Deception in Hollywood Showbiz

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Although Singing in the Rain takes places in the 1920s it still highlights the superficial aspects that accompany Hollywood today. Centered on the career of a theater performer, Don, Singing in the Rain is a great social commentary on Hollywood and showbiz during the 1920s.

On one of the opening scenes Don gives a speech in the middle of the red carpet as he is walking into a celebration ceremony. During his speech he recounts his career narrative explaining how he reached his success. The linguistics of his speech depict a lucrative and mainstream career path but the accompanying visuals show a rather harsh reality. Don did not attend dance recitals as a child; he performed in local bars and saloons. He did not attend a prestigious acting school; he was apart of amateur traveling group. He did not join an elite comedy venture; he joined a small slapstick performance set. Despite all this, he found tremendous success in Hollywood. His path was difficult, but now, as a successful artist, he boasts about his experiences, claiming that everything fell into place. He portrays himself in an elitist matter attempting to uphold the reputation that his career exemplifies.

This focalization shows the importance of reputation and impression within the Hollywood culture. Don struggles to mask the truth of his acting career. He glorifies his acting journey to make it into something it wasn’t. He has a legacy to uphold and does not want reality of his past to expose where he came from.

While this idea is presented in the beginning of the film, deception and illusion turn out to be a reoccurring theme. Don isn’t the only actor who has a reputation to retain and expectations to meet. Kathy must conceal her inability to sing and dance by using disguising her voice with Lina’s incredible talent.  After all, actors are performers and their job is to entertain.

If actors reveal any of their flaws the audience will respond negatively. We can see this when the audience becomes aware that Kathy cannot sing. Her reputation as an actress is diminished. Not only due to the fact that she was deceptive but also because she did not have the gorgeous voice that the audience expected. At the end of the film, just as it opened with Don on the red carpet, Kathy is put in a position where she must uphold her reputation even though she is off camera. Actors must constantly act, even when the film isn’t rolling. Hollywood is portrayed as a demanding business where actors must maintain the respect of the crowd in order to be successful.

Whether they are embellishing their life stories or fabricating their talents, Singing in the Rain shows that actors will go to great lengths to uphold their reputation in Hollywood.

29 thoughts on “Deception in Hollywood Showbiz”

  29. Very well-written! This article truly broadened my understanding of the topic. Thank you for sharing such useful information!
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