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if people are hired as actors to play a character on stage in a theatrical production, and it subsequently transpires that they propagate malicious or even contrary social views, should they be fired from the production? I fear in my eternal quest to find nuance and balance in this conversation, as I strive to do in all conversations in the theater industry, I may not be making the video that you want me to be making. And don't get me wrong, I deplore the bigoted backwards rhetoric and I resent having to hear it. And I thoroughly disappointed when somebody is announced for a show and it comes to light that they harbor these beliefs. But am I disappointed that they have been cast in a show with these beliefs, or am I just disappointed to be reminded that people think like this and evidently do so unashamedly? And in that frustration and in our hurt, our inclination is to see these people punished. It's what we want to happen in these examples. We want to see that happen to bullies. It's what we've always wanted to happen to bullies, whether on the playground or whether it's on screen. We long to see the downfall of the villain and some sense of social comeuppance. However, the world in which we live is neither a playground nor a cartoon, and the difficult question that I am weighing today genuinely is is it right that those individuals be fired because of their opinions? Under what circumstances is it appropriate that that is the actual response? And if so, and after that happens, what? What happens next? Now why don't I tell you what and who we are actually talking about. Oh my God. Hey, welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel or hello to those of you listening to this on podcast platforms. My name is Mickey Jo and I am obsessed with all things theatre. As a theatre critic and a content creator here on social media and in addition to seeing and reviewing hundreds of shows every year, I tend to weigh in on various debates and conversations happening within the theater industry worldwide and on either side of the Atlantic. Right now we' seeing a little bit of casting controversy in one instance because somebody has been newly announced for a principal role in a Broadway production and their anti trans rhetoric has come to light with this announcement. In another example, a performer has departed a production in the West End in the wake of releasing and let me get this right, an AI generated pro Israel reggae song that expresses anti Palestinian sentiment. We are talking about Geno seegers in Hadestown on Broadway and what would have been Boy George in Jesus Christ Superstar in the West End, which by the way, I just saw this evening. That's why I'm wearing all black. For those of you who can see me, I had one of those tickets where you can stand on stage. I didn't just come from a funeral. Well, Christ's and I saw what was meant to be one of the last few performances before Boy George was going to take over in the role of King Herod. There is, if you didn't know, a rotating cast of stars sharing that cameo role this summer. And I've wanted to talk about the Hadestown casting news. I've wanted to talk about this Boy George revelation. And I realized that they are basically the same conversation. And while I could simply come on here and say something very straightforward and reinforce my own personal beliefs, I think there is a bigger conversation beyond that about how we navigate situations like this and what an effective and proportionate response looks like. Because people are calling for a boycott of Hadestown. People are implying that, you know, it is now problematic to go and see Hadestown or endorse that show in any way. People were set to protest Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, which tickles me somewhat because, you know, it wouldn't be the first protest of Jesus Christ Superstar. If anything, one of the more protested shows in the history of musical theatre. In any case, I think there is plenty for us to say here. I'm going to share my perspective as always. For this to be a full conversation, I would love to hear yours. Let me know what you think about this in the comments section down below. Because we are covering contentious territory, I would love for the comments to please remain respectful. Bearing in mind if you venture beyond the realms of mutual respect, I can delete your comments. So eas. So why not instead just save your own time and mine for now, though, let's talk about it. What happens when controversial people are cast for the stage and what should happen next? Okie dokie. Let's dive into this one like a swimming pool filled with nails and begin with the Boy George of it all. Absolutely, why not? This of the two has become the slightly bigger news story simply because he has exited the production prior to his brief stint, and it has been covered in the theatrical press as well as in the wider press because of his celebrity status. This is what Logan Caldwell Block had to say in Playbill on July 31, 2026 Boy George pulls out of West End Jesus Christ Superstar after controversial song release British music icon Boy George has pulled out of a planned run as King Herod in the current West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, which was to begin August 3rd. He is therefore pulling out just days before the news was revealed by the artist's manager, Paul Kemsley, on Instagram. And I wish, oh how I wish it was under better circumstances that I finally got to bring my two worlds together and actually reference the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills while talking about something legitimately theatrical. But if you don't know who Paul Kemsley is, there are many of us who do. Oh pk. Here's what he had to say. George has I'm not going to do an impression. I'm going to work very hard not to do an impression. George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that. Read Kemsley's statement Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist, while also showing respect to others. In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill. That feels like, I mean, it could be entirely true that it was a decision from Boy George or from the management of Boy George even, that the run would be cancelled. It could also be a decision mutually reached in light of the whole planned protest situation. This article goes on to say, while the statement does not give explicit reasons for the departure, the move follows the June 27th release of Boy George's latest song we will dance again. Now you may be thinking that's quite a while ago. The song has just recently gained a lot of social media traction. It drew criticism for its commentary on Israel and Palestine, disputing claims of genocide in the region, and calling supporters of Palestine sheep. The artist also acknowledged that AI was used to create the song, which drew further criticism online. The song has since been taken down, and before we pull on that particular thread, which, as you can imagine, I'm incredibly eager to do, here's what's happening with Jesus Christ Superstar. The current King Herod Richard Armitage, who was only going to be very briefly appearing in the show, has extended his run to cover Boy George's abrupt departure. I saw Richard Armitage this evening. He was fantastic. Ticket holders are in for a treat. The rest of the article, interestingly enough, is all about Jesus Christ Superstar, which I suppose is Playbill's perspective Perspective. Let's see how this is being written about in other outlets. We could choose the Los Angeles Times, the Independent, or the Jewish Chronicle. I dare say we're going to get some very different slants on this. Let's go with the Independent, which expands a little bit on the nature of the particular track, and though I haven't listened to it because I have too great an appreciation for my own ears, I have read through some of the lyrics and it tickles me that in speaking about this afterwards, Boy George has talked about the passion that he has and his eagerness for advocacy and the use of AI to generate this. I mean, nothing says like I really wanted to speak from the heart like AI generated music and or lyrics questions as to how much of this he even conceived by himself. But in order to preemptively dispel the notion that something can be pro Israel without inherently being anti Palestinian, it does open with the lyric, you say genocide, I say war when you're attacked. That's what the army's for. Which in light of the UN investigation and documented death toll and human rights violations, feels a somewhat contentious thing to say. Which is not incidentally an attempt for me to dismiss the emotional suffering and death toll that has occurred on both sides. While I don't claim to be any kind of an expert in international politics, I advocate for peace, for a lack of suffering, for an end to human rights violations, to a free Palestine and to Israel under more humane leadership, to a species that is able to coexist beyond the damaging implications of REL and territorialism. But that is likely not why you clicked on this video. And while I will flag that it is ironic that this led to Boy George preemptively departing a production that includes the lyric, what you have done will be the saving of Israel. It also feels pertinent to mention, as it often is, that Boy George also has a historic conviction for false imprisonment, which is something that many theater fans raised when his casting in Moulin Rouge on Broadway not too long ago was announced, prompting another question, and one that ventures far beyond the territory of polarizing opinions. If someone has committed legitimate crimes in the past, especially at the expense of other human beings, ought they be rehabilitated on stage? Ought they be able to work on Broadway? More thoughts on that later. For now, though, let's talk about the other casting controversy. Now for this one, we are heading back to Broadway, where Hadestown is readying to welcome another set of new principal actors, beginning performances from September 1, and included among them is an actor named Geno Segers, who