bother as much as something like Shipoopi does. High school boys and girls can exaggerate their romantic relationships.

[@overcaffeinated_gaming]

I think the insinuation that Danny would force himself on Sandy is the issue here

[@MrCph2200]

“Did she put up a fight?”

[@liliaeth]

@@MrCph2200 I never saw that hinting at assault, more as in 'did she make it hard for you to get in her pants, aka a metaphorical fight as he tried to seduce her.

[@belpop]

@@liliaeth that’s…not that different. Coercion is still a form of rape.

[@liliaeth]

@@belpop from what part of what I said do you think that meant coercion?

[@KristiPedler]

I Caint Say No is a song written in the 1940s about life in Oklahoma in the 1900s and Ado Annie lurves her some physical affection. It's a sly wink to the fact that women have feelings and actions beyond what is expected of them at that time. And Ali Stroker is flipping brilliant.

[@Momo83]

And her rendition and the attitude she gives it is sooooo good!

[@edreid7872]

I get most these songs may find it difficult to establish a place today, but in context of when they were released, give them a break..All that fuss about Summer Nights takes away from the playful back and forth...Yes, assault is terrible, but the point is how boys exaggerate more than girls, and is in line with a remark a character like that would say...why must we be so literal..we used to call that locker room talk, and I'm pretty sure cocky young men continue to do so...I love that song, have listened to it hundreds of times, and guess what, not one single thought of assaulting someone.. lets give the listening public some credit..I don't recall a single uptick of sexual assault after it's release, and let's face it, those that would consider it, probably aren't into musical theatre lyrics anyway..😅

[@myfriendisaac]

They’ve all *aged well* in the sense that they reflect the opinion of the characters SINGING them 🤷🏾‍♂️😂

[@ryebread9299]

Exactly lol

[@geraldineclarke5434]

Yes! Character is the basis of all drama.

[@benlevan5645]

Not too mention the context of the culture of the time periods in which the stories take place. "Shipoopi" is a good example as during that time of history, a woman kissing on the first date did in fact speak ill of her morals and male attitudes about a quick grope were far less conservative than our current ones.

[@Compucles]

@@benlevan5645 So then you admit that those particular lyrics have indeed aged badly. Yes, the context is screwed up on some of these, but judging by current attitudes is the entire point of the video.

[@ajt141]

Cannot stand these neo-leftists who want to CANCEL EVERYTHING THAT OFFENDS THEM!!!!

[@Compucles]

"Ugg-a-Wugg" is at least a lot better than "What Makes the Red Man Red?" from Disney's movie adaptation of "Peter Pan," where practically all the lyrics are racist.

[@sarabryan6103]

Problematic? Yes but Grease is one of my favorite musicals...let us not forget the line "The chicks will cream" in Grease Lightening...over a car. 😂

[@seanhorace925]

You know the recent revival of The Music Man altered the lyrics to Shipoppi. And I never thought Summer Nights from Grease was poorly aged til you mentioned those implications.

[@Kristine_202]

I was just coming here to say this. Some people were bothered by it, but the song is literally about SA. I approve of the changes. The whole number is about the dancing anyway. It's not like the original lyrics were so powerful that they were messing with greatness. LOL

[@mehere8038]

first time I heard it I asked my parents "why did she fight him?" They just said "it's an adult thing" or something to that effect. A few years later when I heard it again, I "got it", but thought it was off. Kinda surprises me everyone didn't pick up on it, the tempo of the song means that line's got lots of thinking time after it/that's the line that sticks in heads after the song, or at least in mine

[@lalacoe8678]

I always thought "Did she put up a fight" was his buddy teasing him, not about condoning abuse of any kind.

[@SWein66]

Oh, I totally thought it was about sexual assault. No question.

[@SaxyLament]

@@lalacoe8678 I didn't think about it like that either. I always thought Kenickie was asking if she liked to argue. I knew what the song was about as a whole but now it just feels gross.

[@henriklarssoneurovisioncha6515]

I did Grease in school and yeah , the lyric might be wierd but it´s still an iconic song .. So , I will watch and listen to the movie many times more ..

[@vincegay986]

I think a lot of this modern critique asks us to not just let the messages of any media we take in just wash over us, and to maybe not set kids in front of this stuff without at least briefly remarking on messages that clearly don’t work. Even problematic material can be catchy, and a positive reminder of our younger selves. We can like that without agreeing with everything a show is depicting or celebrating.

[@kellharris2491]

I mean honestly I can still see a bunch of guys in a locker room talking like this. What am I supposed to think about it? It's problematic but very true to life. The more we criticize the more some guys will say they are being restricted from guy talk.

[@vincegay986]

@@kellharris2491 Who cares what they say? They’re wrong. I’m not about to start tacitly approving of making women and girls “put up fights”, just because of what selfish, sadistic goons might say about it. And the movie doesn’t treat all this as a sad or frustrating reality, but as a “cute funny thing guys do.” My son well knows that it isn’t, and that he shouldn’t be shrugging off this kind of talk.

