Can musicals save America from Trumpocalypse?

I was about to give up on my reading of D.H. Lawrence's "Sons and Lovers" when Elliot barged into the room. He had that wistful look in his face, which would mean one thing. A group of film critics in Utah declared "La La Land" as the best movie of this year, which prompted my coursemate to rush to the nearest movie theater. Professor West taught about the musical genre a few weeks ago, which enlightened us.

There was a proliferation of musicals during the studio era, as America was struggling with the Great Depression and the aftermath of the Great War. I could imagine the smiling moviegoers, their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. The musicals wouldn't be successful if there wasn't an ounce of reality in the plot. I once saw "Broadway Melody" on cable, about two sisters who wanted to try their luck in the Big Apple. Hank was the talented one while Anita was more known for her looks. The guys didn't find the former attractive enough, but they would fall for the latter on a heartbeat.

Edmund Goulding's story had lots of ironic twists, which might be Alanis Morisette's inspiration for her hit song. Beaumont featured blond trouble, which Hitchcock would refine in his works. There were enough song and dance numbers to amuse the viewers, but "The Broadway Melody" would seem simple compared to the grand song-and-dance numbers that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) released during the 1940s and 1950s. I couldn't imagine a balding Ryan Gosling after Elliot compared Gosling's Sebastian to Fred Astaire. And Emma Stone's Mia couldn't match the radiant Cyd Charisse. Then again, younger moviegoers haven't seen “The Band Wagon”.

Would Damien Chazelle's musical distract the audience from the incoming Trump administration? Perhaps they should hear Justin Timberlake singing "Can't Stop the Feeling!" (from "Trolls"). I wouldn't recommend Carpool Karaoke unless viewers were huge fans of Gene Kelly and Ann Miller. I was thinking of other genres, as I could see disenchantment across the nation. Yahoo users would dismiss Rob Kardashian's agony (after his wife left him), yet they managed to leave a comment or two.

I fancy the superheroes, who could protect the moviegoers for two hours or so. The plot resembled the political thrillers of the 1970s, which what America would prefer at the moment. After all, many politicians were taking themselves a bit too seriously. (Humor might not be the best cure.) Horror could be another alternative, as it would remind me of amusement parks. I won't go far by implying that some filmmakers (of scary films) were sending a (political) message. The heyday of B Cinema was long gone. Last but not the least, (trashy) action. Who would have thought that Charlize Theron appeared in another sequel to "The Fast and the Furious"? This was the eighth installment of the franchise, and I wouldn't bet against an eleventh film (or another one).

I reckoned that Elliot wanted a break from the coursework while I preferred to search for useless information on the Internet. I wasn't aspiring to be a contestant on "Jeopardy", but I could make my housemates envious of my knowledge. I was thinking of the existence of leeches in the arid African landscape.