has not worked prolifically on stage, but is an actor most of the time. When he's not being an actor, Geno Segers is a social media figure speaking to an audience of thousands, if not hundreds, about his own social opinions, of which there are evidently many, between his YouTube channel and his Instagram, which has, in the days since this first came to light, been made private. One of the topics with which people have become concerned is Gino's commentary on the trans community, one which he does not claim to be a part of, one which he claims he is not trying to attack, but one which he speaks about with puzzling frequency in one moment likening the trans experience to identifying as a service animal in order to achieve cheaper airfare, and in another, suggesting in a rather mocking tone that there is no legitimate oppression of the trans community currently taking place in United States. And after all, why would anybody think there is? It's not like the literal President of the United States was just days ago obsessively mocking Dylan Mulvaney. But I digress. The interesting thing here is that bass vocalists have become so scarce in contemporary musical theatre and in the theatre industry that this is the second time Hadestown on Broadway have resorted to casting someone with, shall we say, a dubious personal background with Gary Dordan, an actor who had previously been charged with felony battery for breaking his girlfriend's nose, having made his Broadway debut in the role in March of this year. And as a general rule, if somebody's Wikipedia page has a section called Legal Issues, it's probably worth flagging before you cast them in a Broadway show. But yet again, Is this beyond the realms of rehabilitation? Is an historic misstep grounds enough to bar you from ever being able to work as an actor on Broadway, or to work as an actor on stage anywhere, or to work as an actor at all? Or does it depend what exactly that conviction was? Because the nature of the criminal justice system, in dire need of reform as it may be, ought to present its own scale for rehabilitating inmates and convicts and returning them to society in order that they can work and be a functioning member of society. When that person happens to be an actor, are they allowed to go back to that job? Or do they have to now do something else again? We will talk more about that later, but what's clear is that Hadestown is having a little bit of trouble finding Hades's for their town. And as much as I clearly disagree with what Gino Segers has had to say about the trans community, there is one school of thought playing on my mind that people should, as actors on Broadway, be allowed to have their own perspectives, their own opinions, if it doesn't interfere with the work that they are doing. The question mark comes when we consider the responsibility of that show to guarantee a safe working environment for everyone in that space. Because I was thinking to myself, you know, in the past I have worked alongside people who were not super positive on trans issues and trans conversations and who weren't very receptive to the idea of respecting the pronouns of young people with whom they may have been working, perhaps as educators. And I was quite ready to sit here and frame this as a simple and inevitable fact of life that you are going to have to work alongside people who are going to have different opinions to you. And then I changed my mind about that because I got to thinking about how often the trans and non binary community are expected to simply put up with all of this, especially in the current climate, especially when their lives are being so loudly politicized. And I realized if you were to take the rhetoric that Geno Segers has been deliberately propagating and editing and posting online, there is something so purposeful about the way that he has been sharing his thoughts here to an audience in a very instructive tone while dressed like a high school teacher, possibly that's just his personal style, but if you were to take what he was saying and apply it to any other community, it would be deemed utterly unacceptable in 2026. It would have been deemed utterly unacceptable years ago if you were to say this, and I know this is a reductive comparative argument, but if you were to say this about about the black community, if you were to say this about the LGBTQ community in its entirety, if you were to say this about the rights of women, all of these different social struggles that have supposedly been conquered in decades past, then I think the response would be a lot more straightforward. Likewise, if J.K. rowling's issue were with any other community, I think Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would have closed already. But the thing is, is that transphobic commentary hasn't just become normalized, it's become tolerated as a result. And people act as though transphob is just another personality trait that people shouldn't be expected to change, like the color of their eyes. And yes, there are trans and non binary individuals working in the Broadway production of Hadestown. In fact, Hadestown is one of the more prolific Broadway employees of trans and non binary individuals. Ironically, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is another. And while I'm not necessarily suggesting that the casting of any one individual would create a hazardous working environment for another individual, the statements in both of these examples from Geno Segers and from Boy George George are big endorsement statements shared publicly via their platforms, deliberately distributed, inherently political. And whatever we think of those ideas, we also, I think, have to respect the fact that when you do that, you understand that there may come consequences. And that goes beyond the entertainment industry. For anyone who is employed, if you say something that loud and that public, you understand there may be ramifications. So those are the conversations that are happening right now. Let's talk about how we deal with stuff like this.
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[18:36]
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So I mentioned that school of thought about people being allowed to have all of their own opinions and generally speaking, we pride ourselves as tolerant people, as liberal people, as inclusive people. Unless, of course, that's not who I'm speaking to, in which case, please don't hurt me. But we pride ourselves on inclusivity and respecting differences of opinion and not prohibiting someone from being part of a conversation on the basis of their opinion. It is, in other words, not the tolerant view that people should be precluded from employment on the basis of their beliefs. And the dangerous work environment question is one thing, the nature of platforming is another. And I have mixed feelings about this because casting someone in a stage role, though, you are inviting them onto a stage and providing them with a microphone. Odd as it sounds, it's not necessarily platforming them in the most traditional way. If that leads to people being redirected to their own personal social media pages where they share content such as this and people decide to follow them, that is, to my mind, less the responsibility of the show that has h them and more a reflection of the celebrity culture in which we find ourselves. More to the point, prior to someone diving into the metaphorical water of that actor's social media, you would presume they would check it out and take the temperature first. Dip a toe, if you will. And here's something that I questioned back when Kristin Chenoweth was receiving a lot of backlash around the opening of the Queen of Versailles for comments she made about the death of Charlie Kirk on Instagram. Is it only actors who are expected to, through their work, become public facing ambassadors of the projects that they are associated with? Is this, to a lesser extent, something that impacts creatives or producers or crew members? I have no idea what the opinions of these crew members are. I don't know what the lighting designers think about these things. And chances are if you pull up every single rock on Broadway, you're going to find anti trans sentiment, you're going to find Republicans, you're going to find maga, you are going to find a lot of controversial opinions about things that are happening in parts of the world. The difference is we don't necessarily know about it, or sometimes we do know about it, but we fixate on those public facing personalities instead. Hell, even on the Queen of Versailles, William Ivy Long was quite quietly enlisted as its costume designer with multiple allegations in the wind behind him. But Kristin chenoweth, who said one thing on Instagram, was a much easier pink 4 foot 10 target. And in the interest of journalistic integrity. I would like to retract that statement. I misspoke. It turns out she's 4 foot 11. Make no mistake, there are secret affiliations, one which, for reasons of profit and pr, people don't want you to know about. It was rumored that Scott Rudin had actually perpetrated a quiet return to Broadway before he started producing publicly again with Little Bed Road. And the way in which his Broadway return has been embraced by audiences, certainly by the Tony Awards nominators and voters this year, seems to indicate a troubling question about whether or not audience members actually care. If Geno Segers does continue to play Hades in Hadestown, if he does make his debut in the show next month, how many people in that auditorium are going to have any kind of an idea who he is personally? To what extent do the very online, socially engaged Broadway fans actually comprise most Broadway audiences? And where I think some of that disconnect continues is in the advocacy for a boycott. And I think specifically with Hadestown, we don't need to be talking about Jesus Christ Superstar because Boy George already removed himself from that production. But with Hadestown, if you are to advocate for boycotting that production, then you are also threatening the livelihoods of all of these different people. And I know that's