[@brennathecatlover4360]

@@kellharris2491 I mean girls can be just as bad the amount of times I’ve heard girls say they are fine with a guy doing what they want cuz they’re hot and talk sexually about them

[@NYChica23]

@@kellharris2491 Same here...apparently whoever is criticizing this clearly hasn't been in a high school in a very long time, because that's just normal locker room banter, and it's well known that teenagers love to exaggerate the details of their relationships in order to look cool to their friends

[@LaLayla99]

I usually like your Broadway/musical lists, even if I disagree with your rankings, but this one missed the point of most of the songs so much that I don't think the person who created this list is actually familiar with the shows.

[@LoreleiMission]

this

[@sazfretz1945]

I refuse to be ashamed because "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is one of my favorite musicals. Jane Powell and Howard Keel are powerhouse singers. Also, it seems the pendulum's swung the other way now regarding "I Enjoy Being A Girl." Why shame a woman who celebrates her femininity and wants to be a homemaker?

[@janayasmiles]

Literally my favorite musical is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers- adore most every aspect of the film. Agreed on the song 100%. People are free to like what they like, what’s so bad about liking stereotypical feminine things?

[@FallenAngelBrass]

Exactly. Feminism is about choice.

[@rixx46]

Of course! It’s a classic musical for a reason. Even at the time the movie in the play we’re done it’s not as if they were advocating kidnapping women and marrying them against their will! Most of the songs they have a problem with just indicate they have no idea of the context of the show they came from. Nobody came out of that musical, wanting to kidnap a woman!

[@saradodson7840]

I said the same thing. One of my favorites!! Love all the songs

[@cripplious]

The only woman besides Millie they know was their mother who Im guessing didnt live long after Gideon was born considering he was using a wooden spoon to scratch his back.

[@tillytots28]

I have to disagree about “I enjoy being a girl” I see it as a empowering song. “I am proud that my silhouette is curvy” is such a line to promote body positivity. I relate to this song in the sense I am very much a girly girl who enjoys frills etc. Just like someone singing about their dreams, hers is to be loved by a “free male” and there’s nothing wrong with that. “Men say I’m cute and funny and my teeth aren’t teeth but pearls” compliments! Which is never a bad thing :) Summer nights is just typical teenagers. Girls love romance and romantic moments and boys brag (and can sometimes exaggerate) intact; I used to know a few girls who would brag too! There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s adolescent harmless fun. It would be different if he implied that he was GOING to do these things to sandy.

[@JackieBorelli]

don’t forget he tried to take advantage of her at the drive-in, and then sang about how sad he was that she ran away.

[@wordforger]

Right? I enjoy "I Enjoy Being a Girl" just because it's not saying all women are like her, just that that's what she likes about being female. It's just 'being feminine is fun' in song form. That's it. Also, I get where they're coming from with Ado Annie in Oklahoma, but if you watch the whole thing she gets a bit of her own back later when dealing with her guy. And yeah, Grease is all kinds of date-rapey. So got some problems. But also reflects some of the teen guy talk. And notice that he doesn't win her over until he stops trying to be "cool." "Dance Ten, Looks Three" could actually be more about her owning her own sexuality if you play it right.

[@The_Real_Mier]

It’s not the whole song that’s wrong, but the sentence ‘did she put up a fight’ is very dubious, considering that ONE out of EVERY THREE woman is a victim of sexual assault and ONE IN FIVE is a victim of actual RAPE! To me, quite often the whole ‘rewriting’ of text, lyrics, stories and so on, feel like ‘too much, we can all THINK and realize it was written in different eras…. But “Putting Up A Fight”…… (in light of these GLOBAL statistics (❗️that have NOT gone down in decades‼️, no matter HOW many ‘awareness campaigns’ are thrown onto them‼️ 🤬) …. is Just Very Very Wrong!!!

[@renroxhrd]

As a girl who's actually been victimized as a teen, I hate that one line in summer nights too. If there's one thing that's accurate about that line, it's how many sick men are ok with that. Girls, if God forbid you get assaulted, do what I did and fight like hell. It might save your life in the end, like it did for me.

[@markmh835]

I actually agree with the OP about "I Enjoy Being A Girl." It's the best thing to come out of "Flower Drum Song" and should NOT be on this list.

[@emilypeterson1133]

Everything ages as values and culture changes. Take that into consideration when you are listening to older media and decide if you want to listen to it or not.

[@TheNijikazegirl]

Exactly if it bothers you then nobody's forcing you to listen to or watch any of it.

[@metrogoldwyn]

Exactly,the left wing in this country never lets up and gives us a break.

[@esthermcafee5293]

I don’t really agree with including “Dance 10, Looks 3” in the list. It’s still a distasteful reality for many women in the performing arts - just because it has a peppy tune doesn’t make it as gross as Grease’s boys laughing during “did she put up a fight?”

[@phinp4947]

exactly

[@Caroline-rv8wy]

Agreed, I thought it was meant to be something of a satirical take to highlight the issues women face in the industry. It being a peppy song is irony meant to contradict the serious subject matter.

[@chelsv58]

As someone who has played Val in A Chorus Line and intimately studied the character, I totally agree with you. It's an empowering song. She calls out the performing arts industry for the fact that they often place a higher value on looks than talent, and the song is about her creative way of getting around the biases of casting directors. She's a fierce character. She took back the control in a sexist situation and used it to her advantage. It's peppy because she knows she's smarter than them.

[@cartoonishclaude]

I love how you don't say the name of that Peter Pan song.

