Pygmalion Revisited

September 16, 2016 — binge watching, comedy, Hulu, Pygmalion, satire, Selfie, social commentary

I subscribe to Hulu for a month at a time, then put the subscription on hold for the maximum time, 90 days.  This means it is only in the home 4 months out of the year, which is perfect for us. I binge down on different new shows, and by the end of the month I have seen everything I care to watch.  This month I have watched a lot of very well produced series.  I have focused on comedy, seeing at least 10 stand up comedy specials.  I also found many comedy tv series that make me very happy. My favorite, now that the month is coming to a close, is Selfie.  This modern day version of Pygmalion is hysterically updated to show characters typical to our times.  This social satire hits all the notes.

Eliza Dooley, the same archetype represented in My Fair Lady by Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle, has a modern twist as a self obsessed social media star.  The romantic comedy takes a satirical look at workaholics, socialnetworkaholics , and corporate hierarchy.  It is set in a children’s pharmaceutical company where Henry Higgins, the British snob, is thinly disguised as Henry Higgins, branding expert.  The plot and characters are instantly recognizable, but the story unfolds in ways I could never have imagined.  All the parts are extremely well played, but the writers and producers get major credit.  This script makes me laugh for every reason, from physical comedy schtick to sophisticated satirical commentary woven into the whole story.  Some of the smaller parts are the very best because they have such extreme personalities and dialogue. I will not give away more than that. Just watch it if you can.

The story of Pygmalion comes for the mythology of Greece.  It is based on a god who fell in love with one of his own sculptures.  In 1748 the story was presented at the prestigious Paris Opera House.  This production, written by Jean-Philippe Rameau, was staged as a one act piece.  Since that time this story has been told and retold, including the popular musical version with Rex Harrison playing the stuffy and rude Henry.  The story has the same punch line every time.

Greek god Pygmalion