exactly what people say to me when I talk about not wanting to go and see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And to be fair, that isn't what I said. I said that nobody should go and see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. My argument there has always been about cash flow and about the way that the profits, the significance profits from that production are being spent and directed towards anti trans organizations that have already affected legislation here in the UK in a hugely detrimental way. Paying the salary of a person with problematic opinions who will continue to have problematic opinions regardless of whether or not you help fund their salary is quite a different thing. And that's the other question here. What happens if they get fired or didn't get hired in the first place? Is that experience going to change their mind? What is more likely to open the eyes of this individual, working amidst a diverse gender, expansive cast on Broadway for an extended period in a show like Hadestown that talks so much about the human experience, or getting fired from that show after online outrage, being made to feel like a victim of cancel culture, and having to go back and spend more time filming yourself for social media? Which of those is actually the desirable outcome here, if we think about it, and it isn't the obligation of Hadestown as a brilliant piece of theater to be a rehabilitation process for all of these people, even though it seems like that's increasingly what they are turning into. But we have seen in the past individuals whose behavior is indicative of conservative values being ejected from the community and leaning way further into right wing ideology. And I go back to my question about rehabilitating former convicts. Should they never work again, or should they never work on stage again, or should they never work on Broadway again? Which of these is considered a career that is too good for them? Or is it about the world that it provides them access to that? We don't want to see these people applauded. We don't want to see them made a star. We don't want to see that Phantom of the Opera working in proximity to the stage door of Matilda. Google that if you want to know what I'm talking about. We don't have time to go into it here. Another story I did hear about recently because it was reported by Chris Peterson for Onstage Blog, who does a very diligent job of flagging things like this and is always very involved in talking about stuff that's happening in the community theater world, is that there is a regional theater in the United States producing a production of Catch Me if youf can that is led by former Glee star and alleged wife abuser Blake Jenner. Now I say alleged because there was never a conviction to accompany this, though he did admit to this behavior on his own social media around the same time he was removed from the ongoing multi year filming of Merrily We Roll along, which Sidebar for a moment wonder how that's going. And evidently he is now working again, but far from Hollywood and far from Broadway, indicating to a certain extent a fall from grace. However, he is still starring in a musical on stage and arguably if we were to say no, you don't get to do that anymore. You don't get to be in professional musical theatre. We don't want to applaud you. We don't want you to be in a spotlight. You shouldn't be celebrated. You should go and take a shameful society job, one of the ones that we don't think is as good. You should go and do that instead. Arguably in a different job. He would be far less scrutinized than he will be than his behavior will be if he is working in theatre. And again, I ask a difficult question. For how long ought people be held accountable for things that they have done in their past? Is the answer
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indefinitely. Now, other than trying to provoke the considering of this from multiple different angles, I don't know how much I've necessarily achieved by having this conversation. There are a few things that I personally want to say. One is that in the admirable quest for social justice advocacy, there is, I think, the dangerous possibility that people can be tarred if they don't aspire to the highest possible moral standards. I'll give you an example of this. So I'm not just speaking speaking relatively here because alongside the criticism of Geno Segers, the new actress who has been cast as Eurydice in Hadestown on Broadway has also been receiving a little bit of flack on social media. Her name is Jasmine Savoy Brown. There is criticism of her because she returned to work on the Scream film that Melissa Barrera was dismissed from when she advocated on behalf of Palestine. People are saying this means that she is a bootlicker. This means inheritance that she is a Zionist. These terms are being labeled onto her. And I think certainly in comparison with the individuals who are publishing AI generated explicit songs detailing their very clear feelings, trying to infer the possible allegiances of people who did this or who behaved in this way, or who liked an Instagram post on this occasion, or who put this on their stories but never explicitly spoke out for this thing. I think it's a very dangerous game to play and I don't want to sit here and tell everyone what not to do without in some way drawing some kind of a line. So here is what I have always taken issue with, and that is specifically actors whose personal beliefs utterly contradict are in opposing alignment to the messaging of the production that they are in. An example of this might be Sei Amuba, who was due to star in the Color Purple and it came to light that she had, on religious grounds, very homophobic opinions. Subsequently, she was dismissed. And I think key to that for me at the time was how disingenuous it would have felt as an audience to have her playing a role which explores themes of queer identity while knowing that she is so personally opposed to that idea. However, that only works if you know. If you don't know that she feels that way, it's not going to make any kind of a difference. You see what I'm saying? If an actor is personally opposed to the meaning of their show, the show that they're in, the story that they're telling, then I find it to be completely hypocrisy, hypocritical. But I only find it to be completely hypocritical if I know about it. If I'm aware of their opinions, the puncturing of my ability to believe the truth in their storytelling is only affected by what I actually know about them. And when it comes to Boy George and Jesus Christ Superstar, I actually don't know if I have the bandwidth to sit here and consider whether the lyrics of his AI Reggae Israel song are contrary to the themes of Jesus Christ Superstar. I think that's sort of two separate cans of worms fighting each other in a worm based battle that nobody will win. With Gino Segers and Hadestown on Broadway Hadestown, though it has been a frequent employer of trans and non binary performers, is not explicitly a story about the queer experience or the trans experience. It is a story in which many people have come to find catharsis and very many different layers of meaning. And I would argue it is a story about human connectivity in times of strife and oppression and capitalism. And though the character of Hades is not based on the current sitting President of the United States, he does share aesthetics and ideas. But if you are eager to see him dismissed from this role before he begins performances, I would caution you in your outrage and remind you what happens if he is he can be fired from Hadestown preemptively. It isn't going to fundamentally change who he is as a person. If anything, it's probably going to reinforce his existing beliefs belief system. Meanwhile, we instead cast a Hades who believes in everything we also believe in, or one who just doesn't contradict it quite so loudly and openly. I mentioned at the beginning of this that our understandable inclination is to see the bullies punished, to see the villains lose. And in times when around the world we are navigating a crisis of human empathy and we are seeing bullies and villains the likes of which we have been taught to recognize in stories for as long as I can remember, thriving, platformed, endorsed and elected to the highest offices, you begin to figure out why stories such as these elicit such immediate frustration. And why, in the face of all of that, a lot of people begin to feel powerless? I would like to remind you that you aren't powerless. And with the chapter closed on Jesus Christ Superstar, whatever Hadestown decides to do about their newly announced Broadway casting, and amidst whatever casting controversy is going to bubble up next, there are bigger battles that are worth fighting. Those then have been my complicated thoughts on each of those stories, as well as the hot topic that connects them. Nervously. I would like to encourage you to please share your thoughts in the comments section down below with the reminder that I, as the former educator that I am, insist on mutual respect and basic human decency in my comments comments sections. And not because I'm trying to shut down conversation or push my own personal agenda, but because, figuratively speaking, it's my house and you will take off your shoes before you come in. In the meantime, thank you for listening to my thoughts. Enjoy is the wrong word, but I hope they may have been enlightening, perhaps thought provoking. If you want to hear my thoughts on other industry conversations, then you can find more of them here on YouTube. Feel free to subscribe. You can also follow me on podcast platforms or sign up to my free weekly Substack newsletter. In the meantime, as always, I hope that everyone is staying safe safe and that you have a stagey day for 10 more seconds. I'm Mickey Joe Theater. Oh my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day. Subscribe
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Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary: "should controversial actors be fired? | thoughts on the backlash for Boy George and Geno Segers"