[@palesgensler3099]

In defense of “Why can’t the English?” Henry Hagans is supposed to be a horrible classist and sexiest human being. So this song works for his character. Also he was not Eliza’s husband.

[@KarinaDoRego]

Gotta say... cancel culture is seriously getting ridiculous.

[@LisaLove-15]

One of most horrific songs I can think of was left off the list. As Long as He Needs Me from Oliver is woman singing about how she loves and will be loyal to the man who is violent and abusive and she'll stay with him because he "needs" her. Truly toxic song

[@Caroline-rv8wy]

I don't think it's toxic. Of course the theme of it is terrible and Nancy's perspective is completely misguided, but that's the point - to provide insight into the character and why she stays with such an awful man who treats her terribly. It's not endorsing or glorifying what she's saying - it's meant to be a sad song that makes us wish that she would see the light and stand up for herself. Of course she never does and it ends in tragedy.

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

We'll when you consider what happens to her by the end of the play, the song becomes instructive to people in such situations. GET. TF. OUT! Taken out of context, however...yeah. "My Man" is another one.

[@dizzyduck44]

How did nothing from Kiss Me Kate get in here? I think Caint Say No and I Enjoy Being A Girl aren’t as problematic as you make them as with modern sensibilities Ado doesn’t really care because she’s enjoying herself and there are far more positives about womanhood in “Being A Girl”, which never really gets celebrated in musical theatre

[@dianabway]

Honestly though. How did "I'm Ashamed That Women Are So Simple" from Kiss Me Kate not make the list or mentions?

[@debbietroyer9480]

Kiss Me Kate is Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew set to music. I think it can be said to have withstood the test of time.

[@Compucles]

@@debbietroyer9480 Technically, it's a story set around a production of "Taming of the Shrew," but yes, this is another example where the content of the songs are fine when considering the context of one or both of the stories being told.

[@dizzyduck44]

@@debbietroyer9480 yes I am very aware of that and a few years ago I saw a gender reverse production of it by The Royal Shakespeare and the whole play does not stand up. Whipping someone, starving them, basically mental and physical abuse to make the shrew submit. Then add the musical numbers Tom, Dick or Harry or I’ve Come To Wive It Wealthily in Padua, all a bit icky now. Even Brush Up Your Shakespeare’s lyrics are questionable. That’s before we discuss the end of Act 1 when one character decides to spank his ex wife because she won’t do as he says. No no no no no no to the whole thing, let’s not glorify domestic abuse.

[@MsJubjubbird]

I actually think I cain't say no is not just slut shaming. I mean in those days a lady was not to sleep around or she would ruin herself. But it's also about not just being taken in and giving yourself away - use some discretion so you don't get hurt

[@greenlissy]

I completely disagree with "Thank Heaven For Little Girls" topping this list - you've taken the song completely out of context. The movie is all about Gigi growing from a young girl into a beautiful young woman, and capturing the hero's heart as a result. The song is the closing one of the movie, and basically is just a summation of all that has gone before, sung by a man who has watched it all unfold. It's not creepy at all. Putting aside context, the lyrics make it clear he's interested on what girls grow up to be - ie ADULTS. Admiring adult woman doesn't make you a creepy paedophile.

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

When I was much younger, I must have watched this movie a dozen times. Never would have interpreted this song in such a way and still don't. But I often accept things at face value rather than looking for deep and dark meanings that often don't exist. But having said that, I also don't know that I would have noticed how inappropriate the Balenciaga ads were if I hadn't watched the recent youtube videos. I would have just thought "those are pretty weird teddy bears" if I thought anything about it at all. In the end, it's better to hear different opinions and come to our own conclusions.

[@kenthuang436]

The song is actually really pretty when it is played on a music box. I actually prefer Listening to music box versions over ones where someone is singing it.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Right off the bat you lost the plot. "Why Can't The English" has aged perfectly. It is true as well. Try listening to a Geordie trying to converse with a true Cockney and you will understand the point of the song. Also the point of Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

[@JennA-uf6lo]

Agree. Especially because a hundred years after the play people are still judged by their speech. As for the song? It is still every bit as relevant today as when it was composed.

[@Compucles]

Besides, saying someone should be hung for the crime of murdering the English language is actually a pretty good joke. Not even Henry Higgins actually believes that people should lynch poor speakers!

[@mandawood9756]

With Thank Heaven For Little Girls it sounds weird if you don’t understand the context the character is referring to. The entire movie, which I love even if it does have issues, is about a girl being raised to become a courtesan and how she changes from a girl to a woman. So if you take the entire movie into consideration the song is fine. Taken by itself it can sound creepy.

[@andreasmeelie1889]

Honestly I don’t find the song to be creepy at all unless a predator actually does sing that song. It’s not creepy in the slightest. I can’t just imagine it being an awfully sweet song for little girls.

[@Ikajo]

A courtesan is just another word for a prostitute...

[@wordforger]

Uh... Read that back: "A girl being raised to be a *COURTESAN* and how she changes from a girl to a woman." I enjoy the musical too, but the premise IS pretty creepy, especially when you notice Gaston is several years older than Gigi and Honore does tend to go after young women. Honore singing about 'little girls' is because he loves women and tends to swoop in as soon as young women hit the market.

