On Saturday, “Your Show” had its final performance in The Mug, attracting an audience of 146 people and concluding your theatrical career at Vassar. Acquaintances and parents of company members attended, as well as your friends, and the event concluded with enthusiastic hugs and warm compliments, followed by an enjoyable Deece.
However, based on recent reports from a group chat that you’re not in, it turns out that your friends, unfortunately, did not like it. Not one bit. Not even a smidge. Or a hair. Or an atom of a hair. (Ad infinitum.) It’s unfortunate. It wasn’t the worst thing they ever saw, but it definitely could’ve been better. While they’re not sure how much credible weight their opinions have, they’re still sure that your piece did not cater to their aesthetic sensibilities in any way, shape or form. Here at the Misc, we have come up with a few theories as to why.
Theory #1: The times. Maybe you’re just out of step with them. Your mind is outdated and whatever you contributed to this show made that perfectly visible. The humor didn’t land as a result, or the message was no longer relevant. They could’ve even been politically offended.
Theory #2: Something got lost in the execution. Like, you were so close, but just fell short. Maybe if you did one thing different, or that thing… Ah, but what’s done is done. The harm is irreversible.
Finally, Theory #3: Maybe you’re just not as good as you thought you were. Maybe you’re just bad.
Though another theory (Theory #4) suggests that there was some kind of personal bias, that’s kind of a closed-minded and arrogant way to view the situation. Since the psychology of your friends can’t definitively be studied—we don’t have licensed psychologists or MRI machines (yet)—this theory can’t be tested, so we believe that it’s best if you just disregard copium and live with the harsh reality.
The point is, it wasn’t good (in their opinion). They obviously didn’t want to tell you, because they love you and want you to feel good about yourself. That, or they just don’t respect you enough. But they think that you’re sometimes capable of mediocrity, and you weren’t doomed to fail from the start (unless Theory #3 really is correct—again, we really can’t know). Maybe they’ll come around later to your style, though it is unlikely, as they’ve been curating their tastes since the beginning of their adolescence and don’t expect to change any time soon. Either you have to change, or they’ll just never like the things you do, and that would be fine! (Still crushing.)
An important reminder is that their opinions are only opinions and aren’t an objective fact about your value as an artist or person. However, the subjective opinions they harbor have changed the way they see you. Now, when they look at you, they’ll remember that time you put them through what felt like centuries of boredom, and maybe they’ll have to exchange a knowing look with each other as a means of coping. If you don’t notice it, you’ll never know they feel this way, which will make your ego feel good, but also might mean you’ll be motivated to make something in the future that will put them through the same kind of hell. It’s sort of a lose-lose situation where no one wins.
Anyway, at least you tried.