MickeyJoTheatre — August 2, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

Mickey-Jo explores the contentious question: Should actors be fired for holding or publicly expressing controversial or offensive views? Using the recent backlash surrounding the casting of Boy George in "Jesus Christ Superstar" and Geno Segers in "Hadestown", he dissects the larger issues of accountability, cancel culture, platforming, and the expectations we set for public figures in theatre. Throughout, Mickey-Jo seeks nuance—balancing social justice concerns with philosophical questions about rehabilitation, free expression, and the realities of the entertainment industry.

Key Discussion Points

The Central Question: When Should Actors be Fired?

[01:20]

Mickey-Jo frames the episode with the thorny dilemma:

"Is it right that those individuals be fired because of their opinions? Under what circumstances is it appropriate... and after that happens, what next?"

Case Studies: Boy George & Geno Segers

1. Boy George & "Jesus Christ Superstar"

[03:27]

Boy George was set to play King Herod in the West End revival but pulled out following outrage over his AI-generated, pro-Israel reggae song with apparent anti-Palestinian sentiment.
Mickey-Jo summarizes reporting from Playbill and The Independent, highlighting the lyric:

“You say genocide, I say war when you’re attacked. That’s what the army’s for.”
(citing Boy George’s lyrics)
Further controversy: Boy George's criminal record prompts deeper questions about who should be allowed theatrical opportunities after criminal convictions.
Notably, the interim King Herod (Richard Armitage) extended his run due to Boy George’s departure.
Aftermath: The incident reignites ~perennial issues~ about artists' pasts and rehabilitation.

2. Geno Segers & "Hadestown"

[10:56]

Geno Segers was announced for a principal Broadway role; past anti-trans rhetoric surfaced, compiled from his public platforms.
- Examples: Comparing the trans experience to claiming to be a service animal for cheaper airfare; denying oppression of the trans community.
Mickey-Jo notes Hadestown’s difficulty casting the role of Hades, referencing previous controversial casting choices (e.g., Gary Dourdan).
Analogy: If Segers’ statements targeted another minority, “it would be deemed utterly unacceptable in 2026.”
Raises the unique responsibility in theatre as a workspace: “The question comes when we consider the responsibility of that show to guarantee a safe working environment for everyone in that space.”

Deeper Analysis & Reflections

Platforming vs. Employment

[18:35]

Is casting someone equivalently "platforming" them and endorsing all their views?
Mickey-Jo posits:

"Casting someone in a stage role, though you are inviting them onto a stage and providing them with a microphone... it’s not necessarily platforming them in the most traditional way."
Importance of distinguishing public-facing actors from less-visible creatives or crew, whose views remain unknown.

The Scope of Accountability

Does the logic of dismissal or boycotts apply only to actors, or should it extend to every person involved in a production?
Reflection on the practical and ethical complexity: Is it ever possible to scrub every problematic view from a cast or crew?
"Chances are if you pull up every single rock on Broadway, you’re going to find anti-trans sentiment, you’re going to find Republicans, you’re going to find maga, you are going to find a lot of controversial opinions..." [20:40]

Boycotts and Their Impact

Mickey-Jo critiques calls for boycotting Hadestown:

"If you are to advocate for boycotting that production, then you are also threatening the livelihoods of all of these different people." [22:03]
Distinction drawn between shows like Hadestown and large properties like "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," where boycotting has specific political ramifications.