[@cripplious]

@@wordforger it was based on the autobiography of a French Courtesan. And they were showing what was happening in France at that period in its history. Thats why its also considered a period piece. Gigi is raised to be a rich mans mistress but she is never told any of this until her great aunt and grandma see a match with Gascon

[@MsJubjubbird]

@@wordforger age gaps were common then though. Men couldn't really marry until they had established themselves enough to be able to support a family and household in a style that suited their station. Whereas girls went to school and then got married and started having kids. Women only worked if there was no other option - ie no man wanted to marry them - and it was looked down upon and university wasn't that open to women either. Men would also remarry if they were widowed and it was not uncommon to marry a younger woman if she had the right dowry

[@ianhimmelstein5915]

Some of these songs aren’t even bad it just shows that people have too much time on their hands and think too highly of themselves

[@forsalebymb]

I agree!!!!

[@ellie1981]

I agree. People should just get over it, accept that things have changed but still enjoy things from the past on their surface.

[@Ikajo]

They are _not_ saying the songs are bad. Just that haven't aged well. Scarborough Fair is an even older song, but it has aged just fine. That's the point.

[@lesleywilliams8452]

Can’t believe you left off “What’s the Use of Wondering” from Carousel, and the whole “he hits you because he loves too much “ theme.

[@blossom114]

that was my first thought of a song with this list though there are so many Apparently the stage show has a darker take (and according to comments the book really does) whereas the movie is more "innocent" in his ways. That show's music is some of the best, though. (in my opinion) and that song is so hauntingly pretty in more ways than one (hauntingly that is)

[@colleenkeefer2545]

I grew up watching old musicals. My parents were fans and passed that on to us kids. These shows and these songs are all classics. You can’t view them out of context. You have to realize the story and time period (of both the setting and the production) matter to the interpretation and meaning of them. Also, in most cases songs move the story along and are integral to the plot. ‘I Enjoy Being a Girl’ for example, may not seem to work by today’s standards. But the time period the story is set and when the production was launched, 1959-61, it’s sentiments are quite appropriate. You can’t judge them with modern sensibilities. You have to take them at face value. It’s just entertainment after all.

[@colleenkeefer2545]

Also, Henry Higgins was NOT Eliza Dolittle’s husband in My Fair Lady. If you think that, you are missing an important point of the plot. Read the source work, Pygmalion, for further clarification.

[@colleenkeefer2545]

Oh and ‘Sobbin’ Women’ from one of my favorite movies, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ is about Adam misunderstanding what the story of the Sabine Women was actually about. If you know the movie you know that Millie gives him ‘what for but good’ about his mis interpretation.

[@TheLauren87]

I completely agree with you. That's the problem with watching old movies with today sensibilities.

[@wanderer7956]

Yeah, my mom loves musicals too, and she watched them often when I was growing up. We loved Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (mostly for the dancing), but I remember around the time I got into middle school and realized that romanticized Stockholm Syndrome is perhaps NOT a great message. That realization started making Beauty and the Beast a bit cringeworthy for me too...

[@mehere8038]

@@colleenkeefer2545 My Dad was a HUGE fan of that generation of musicals, especially Oklahoma & South Pacific, it nearly put me off musicals for life cause of how horrible the lyrics seemed to me, even as a young child, seeing just bits of them when they were on tv on a weekend afternoon & my Dad was glued to them. Luckily Cats became a big deal at my school, so I wanted to see that, cause of peer group pressure & when I did, I discovered musicals didn't have to be like my Dad's & fell in love with the more modern ones & learnt to tollerate even some of the older ones like My Fair Lady. I really don't think her not being his husband makes that ok, on the contrary, it makes it worse! She has a man she likes, but discovers Higgens has messed her up so much that it's not viable for her to marry him, or return to her old life, or her dream of owning a flowershop, she's condemned to a life of nothing but being his sweet talking little house slave, as he treats her like dirt. Without his intervention, she might have been poor, but she likely would have married & had a much happier life than what she was left with after his abuse of her, for his little bet, was complete

[@TLCLuvNLife]

I disagree with almost all of these, especially Dance Ten Looks Three! I sing it all the time at karaoke & have won competitions with it. I get requests to sing it all the time!

[@hoosiergamer23]

Thanks for reminding me to re-watch all of these fantastic Broadway Movies. Loved almost every single one of these songs on your list. Appreciate it MsMojo!

[@texas2step266]

It is possible to take things too seriously, to read too much into some words, and to assume that current "woke" interpretations of history, literature, music, etc., are the final word in the right way to think.

[@SWein66]

I was thinking it was more like there are reasons that these songs are not (or maybe should not) be performed now. Though some were pretty problematic from the start (Ugg a Wugg, anyone?). I don’t agree with all the opinions expressed in the video. At least for some, the song in isolation is pretty bad, but not necessarily so in context.

[@hunterhuiet2785]

I'm surprised to see "Summer Nights" to be on the list. Honestly, I believe this song has aged well. "Shipoopi" I could understand why that would be on this list. But as far as everything else on the list I agree

[@kellharris2491]

Tell me more, tell me more Was it love at first sight? Tell me more, tell me more Did she put a fight? So did he have to force her a little? (like he later tries to do at the drive in) Took her bowling in the Arcade We went strolling, drank lemonade We made out under the dock We stayed up 'til ten o'clock During the bowling he makes a gesture with his fingers to indicate he 'fingered' her. I didn't get that part until I was older. They went out and made out a little and he is telling all of his friends he banged her in great detail that never happened.

