‘Will you join in our crusade?’: Someone at the Governors’ Ball had the opportunity and TOOK it
You know Patrick Bateman was conflicted about this
There is nothing I love more than watching people misunderstand media. Seeing an entire room of Republicans not understand Les Misérables is definitely up there.
At the White House Governors Ball hosted by Donald Trump and Melania Trump, the US Army Chorus performed the finale number from Les Misérables for the President and his guests. While you may think that this was a misguided choice, I would argue that it was brave of the US Army Chorus to do this with the Trump administration in attendance.
The musical is all about rebelling against the powers that be. Focusing on acts of rebellion and those who have been burned by those with power and fight back, it is a musical about rebelling. “Do You Hear the People Sing?” has been a rallying cry since the musical’s release in 1987.
We do not know why the US Army Chorus chose to sing the finale number or if they did it as a rebellious move against this administration but it sure does send a message to those of us watching. My favorite thing about this video is the amount of Republican lawmakers in attendance who are watching this happen and misunderstanding it. The look of shock and joy on their faces is really giving “Is this play about us?” energy.
Does the White House…get it?
Les Misérables is based on the June Rebellion, a rebellion against King Louis-Philippe. It was a fight against the powers that be and consisted of students and workers fighting the inequality of France at the time. On one hand, I am sure that someone in the Trump administration can see the themes in Les Misérables and try to compare the two.
But the reality is that many of us who are struggling with grocery bills, looking to Trump’s “tariffs” and knowing that we’ll pay the price, and it feels like we are at a loss. Musicals like Les Misérables give us that spark of hope and fight that many of us need.
The US Army Chorus may have chosen the song for a completely different reason but I’d like to believe this was a form of rebellion, made that much funnier by the lack of understanding of everyone in that room at the Governors Ball.
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