Rehabilitation vs. Permanent Exile

What is more likely to change someone’s mind: working with a diverse cast or being fired in a public scandal?
"Should [contestable actors] never work again, or should they never work on stage again, or...on Broadway again? ... Or is it about the world that it provides them access to that? We don't want to see these people applauded." [24:00]
Case comparison: Former "Glee" actor Blake Jenner, alleged domestic abuser, returning to regional theatre after being dropped by higher-profile projects.
Raises tough questions: “For how long ought people be held accountable for things they have done in their past? Is the answer indefinitely?” [26:47]

The Double Standard: Expectations for Actors vs. Others

Discussion of the Kristn Chenoweth backlash vs. quiet industry tolerance for other creators (e.g. William Ivey Long, Scott Rudin) with checkered pasts.
Mickey-Jo reflects: "We fixate on those public facing personalities instead." [19:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Nuance Warning:

"I may not be making the video you want me to be making." (on striving for nuance in fraught discussions) [01:23]
On Cancel Culture & Rehabilitation:

"What is more likely to open the eyes of this individual: working amidst a diverse, gender-expansive cast on Broadway… or getting fired from that show after online outrage, being made to feel like a victim of cancel culture?" [22:49]
On Double Standards:

“If you were to take what Geno Segers was saying and apply it to any other community, it would be deemed utterly unacceptable in 2026. ... But transphobic commentary hasn't just become normalized, it's become tolerated as a result." [14:30]
Self-Reflection / Hypocrisy:

"If an actor is personally opposed to the meaning of their show, the show that they're in, the story that they're telling, then I find it to be completely hypocritical. But I only find it to be completely hypocritical if I know about it." [29:35]
Audience Power:

"Our understandable inclination is to see the bullies punished, to see the villains lose… I would like to remind you that you aren't powerless." [31:11]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[01:20] — Introduction of core dilemma and cases
[03:27] — Boy George: Song controversy and exit from "Jesus Christ Superstar"
[10:56] — Geno Segers: Transphobic rhetoric and Hadestown casting
[18:35] — Platforming, double standards, and broader industry complicity
[22:03] — Boycotts: Collateral damage and efficacy
[24:00] — Rehabilitation: Can/should controversial actors find work?
[26:47] — How long should punishment last? Indefinitely?
[29:35] — The problem of hypocrisy: When is casting truly unacceptable?
[31:11] — Empowerment and final reflections

Concluding Thoughts

Mickey-Jo urges listeners toward nuance, cautioning against purity tests that “tar” people for not meeting the highest moral standard.
He warns of the dangers of speculative outrage, especially when tracing faint social media likes or associations.
Final thoughts circle back to the core: Should the personal beliefs of actors, if contrary to the values in a show, disqualify them if audiences know—and does that justify firing? Or does forced exile only entrench resentment?
Ends with an invitation for respectful discussion:

"I insist on mutual respect and basic human decency in my comments sections. Not because I'm trying to shut down conversation or push my own personal agenda, but because, figuratively speaking, it's my house and you will take off your shoes before you come in." [32:12]

Episode Summary in a Sentence

Mickey-Jo unpicks the complex ethics of firing actors over controversial beliefs, weighing free expression, workplace safety, and the limits of public accountability through timely case studies, and ultimately argues for thoughtful, ever-nuanced engagement over blunt, punitive action.