[@itsavideothing]

Summer nights is about how far he could get the girl to go, basically assaulting her. “Did she put up a fight?” Come on.

[@NYChica23]

@@itsavideothing Actually, it's about a high school boy completely exaggerating the details of his summer romance in order to look cool in front of his friends, which is normal teenage stuff in any day and age

[@tjwash2]

My guess is that in ten years there won’t be a single song that groups of people don’t want to ban.

[@str.77]

And Mojo will walk in lock-step while regurgitating "KingofpopQueenofpopPrinceofdarkness" nonsense.

[@angemaidment5640]

Can we please get some perspective? Times have changed, but it doesn’t mean we have to get all butt-hurt and erase everything that’s offensive.

[@briannastultz6924]

My high school did The Music Man, we mocked Shipoopi by saying “so shoot me”. 😂

[@sweetnsournugget2609]

That is funny

[@autisticgirl1614]

I could tell that at least half the songs on this list (specifically the sexist ones) were written by men.

[@trinaq]

Agreed, they really didn't know how to write from the perspective of women at all. 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@autisticgirl1614]

@@trinaq It reminds me of r/menwritingwomen

[@nityaram4]

This is ridiculous. The My Fair Lady segment shows that Ms Mojo has no clue what the movie was about - clearly they don’t understand satire…Prof Higgins is meant to be a sexist and obnoxious character. All the songs are tongue in cheek, and no, Eliza never married Prof Higgins

[@catherineb.]

Context matters. These songs fit in the musicals they were in and the time period these musicals were made in.

[@michellevanallen3286]

100% As well as the time period the musicals are set in (that may have been what you meant and if so, I apologize)

[@AuntieGigiAnn]

Dance 10 Looks 3 reflects on what a woman may go through when trying to break into entertainment. Why is singing about the honesty and reality of it “not aging well”. Nonsense.

[@debbietroyer9480]

I object to most of your objections for the same reasons I object to rewriting history to pretty it up. However, I’m feeling we’re in the prude cycle of society right now, so we’ll just have to wait it out. I just want to throw in my two cents on the first and last songs. When commenting on My Fair Lady, you said he had his wife fetch him his slippers. Eliza was not his wife. She was no relation to him at all. He was deliberately baiting her, and she was deliberately playing along. Doesn’t this sort of nonsense take place anymore? If not, how sad! With Thank Heaven For Little Girls, you cut off the vocals just before the completion of the phrases that would’ve made it not sound creepy. For one example, “those little eyes, so helpless and appealing.” /cut/ as if he’s getting off on that image. But the next words are “someday will flash and send you crashing through the ceiling.” He is thanking heaven for little girls, because “they GROW UP in the most delightful way” not because he desires them the way they are now. These things always remind me of another Chevalier song from Gigi. With all the tendency now to take offense instead of enjoy, I find I truly am “so glad that I’m not young anymore.”

[@alyzu4755]

"Pygmalion", which is the play that "My Fait Lady" is based on, ends with Eliza walking out. Unfortunately, the film version added in the same ending as "MFL".

[@rixx46]

SHAW was still alive when the first movie was made. He was pissed at the change. He said his Elizer would never have fixed Henry’s slippers! It says if they have no clue what my fair Lady was about. It wasn’t about advocating, Henry Higgins attitude it was about showing what an ignorant fool he was. You can’t do that without songs that illustrate his miss guided point of view.

[@precious_muse]

I think of “The Girl That I Marry” from Annie Get Your Gun, where Frank Butler just expects an obedient, submissive, personality-free wife, comparing her to “a doll I can carry.”

[@gracehowell.]

When you know the real story of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler, the whole musical is a HUGE insult to how their relationship was in real life.

[@precious_muse]

@@gracehowell. Agreed. It was more sensationalized.

[@gracehowell.]

@@precious_muse It was entirely WRONG. She didn't pretend to be a lesser marksman than him. He didn't get jealous of her talent, but instead became her manager.

[@precious_muse]

@@gracehowell. Ok, it’s been a while since I’ve seen the show, but I’m quite familiar with Annie Oakley’s biography.

[@wordforger]

@@gracehowell. Right? He was actually proud of her sharpshooting and supportive of her throughout her career.

[@asha_vere]

The clip of the guy singing and the dolls walking towards him was nightmare fuel. So thanks for that 😬

[@elfascisto6549]

Society hasn't aged well

[@bowtoyoursensei554]

There is so much real-life evil in the world. This is like picking at little scabs. Old musicals should be thought of as time capsules -- not just products of the times they were produced, but the times they depict. And lyrics can always be altered or the song cut it it's really bad (like that Tiger Lily song from Peter Pan).

[@EllieC130]

While it doesn't do the best job of it, I'll admit, I think Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm is supposed to be at least in part satirical.

[@SWein66]

Agreed. It is supposed to be a comedy, after all.

[@rixx46]

It’s entirely meant to be satirical, even at the time of the original musical! Yet another ridiculous example of how poorly they’ve researched this stuff.

[@Apledore]

Kinda have to disagree on a bunch of these, as they are intended to be character reveals or plot set up. The entire point of some of them is to show what the character needs to learn, which they then do, by the end. And you 100% tanked your credibility by saying that Eliza Doolittle was married to Henry Higgins. Plus, she DIDN'T fetch his slippers in that scene. Him asking her where they were was tongue in cheek, not serious.

