On a much more mundane level, marketers of kitsch like the Beanie Babies know that Shakespeare has widespread commercial as well as cultural value, whatever his physical form. Shakespeare, in fact, is America’s favorite kitsch–although manufactured almost invariably in Asia. It sells in Britain, too, of course, most notably in Stratford-upon-Avon and London (though the buyers, in all likelyhood, are dispropotionally American), but in the United States a selection of Shakespeare kitsch can be found at most Shakespeare Festival theaters, at novelty shops and mainstream bookstores, and in mail order catalogues.
Alden T. Vaughan & Virginia Mason Vaughan: Shakespeare in America
You can read the full quote here
Do you agree with this quote?
Please, lovers of Shakespeare don’t get mad at me, it is Vaughan and Vaughan saying this.
(Isn’t it strange that the lady comes second?)
While they do have a point, I thought it would be funny to share this with you during decorating season. After all, all over America people are getting their decorations out, for Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas.
Bigger, Better, Faster, More!
Scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Edwin Landseer
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It’s true. I myself am the proud owner of Hamlet finger puppets that include Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, and, of course, the Prince.
Ha ha, good choice! — I so wanted Ophelia for the quote but couldn’t find a decent photo … There are more great quotes in that book, maybe later …
For some reason here in America, they cannot wait to rush the seasons and the holidays. The day after Christmas, the stores put out the Valentine’s Day treats and decor. We had the school supplies out, then cleared into a small corner of the store so they could relegate that area to Halloween costumes and candy – it is the USA’s second biggest decorating holiday. Then they already have an area for Christmas as well. I think Thanksgiving gets shortchanged!
Yeah, if been lucky to see the States during Halloween season and lived in a house with splendid yard decorations! We’ve even been to one of those spooky houses. The people just go nuts!
I predict one day the Halloween decor will rival that of Christmas! Some of the stuff is really scary. Talk about haunted houses – we have something here called “Erebus” and it is supposed to be the primo haunted house and it is an old building and four stores filled with guts and gore. They opened the first of October and last weekend, someone cut in front of another person waiting in line and he got mad and shot him dead. Real life horror in front of a huge crowd! (Only in America as the saying goes!)
My oh my, what can you add to that? Around here you’ll end up with some pretty intense staring or the occasional punch up but people here don’t carry weapons. You do live in a strange place!
I sure do Jeanine. It is downright scary and today I heard that other governors in other states are saying they had similar incidents, just not the extreme as what happened here. Scary times. We have a freeway shooter – 20+ shootings in Detroit since June 15th and not caught yet. The other day some guy dropped a 40 pound (18 kilograms) sandbag from a freeway overpass onto a car passing underneath. It crashed through the windshield, mostly landing on the steering wheel which took the brunt of the weight, but not before the glass shattered in the woman’s right eye. She has eye damage – will not lose the eye, but may not see out of it going forward either.
These kinda news are always really scarry. On the Autobahn you occasionally get people who just throw stones on cars. Considering the speed of the drivers, that’s a rather strange hobby.
The news of your governor made the news here, too. Part of me finds this really important (what a crazy story), the other part wonders about all the other things that are going on in the world without getting covered … Don’t get me wrong, this is all very important but the world right now is just not made up of news from the US & Corona, as there are many other things happening that deserve to be adressed … Have a nice & positive weekend 😉
I know – there is a lot of bad things going on just now … the park where I walk, two guys having a shoot out at 8:00-ish. One mile from me. But I’m not out in the evening and I don’t go out until daylight –
just too much stuff going on in the ‘hood.
Hate to hear that story about Michigan made your news, and a Canadian blogger commented it was on his news – he lives in British Columbia – 3,000 miles away.
She knew about it for two months – they wanted to make the crime a little more heinous to nab them in the act … playing chicken with her/her family’s lives doesn’t sound good to me – just sayin’. You have a nice and positive weekend too Jeanine – get your brain refreshed … that’s what I did this morning.
Good morning/good day Kitschig. Shakespeare is very honorable and notable around the world and has left many of his proverbial philosophies upon many cultures. Although Shakespeare‘s quotes derived from the scriptures and was performed cleverly on stage as a oetfirming Art, there are many more art forms that would challenge Shakespeare‘s art form. Happy blessed Sunday!💗
Shakespeare was all over the place during Lincoln’s time being found in advertising especially. We don’t see that so much these days.
I would love to see those old hings … This is stuff we really need to remember as it will never make the Uni reading lists and all …