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Transcript18 lines

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if people are hired as actors to play a character on stage in a theatrical production, and it subsequently transpires that they propagate malicious or even contrary social views, should they be fired from the production? I fear in my eternal quest to find nuance and balance in this conversation, as I strive to do in all conversations in the theater industry, I may not be making the video that you want me to be making. And don't get me wrong, I deplore the bigoted backwards rhetoric and I resent having to hear it. And I thoroughly disappointed when somebody is announced for a show and it comes to light that they harbor these beliefs. But am I disappointed that they have been cast in a show with these beliefs, or am I just disappointed to be reminded that people think like this and evidently do so unashamedly? And in that frustration and in our hurt, our inclination is to see these people punished. It's what we want to happen in these examples. We want to see that happen to bullies. It's what we've always wanted to happen to bullies, whether on the playground or whether it's on screen. We long to see the downfall of the villain and some sense of social comeuppance. However, the world in which we live is neither a playground nor a cartoon, and the difficult question that I am weighing today genuinely is is it right that those individuals be fired because of their opinions? Under what circumstances is it appropriate that that is the actual response? And if so, and after that happens, what? What happens next? Now why don't I tell you what and who we are actually talking about. Oh my God. Hey, welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel or hello to those of you listening to this on podcast platforms. My name is Mickey Jo and I am obsessed with all things theatre. As a theatre critic and a content creator here on social media and in addition to seeing and reviewing hundreds of shows every year, I tend to weigh in on various debates and conversations happening within the theater industry worldwide and on either side of the Atlantic. Right now we' seeing a little bit of casting controversy in one instance because somebody has been newly announced for a principal role in a Broadway production and their anti trans rhetoric has come to light with this announcement. In another example, a performer has departed a production in the West End in the wake of releasing and let me get this right, an AI generated pro Israel reggae song that expresses anti Palestinian sentiment. We are talking about Geno seegers in Hadestown on Broadway and what would have been Boy George in Jesus Christ Superstar in the West End, which by the way, I just saw this evening. That's why I'm wearing all black. For those of you who can see me, I had one of those tickets where you can stand on stage. I didn't just come from a funeral. Well, Christ's and I saw what was meant to be one of the last few performances before Boy George was going to take over in the role of King Herod. There is, if you didn't know, a rotating cast of stars sharing that cameo role this summer. And I've wanted to talk about the Hadestown casting news. I've wanted to talk about this Boy George revelation. And I realized that they are basically the same conversation. And while I could simply come on here and say something very straightforward and reinforce my own personal beliefs, I think there is a bigger conversation beyond that about how we navigate situations like this and what an effective and proportionate response looks like. Because people are calling for a boycott of Hadestown. People are implying that, you know, it is now problematic to go and see Hadestown or endorse that show in any way. People were set to protest Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, which tickles me somewhat because, you know, it wouldn't be the first protest of Jesus Christ Superstar. If anything, one of the more protested shows in the history of musical theatre. In any case, I think there is plenty for us to say here. I'm going to share my perspective as always. For this to be a full conversation, I would love to hear yours. Let me know what you think about this in the comments section down below. Because we are covering contentious territory, I would love for the comments to please remain respectful. Bearing in mind if you venture beyond the realms of mutual respect, I can delete your comments. So eas. So why not instead just save your own time and mine for now, though, let's talk about it. What happens when controversial people are cast for the stage and what should happen next? Okie dokie. Let's dive into this one like a swimming pool filled with nails and begin with the Boy George of it all. Absolutely, why not? This of the two has become the slightly bigger news story simply because he has exited the production prior to his brief stint, and it has been covered in the theatrical press as well as in the wider press because of his celebrity status. This is what Logan Caldwell Block had to say in Playbill on July 31, 2026 Boy George pulls out of West End Jesus Christ Superstar after controversial song release British music icon Boy George has pulled out of a planned run as King Herod in the current West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, which was to begin August 3rd. He is therefore pulling out just days before the news was revealed by the artist's manager, Paul Kemsley, on Instagram. And I wish, oh how I wish it was under better circumstances that I finally got to bring my two worlds together and actually reference the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills while talking about something legitimately theatrical. But if you don't know who Paul Kemsley is, there are many of us who do. Oh pk. Here's what he had to say. George has I'm not going to do an impression. I'm going to work very hard not to do an impression. George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that. Read Kemsley's statement Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist, while also showing respect to others. In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill. That feels like, I mean, it could be entirely true that it was a decision from Boy George or from the management of Boy George even, that the run would be cancelled. It could also be a decision mutually reached in light of the whole planned protest situation. This article goes on to say, while the statement does not give explicit reasons for the departure, the move follows the June 27th release of Boy George's latest song we will dance again. Now you may be thinking that's quite a while ago. The song has just recently gained a lot of social media traction. It drew criticism for its commentary on Israel and Palestine, disputing claims of genocide in the region, and calling supporters of Palestine sheep. The artist also acknowledged that AI was used to create the song, which drew further criticism online. The song has since been taken down, and before we pull on that particular thread, which, as you can imagine, I'm incredibly eager to do, here's what's happening with Jesus Christ Superstar. The current King Herod Richard Armitage, who was only going to be very briefly appearing in the show, has extended his run to cover Boy George's abrupt departure. I saw Richard Armitage this evening. He was fantastic. Ticket holders are in for a treat. The rest of the article, interestingly enough, is all about Jesus Christ Superstar, which I suppose is Playbill's perspective Perspective. Let's see how this is being written about in other outlets. We could choose the Los Angeles Times, the Independent, or the Jewish Chronicle. I dare say we're going to get some very different slants on this. Let's go with the Independent, which expands a little bit on the nature of the particular track, and though I haven't listened to it because I have too great an appreciation for my own ears, I have read through some of the lyrics and it tickles me that in speaking about this afterwards, Boy George has talked about the passion that he has and his eagerness for advocacy and the use of AI to generate this. I mean, nothing says like I really wanted to speak from the heart like AI generated music and or lyrics questions as to how much of this he even conceived by himself. But in order to preemptively dispel the notion that something can be pro Israel without inherently being anti Palestinian, it does open with the lyric, you say genocide, I say war when you're attacked. That's what the army's for. Which in light of the UN investigation and documented death toll and human rights violations, feels a somewhat contentious thing to say. Which is not incidentally an attempt for me to dismiss the emotional suffering and death toll that has occurred on both sides. While I don't claim to be any kind of an expert in international politics, I advocate for peace, for a lack of suffering, for an end to human rights violations, to a free Palestine and to Israel under more humane leadership, to a species that is able to coexist beyond the damaging implications of REL and territorialism. But that is likely not why you clicked on this video. And while I will flag that it is ironic that this led to Boy George preemptively departing a production that includes the lyric, what you have done will be the saving of Israel. It also feels pertinent to mention, as it often is, that Boy George also has a historic conviction for false imprisonment, which is something that many theater fans raised when his casting in Moulin Rouge on Broadway not too long ago was announced, prompting another question, and one that ventures far beyond the territory of polarizing opinions. If someone has committed legitimate crimes in the past, especially at the expense of other human beings, ought they be rehabilitated on stage? Ought they be able to work on Broadway? More thoughts on that later. For now, though, let's talk about the other casting controversy. Now for this one, we are heading back to Broadway, where Hadestown is readying to welcome another set of new principal actors, beginning performances from September 