[@edwardauerbach8036]

People are too sensitive these days. These musicals are classics and should be taken as they are. If you take offense because you think these songs of old musicals make you cringe, that is your problem. Growing up I was told that sticks and stone can crush your bones but names can never hurt you. Ideas and past concepts may not be held today but that does mean that these older ideas and concepts can harm you mentally today. Read some of the children's fairy tales, not the Disney versions, and they are full of violence and subjugation. Yet, they have been read to children for hundreds of years. You judge things of the past too harshly and think that things are much better now. It is a very myopic view.

[@jimmymelendez1836]

They're classics but they are from a different time.

[@JoWithTheJD]

And what passes as acceptable today would have been shunned as obscene and uncivilized back then.

[@str.77]

Rightfully so!

[@richardperhai8292]

One of the cringiest songs for me was "AS long as he needs me" from "Oliver!". I always say, look, she's singing about the joys of being an abused spouse!

[@appletree6898]

Carousel has some songs like that too.

[@rixx46]

@@appletree6898 carrousel is entirely about that!

[@rixx46]

Of course, I agree. But the point of this song was not to advocate, Nancy being a victim it was about how women who are abused, somehow become psychologically bonded with the abuser. Sadly, this happens all the time in real life. It’s not an education of this behaviour it’s an illustration of how tragic it is.

[@richardperhai8292]

@@rixx46 Unfortunetly the song doesn't;t come off that way.

[@romandelarose]

I think the main thing that will age poorly is this video, which is breathtakingly obtuse. I agree that Peter Pan is cringe-worthy, but whoever put this together clearly missed the point about just about every other song in this montage. That's impressive in its own way, but probably not in the way intended.

[@b.strong9347]

Saying that many of these songs have not aged well is silly at best. Many songs aren’t necessarily a product of the time in which they were written but rather are a story-telling device that represents the character that sings it or propels the storyline in some way or fashion. If these songs are offensive, those taking offense are the ones that are in poor shape and not be so soft. Much of these also represents stereotypes still in place which also will be part of a story. You can’t remove a song or a story from an overall story; that’s a moronic and easy way to find something by which to find offense. I’ve got news for you morons that are upset about specifically “Summer Nights”: This is exactly representative of almost every friend group conversation that still takes place today. People need to get over themselves. You are literally just looking for something by which to be offended which is incredibly asinine, immature, and weak-minded.

[@allisonbergh4429]

“Her husband”‽‽ First song on the list and you bungle a major plot point. Not a great omen, Mojo Edit: And didn’t get much better as it went. I get that we’re pro-woman, but we’ve apparently also never heard of either satire or “Marry The Man Today” from Guys & Dolls

[@rixx46]

They did absolutely no homework to create this video. It’s like they just did a random Google search and picked songs a hat. Lazy and pointless.

[@danielmaher7108]

This may well be Ms. Mojo's worst video yet.

[@ronorleans]

"Tell me more, tell me more, did she put up a fight?" 🙄 Always thought that line was gross AF. 🤢

[@ronorleans]

@@janniklingnau6875 A song that has a line about assault, & multiple sexist lyrics. Read between the lines. 🧐

[@ronorleans]

@@janniklingnau6875 And it's still just my opinion about that song, which I can have, so give it a rest. 😃

[@DChosen13]

I always thought the Star Spangled Banner was VERY creepy and highly racist. In my opinion!

[@NYChica23]

@@ronorleans You mean the multiple lyrics where it's just a boy trying to look cool to his friends by exaggerating what happened that summer? Yeah, because that kind of stuff would never happen today, right?

[@ronorleans]

@@NYChica23 Just cause it would happen doesn't make it right. He's bragging to his friends about sleeping with a girl he didn't and being asked if she fought him off not. You can dilute yourself into thinking it's an innocent song if you want, but I won't be convinced.

[@levyzimand9822]

I was waiting for "It depends on what you pay" from fantasticks, and the I remembered this if Ms.Mojo, that even though it is from the longest running show ever, since it is not popular enough it will never get mentioned. Which is a shame because so many great shows and songs are overlooked in these lists.

[@belpop]

Honestly, the creepy dolls waddling around was the scariest part of this video

[@sarahsilverman-pucci905]

My favorite musical Cats (and not the recent travesty) has a number of songs that are incredibly racist..."The Pekes and the Pollicles" and especially "Growltiger's Last Stand". While I love seeing the dancing and costumes, I agree that they're a product of their time.

[@hunterolaughlin]

As awful as the 2019 Cats film was, at least removing “The Pekes and the Pollicles” was understandable and justified. Plus, another reason I think for its removal is just… well… it’s not really a song that has any relevancy to the plot. If you think about it, it’s just more of a minor number about a battle between cats and dogs compared to the other songs that’s about the Jellicle Cats, with each song dedicated to introducing each Jellicle Cat, and their main event, The Jellicle Ball. The only notable cat in the number being the Rumpus Cat, who only appears for that number and doesn’t join the other Jellicle Cats in attending the Jellicle Ball. If you were to remove the song from the musical, nothing would really change that much.

