🎪 The Greatest Showman Series

2025 post-mortem

Caleb in 2025 here 👋. I passionately wrote out this series in 2019. It’s been 6 years?

Since then, I’ve since applied the story and songs in my life, in multiple meaningful ways, among other works of art.

Since then, I’ve also learnt of many issues of “The Greatest Showman”. To keep it short.

Firstly, the historical P. T. Barnum has a troubling ethics, especially in the things he really did with his circus “curiosities”.

Secondly, the movie-adapted Jenny Lind is portrayed as a homewrecker as an important plot point and thematic statement. However, this is very different from the historical Jenny Lind, who was of a virtuous character, donating to charities and in a faithful marriage.

Finally, in the movie production itself, Jeremy Jordan testifies that he had given so much for his role for Philip Carlyle, and this opportunity for a low-lister actor was given away unfairly. I’ve watched a video of his full story, but can’t find it anymore — find a clip below. I do think his story adds up, especially with the way the promo clips were edited, and how the studio was silent on response.

I’ve come to take historical and ethical issues more seriously, in general life. These are very troubling evidences, that we cannot ignore, and demands our righteous judgement on how to parse and handle. That is our moral responsibility as a rational-thinking consumer.

All this begs the question, [[Can we separate message from medium?]] (broken link, note not found) Right now, I say yes, and no.

In my writings, I’ve wholeheartedly praised the movie’s thematic ties to history and thematic resonance even in production. It’s tainted now, and I’m ethically bound to either retract my statements, or to disclaim for awareness.

At the same time, there’s still a lot of useful storywriting lessons to learn from this project. The songs themselves still contain thematic Truth expressed in beautiful art— even if their origins and creators are morally dubious.

That’s the thing about truth and beauty.

Say there’s a masterpiece of a painting, that communicates a correct truthful idea about the world. The painting itself doesn’t stop being beautiful and true, just because it was created by Adolf Hitler (Vienna State Opera, 1912).

I intuitively don’t like the conclusion, but objectively good ideas do transcend medium.

At the same time, y’know. It’s created by Adolf Hitler. Ya can’t get around that factoid. You need to acknowledge it, as you praise the artwork to your unaware friends.

Of course, I’m using an extreme example. But I think it effectively illustrates the most extreme case and the need for carefulness in every case of message vs. medium.

Maybe I’ll write more one day on [[How to faithfully handle story adaptations]] (broken link, note not found).

But for now, strive for the truth about P. T. Barnum, Jenny Lind, and Jeremy Jordan — real people who need their real stories told — I’ve written this disclaimer. Consume media with your brain and with your heart.

↗ External Resources

• P.T. Barnum Isn't the Hero the 'Greatest Showman' Wants You to Thinkwww.smithsonianmag.com
• Jeremy Jordan - "The day I saved 'The Greatest Showman'"www.youtube.com