1, and included among them is an actor named Geno Segers, who has not worked prolifically on stage, but is an actor most of the time. When he's not being an actor, Geno Segers is a social media figure speaking to an audience of thousands, if not hundreds, about his own social opinions, of which there are evidently many, between his YouTube channel and his Instagram, which has, in the days since this first came to light, been made private. One of the topics with which people have become concerned is Gino's commentary on the trans community, one which he does not claim to be a part of, one which he claims he is not trying to attack, but one which he speaks about with puzzling frequency in one moment likening the trans experience to identifying as a service animal in order to achieve cheaper airfare, and in another, suggesting in a rather mocking tone that there is no legitimate oppression of the trans community currently taking place in United States. And after all, why would anybody think there is? It's not like the literal President of the United States was just days ago obsessively mocking Dylan Mulvaney. But I digress. The interesting thing here is that bass vocalists have become so scarce in contemporary musical theatre and in the theatre industry that this is the second time Hadestown on Broadway have resorted to casting someone with, shall we say, a dubious personal background with Gary Dordan, an actor who had previously been charged with felony battery for breaking his girlfriend's nose, having made his Broadway debut in the role in March of this year. And as a general rule, if somebody's Wikipedia page has a section called Legal Issues, it's probably worth flagging before you cast them in a Broadway show. But yet again, Is this beyond the realms of rehabilitation? Is an historic misstep grounds enough to bar you from ever being able to work as an actor on Broadway, or to work as an actor on stage anywhere, or to work as an actor at all? Or does it depend what exactly that conviction was? Because the nature of the criminal justice system, in dire need of reform as it may be, ought to present its own scale for rehabilitating inmates and convicts and returning them to society in order that they can work and be a functioning member of society. When that person happens to be an actor, are they allowed to go back to that job? Or do they have to now do something else again? We will talk more about that later, but what's clear is that Hadestown is having a little bit of trouble finding Hades's for their town. And as much as I clearly disagree with what Gino Segers has had to say about the trans community, there is one school of thought playing on my mind that people should, as actors on Broadway, be allowed to have their own perspectives, their own opinions, if it doesn't interfere with the work that they are doing. The question mark comes when we consider the responsibility of that show to guarantee a safe working environment for everyone in that space. Because I was thinking to myself, you know, in the past I have worked alongside people who were not super positive on trans issues and trans conversations and who weren't very receptive to the idea of respecting the pronouns of young people with whom they may have been working, perhaps as educators. And I was quite ready to sit here and frame this as a simple and inevitable fact of life that you are going to have to work alongside people who are going to have different opinions to you. And then I changed my mind about that because I got to thinking about how often the trans and non binary community are expected to simply put up with all of this, especially in the current climate, especially when their lives are being so loudly politicized. And I realized if you were to take the rhetoric that Geno Segers has been deliberately propagating and editing and posting online, there is something so purposeful about the way that he has been sharing his thoughts here to an audience in a very instructive tone while dressed like a high school teacher, possibly that's just his personal style, but if you were to take what he was saying and apply it to any other community, it would be deemed utterly unacceptable in 2026. It would have been deemed utterly unacceptable years ago if you were to say this, and I know this is a reductive comparative argument, but if you were to say this about about the black community, if you were to say this about the LGBTQ community in its entirety, if you were to say this about the rights of women, all of these different social struggles that have supposedly been conquered in decades past, then I think the response would be a lot more straightforward. Likewise, if J.K. rowling's issue were with any other community, I think Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would have closed already. But the thing is, is that transphobic commentary hasn't just become normalized, it's become tolerated as a result. And people act as though transphob is just another personality trait that people shouldn't be expected to change, like the color of their eyes. And yes, there are trans and non binary individuals working in the Broadway production of Hadestown. In fact, Hadestown is one of the more prolific Broadway employees of trans and non binary individuals. Ironically, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is another. And while I'm not necessarily suggesting that the casting of any one individual would create a hazardous working environment for another individual, the statements in both of these examples from Geno Segers and from Boy George George are big endorsement statements shared publicly via their platforms, deliberately distributed, inherently political. And whatever we think of those ideas, we also, I think, have to respect the fact that when you do that, you understand that there may come consequences. And that goes beyond the entertainment industry. For anyone who is employed, if you say something that loud and that public, you understand there may be ramifications. So those are the conversations that are happening right now. Let's talk about how we deal with stuff like this.
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So I mentioned that school of thought about people being allowed to have all of their own opinions and generally speaking, we pride ourselves as tolerant people, as liberal people, as inclusive people. Unless, of course, that's not who I'm speaking to, in which case, please don't hurt me. But we pride ourselves on inclusivity and respecting differences of opinion and not prohibiting someone from being part of a conversation on the basis of their opinion. It is, in other words, not the tolerant view that people should be precluded from employment on the basis of their beliefs. And the dangerous work environment question is one thing, the nature of platforming is another. And I have mixed feelings about this because casting someone in a stage role, though, you are inviting them onto a stage and providing them with a microphone. Odd as it sounds, it's not necessarily platforming them in the most traditional way. If that leads to people being redirected to their own personal social media pages where they share content such as this and people decide to follow them, that is, to my mind, less the responsibility of the show that has h them and more a reflection of the celebrity culture in which we find ourselves. More to the point, prior to someone diving into the metaphorical water of that actor's social media, you would presume they would check it out and take the temperature first. Dip a toe, if you will. And here's something that I questioned back when Kristin Chenoweth was receiving a lot of backlash around the opening of the Queen of Versailles for comments she made about the death of Charlie Kirk on Instagram. Is it only actors who are expected to, through their work, become public facing ambassadors of the projects that they are associated with? Is this, to a lesser extent, something that impacts creatives or producers or crew members? I have no idea what the opinions of these crew members are. I don't know what the lighting designers think about these things. And chances are if you pull up every single rock on Broadway, you're going to find anti trans sentiment, you're going to find Republicans, you're going to find maga, you are going to find a lot of controversial opinions about things that are happening in parts of the world. The difference is we don't necessarily know about it, or sometimes we do know about it, but we fixate on those public facing personalities instead. Hell, even on the Queen of Versailles, William Ivy Long was quite quietly enlisted as its costume designer with multiple allegations in the wind behind him. But Kristin chenoweth, who said one thing on Instagram, was a much easier pink 4 foot 10 target. And in the interest of journalistic integrity. I would like to retract that statement. I misspoke. It turns out she's 4 foot 11. Make no mistake, there are secret affiliations, one which, for reasons of profit and pr, people don't want you to know about. It was rumored that Scott Rudin had actually perpetrated a quiet return to Broadway before he started producing publicly again with Little Bed Road. And the way in which his Broadway return has been embraced by audiences, certainly by the Tony Awards nominators and voters this year, seems to indicate a troubling question about whether or not audience members actually care. If Geno Segers does continue to play Hades in Hadestown, if he does make his debut in the show next month, how many people in that auditorium are going to have any kind of an idea who he is personally? To what extent do the very online, socially engaged Broadway fans actually comprise most Broadway audiences? And where I think some of that disconnect continues is in the advocacy for a boycott. And I think specifically with Hadestown, we don't need to be talking about Jesus Christ Superstar because Boy George already removed himself from that production. But with Hadestown, if you are to advocate for boycotting that production, then you are also threatening the livelihoods of all of these different people. And I know that's exactly what people say