[@penguintaco9038]

Who else laughed at pretty much all of these? 🤷

[@claybyrd2]

Summer Nights is a he-said/she-said song. The point of the song is the difference in the stories Danny and Sandy are telling. And guys bragging about sexual conquest may be appalling in some respects, but it hasn't changed, even today.

[@royalreviews5270]

I literally said that.

[@NYChica23]

THANK YOU for getting this point that the narrator and some people in the comments seem to be missing

[@johnlyon1755]

I just enjoy the music. I have the ability to hear lyrics without getting offended or let it affect the way I think. Times and opinions change, just enjoy the entertainment and try too see how far we have come. Yes we still have a long way to go.

[@nestorsifuentesaguirre2722]

Apparently this only works if: -You belong to neither woke nor antiwoke -You are a metalhead -You keep the fuck away from Hollywood

[@richardputorti4458]

Woah woah woah, Higgins is NOT Eliza’s husband!!!

[@andieallison6792]

WatchMojo: *makes a list about songs that "Aged Badly"* Y'all: "OMG THESE SONGS ARENT BAD THEYRE JUST A REFLECTION OF THE TIME STOP BEING OFFENDED OVER EVERYTHING REEEEEEE"

[@catherinet4002]

Dance 10 Looks 3 comes from a true conversation given by a dancer when they were workshopping the premise for A Chorus Line. That’s the whole point- that to make it a lot of dehumanizing things happen.

[@larskaaber9869]

These songs didn't age poorly, they just hit what I hope to be a passing phase of neo-Victorianism with no understanding - or willingness to understand - past or foreign culture.

[@andieallison6792]

So they DID age poorly.

[@lyricrogersofficial]

"shipoopi" just makes me think about peter griffin's version 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@shannenspence3318]

There are going to be 'problems' if you look for them. If you want to look for negativity,it will be there. There's nothing wrong with these movies. People today just want to make everything perverted and make all of these 'problematic'. No,they are not. It's entertainment.

[@forsalebymb]

Exactly....going to watch a couple of those movies today with my girls since it's rainy and crappy out....lol

[@mattruffin8643]

The whole Book of Mormon.

[@kenthuang436]

I disagree. The entire musical is actually pretty respectful towards LDS. The entire premise of the show is that sometimes the traditional way of teaching another culture about any religion isn’t the best way to reach them. The show never actually says anything negative about the Mormon religion or that no one should believe in it. The Church themselves have said that they think the musical is respectful towards them and had caused some people to be interested in their religion.

[@ettaex]

The whole "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" musical hasn't aged well.

[@LauraFu318]

Both "I Enjoy Being a Girl" and "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" are performed in the Punky Brewster episode (S1: Miss Adorable) where they were all competing in a beauty contest hosted by Andy Gibb.

[@Nurichiri]

All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera. The whole song is Raoul saying he'll protect Christine from the Phantom that he doesn't even believe in. And he comes off as really condescending. "My words will warm and calm you." Ugh

[@briannastultz6924]

Right! But I’m not a fan of Raoul anyways

[@kellharris2491]

I actually kind of liked it because when you listen you realize that Christine never actually says she loves him back. She dances around it. The lyrics make it seem like she is just settling for Raoul. At this part of the story she is in love with the phantom. Later she realizes the Phantom is a creep too. But through most of the story she was kinda just using Raoul for safety and security but she felt passion for the musical connection she had with the phantom. At the end she still wants who the phantom could be but he knows that he can't be that person so he sends her away and asks Raoul to be the man she needs instead. By that point Raoul has grown up a little bit more and is at least willing to risk his live for her.

[@crypticghost21]

Number 2: Sobbin’ Women Me: The name by itself sounds problematic

[@maybenaught]

I disagree about Dance 10, Looks 3. I always thought point is it's commenting on the industry and access to success, even if it's dressed up as fun bawdy number.

[@CarolHardesty]

Next you should do "Top 10 Disney Songs That Haven't Aged Well". Examples: 'The Siamese Cat Song' from "Lady and the Tramp", 'What Makes the Red Man Red' from "Peter Pan", and 'A Girl Worth Fighting For' from "Mulan".

[@jimmymelendez1836]

Isn't the song from Mulan A Man Worth Fighting For?

[@Evan-vs1ew]

In the Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award winning "Fiorello!" there's a song sung by a character who will deal with any type of man just as long as she can get married. The song, "I Shall Marry the Very Next Man" includes lyrics, "And if he likes me, who cares how frequently he strikes me. I'll fetch his slippers with my arm in a sling...just for the privilege of wearing his ring."

[@njatty]

But lyricist Sheldon Harnick replaced those lyrics almost 40 years ago with "When he proposes, I'll have him send me tons of roses. Sweet scented blossoms I'll enjoy by the hour. I won't restrict myself to one Little Flower."

[@Evan-vs1ew]

@@njatty Never knew that. I know Barbara Cook used different lyrics in a concert. Maybe offensive, but I think the original lyrics are better written. Of course, the show is dated, so I can't imagine it's done often. Though I saw the Encores production several years ago. Don't remember what they did.

[@njatty]

@@Evan-vs1ew According to Harnick in the NYT, Tom Bosley's daughter had asked him to change them. She was playing Marie in her high-school production. Encores last production used the new lyrics. A reprise of "The Name's LaGuardia" was also added to the second act.

[@shaliseshaw9385]

Waiting for Top 10 More Broadway Songs That Are Hard To Perform, Top 10 More Hardest Broadway Songs To Sing, Top 10 Hardest Beatles Songs To Sing, Top 10 Hardest Singing Pitches, Top 10 Worst Kidz Bop Song Covers, Top 10 Cable Networks That Aren't The Way They Used To Be(Animal Planet, Discovery, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, etc.), Top 10 Alvin and The Chipmunks facts, Top 10 Things We Miss About Radio Disney, etc. 🎬🎥🎥🎥🎥🎥🎥🎥🎥📺

[@RedCubTX]

How can the blackface number in Holiday Inn not be in this list if not number 1? I couldn't believe it when I first saw the Abraham number.

[@jjs007]

You’re right, these are some great underrated Broadway songs! Just went online to listen to all of them in their entirety. I had forgotten about some of them, so I appreciate the reminder.

[@strawberrylime33]

O MY GOD WHAT ARE THOSE LITTLE WALKING DOLLIES DOING AROUND DEAN MARTIN?!??!? MY EYES, MY EEEEYES!!!😳😳😳

[@LiGui3]

“It takes a woman” from Hello, Dolly! should be on here!!!

[@amandastumpff5252]

I think if you take it, literally, I would agree, but the whole song is just showing how misogynistic Horace is, and thereby making the audience laugh at him, not with him.

[@rixx46]

I know this is MS mojo, but the entire basis for problematic songs, or what they consider to be sexist. A song like “thank heaven for a little girls“ always sounded creepy on the surface, but was in no way intended to be a celebration of child abuse, which is what they imply. Others “like I enjoy being a girl” is an innocent song that’s in the context of the characters in the time of the musical. Given the era, this was female empowerment. Not just because she could attract men but because she felt attractive for herself. They don’t even pick the right song from “my fair Lady”. They probably didn’t bother to watch the whole thing. there’s nothing wrong with “why can’t the English…?” it is about establishing what a narcissistic asshole Henry Higgins is! They treat every song as if it’s an advocation of what the lyrics say but very often the whole point of this song is to say the exact opposite. The song called “a hymn to him” includes lyrics like “women are irrational. That’s all there is there to that their heads are full of cotton hay and rags. They’re nothing but exasperating, irritating, vacillating calculating, agitating, maddening, and infuriating, hags…!” Higgins goes on to sing about “why can’t a woman be more like a man?” How did they manage to skip that one!? Same with Summer Nights from Grease. The whole point of this song is that Danny is lying to his friends. It’s just about adolescent attitude. It’s not the advocation of date rape! Which is what they make it sound like. Far more problematic song later in the play is Greased Lightning. “It ain’t no shit. You’ll be getting lots of tit in greased lightning“ again how did they miss this one? It’s like they just randomly searched for any song that had the word girl or woman and label it as sexist or ignorant. Of course the songs that make fun of native Americans are offensive by today’s standards, and should be cut - but none of them were intended to be hurtful or insulting at the time. Not so long ago when it was OK to call a baseball team “Redskins“

[@nestorsifuentesaguirre2722]

Maybe it was a kinda flawed way of saying I warned you.

[@fanboy1360]

Another song I could think of is "Every Man Needs A Woman" from Hello Dolly. Like yeah I know it submits the kind of era in which the musical takes place and the type of character the main singer is but wow.... is it problematic

[@bwayfan9035]

I was just about to post this! I was so surprised by the fact that song was not included in this list

[@richardperhai8292]

That songs shows he's basically an idiot and Dolly is gonna take him down... several notches.

[@fanboy1360]

@@richardperhai8292 yeah, even with the altered verse sung by Dolly, he's kind of a lost cause the more he's around

[@fanboy1360]

@@bwayfan9035 what's funny is this is before the big number "Don't Put Your Monday in Your Sunday"

[@IWishICouldThinkOfAGoodHandle]

Sixteen going on seventeen should probably be on this list

[@harry31619]

How old was the guy?

[@IWishICouldThinkOfAGoodHandle]

@@harry31619 17 but age is not the whole reason why this song should be on that list maybe you should listen to the song or better yet watch the movie to find out more as they can probably explain it better than I can

[@susantownsend8397]

Stage version of My Fair Lady, Eliza did NOT return.

[@abispanner3957]

I do disagree with some of the songs on this list. It's all about context. For example, the Sobbin' Women song is not only for comedy but it's also a completely ironic song because it takes the horrific story of the Sabine Women from Roman history and turns it into a complete undermining of all the male characters in this scene showing how foolish they are and how much they need to change in order to actually earn the affection of the women. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a comedy and I think it's a brilliant one 👍

[@Showtunediva]

As someone who has been In a few of these shows in the ensemble I can certainly agree that the song’s mentioned in this list have not aged well. I have considered using I Enjoy Being A Girl as an audition song in the past but have second thoughts now knowing the meaning behind the lyrics.

[@christymcdaniel3906]

Being a girl is racist, even Paula Cole said that

[@KimRayGina]

It takes a women from Hello, Dolly! should have been in that list. The song speaks for itself. I know it’s actually more comedic but the fact that *Spoiler* Dolly ends up with him makes me so angry. The message is that it’s not too bad, you can CHANGE HIM.