to me when I talk about not wanting to go and see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And to be fair, that isn't what I said. I said that nobody should go and see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. My argument there has always been about cash flow and about the way that the profits, the significance profits from that production are being spent and directed towards anti trans organizations that have already affected legislation here in the UK in a hugely detrimental way. Paying the salary of a person with problematic opinions who will continue to have problematic opinions regardless of whether or not you help fund their salary is quite a different thing. And that's the other question here. What happens if they get fired or didn't get hired in the first place? Is that experience going to change their mind? What is more likely to open the eyes of this individual, working amidst a diverse gender, expansive cast on Broadway for an extended period in a show like Hadestown that talks so much about the human experience, or getting fired from that show after online outrage, being made to feel like a victim of cancel culture, and having to go back and spend more time filming yourself for social media? Which of those is actually the desirable outcome here, if we think about it, and it isn't the obligation of Hadestown as a brilliant piece of theater to be a rehabilitation process for all of these people, even though it seems like that's increasingly what they are turning into. But we have seen in the past individuals whose behavior is indicative of conservative values being ejected from the community and leaning way further into right wing ideology. And I go back to my question about rehabilitating former convicts. Should they never work again, or should they never work on stage again, or should they never work on Broadway again? Which of these is considered a career that is too good for them? Or is it about the world that it provides them access to that? We don't want to see these people applauded. We don't want to see them made a star. We don't want to see that Phantom of the Opera working in proximity to the stage door of Matilda. Google that if you want to know what I'm talking about. We don't have time to go into it here. Another story I did hear about recently because it was reported by Chris Peterson for Onstage Blog, who does a very diligent job of flagging things like this and is always very involved in talking about stuff that's happening in the community theater world, is that there is a regional theater in the United States producing a production of Catch Me if youf can that is led by former Glee star and alleged wife abuser Blake Jenner. Now I say alleged because there was never a conviction to accompany this, though he did admit to this behavior on his own social media around the same time he was removed from the ongoing multi year filming of Merrily We Roll along, which Sidebar for a moment wonder how that's going. And evidently he is now working again, but far from Hollywood and far from Broadway, indicating to a certain extent a fall from grace. However, he is still starring in a musical on stage and arguably if we were to say no, you don't get to do that anymore. You don't get to be in professional musical theatre. We don't want to applaud you. We don't want you to be in a spotlight. You shouldn't be celebrated. You should go and take a shameful society job, one of the ones that we don't think is as good. You should go and do that instead. Arguably in a different job. He would be far less scrutinized than he will be than his behavior will be if he is working in theatre. And again, I ask a difficult question. For how long ought people be held accountable for things that they have done in their past? Is the answer
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indefinitely. Now, other than trying to provoke the considering of this from multiple different angles, I don't know how much I've necessarily achieved by having this conversation. There are a few things that I personally want to say. One is that in the admirable quest for social justice advocacy, there is, I think, the dangerous possibility that people can be tarred if they don't aspire to the highest possible moral standards. I'll give you an example of this. So I'm not just speaking speaking relatively here because alongside the criticism of Geno Segers, the new actress who has been cast as Eurydice in Hadestown on Broadway has also been receiving a little bit of flack on social media. Her name is Jasmine Savoy Brown. There is criticism of her because she returned to work on the Scream film that Melissa Barrera was dismissed from when she advocated on behalf of Palestine. People are saying this means that she is a bootlicker. This means inheritance that she is a Zionist. These terms are being labeled onto her. And I think certainly in comparison with the individuals who are publishing AI generated explicit songs detailing their very clear feelings, trying to infer the possible allegiances of people who did this or who behaved in this way, or who liked an Instagram post on this occasion, or who put this on their stories but never explicitly spoke out for this thing. I think it's a very dangerous game to play and I don't want to sit here and tell everyone what not to do without in some way drawing some kind of a line. So here is what I have always taken issue with, and that is specifically actors whose personal beliefs utterly contradict are in opposing alignment to the messaging of the production that they are in. An example of this might be Sei Amuba, who was due to star in the Color Purple and it came to light that she had, on religious grounds, very homophobic opinions. Subsequently, she was dismissed. And I think key to that for me at the time was how disingenuous it would have felt as an audience to have her playing a role which explores themes of queer identity while knowing that she is so personally opposed to that idea. However, that only works if you know. If you don't know that she feels that way, it's not going to make any kind of a difference. You see what I'm saying? If an actor is personally opposed to the meaning of their show, the show that they're in, the story that they're telling, then I find it to be completely hypocrisy, hypocritical. But I only find it to be completely hypocritical if I know about it. If I'm aware of their opinions, the puncturing of my ability to believe the truth in their storytelling is only affected by what I actually know about them. And when it comes to Boy George and Jesus Christ Superstar, I actually don't know if I have the bandwidth to sit here and consider whether the lyrics of his AI Reggae Israel song are contrary to the themes of Jesus Christ Superstar. I think that's sort of two separate cans of worms fighting each other in a worm based battle that nobody will win. With Gino Segers and Hadestown on Broadway Hadestown, though it has been a frequent employer of trans and non binary performers, is not explicitly a story about the queer experience or the trans experience. It is a story in which many people have come to find catharsis and very many different layers of meaning. And I would argue it is a story about human connectivity in times of strife and oppression and capitalism. And though the character of Hades is not based on the current sitting President of the United States, he does share aesthetics and ideas. But if you are eager to see him dismissed from this role before he begins performances, I would caution you in your outrage and remind you what happens if he is he can be fired from Hadestown preemptively. It isn't going to fundamentally change who he is as a person. If anything, it's probably going to reinforce his existing beliefs belief system. Meanwhile, we instead cast a Hades who believes in everything we also believe in, or one who just doesn't contradict it quite so loudly and openly. I mentioned at the beginning of this that our understandable inclination is to see the bullies punished, to see the villains lose. And in times when around the world we are navigating a crisis of human empathy and we are seeing bullies and villains the likes of which we have been taught to recognize in stories for as long as I can remember, thriving, platformed, endorsed and elected to the highest offices, you begin to figure out why stories such as these elicit such immediate frustration. And why, in the face of all of that, a lot of people begin to feel powerless? I would like to remind you that you aren't powerless. And with the chapter closed on Jesus Christ Superstar, whatever Hadestown decides to do about their newly announced Broadway casting, and amidst whatever casting controversy is going to bubble up next, there are bigger battles that are worth fighting. Those then have been my complicated thoughts on each of those stories, as well as the hot topic that connects them. Nervously. I would like to encourage you to please share your thoughts in the comments section down below with the reminder that I, as the former educator that I am, insist on mutual respect and basic human decency in my comments comments sections. And not because I'm trying to shut down conversation or push my own personal agenda, but because, figuratively speaking, it's my house and you will take off your shoes before you come in. In the meantime, thank you for listening to my thoughts. Enjoy is the wrong word, but I hope they may have been enlightening, perhaps thought provoking. If you want to hear my thoughts on other industry conversations, then you can find more of them here on YouTube. Feel free to subscribe. You can also follow me on podcast platforms or sign up to my free weekly Substack newsletter. In the meantime, as always, I hope that everyone is staying safe safe and that you have a stagey day for 10 more seconds. I'm Mickey Joe Theater. Oh my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day. Subscribe
[33:03]
B
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[33:13]
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[33:21]
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[34:04]
A
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