if there's any redeeming value in the typical perry storyline it's that they are instructive. the audience gets to see someone making a choice to do the right thing. good and bad are clearly identified in perry world. there's usually a moral to the story, too. plus, the stories lightly pepper in the art of moral reasoning. the bonus is that it comes across without being too preachy or holier than thou.

but do the ends justify the means? i don't think so. i was never under the impression that the plays and movies were meant to be good, but only presentable. i think they're meant to be put on stage to entertain and instruct. and they do. however, i've often felt that the writing is so bad that it makes everything else irrelevant. the writing (and acting) discredits the perry-world experience, which is unfortunate.

in my mind, perry consistently cranks out mediocrity. why in the world can't he invest some money towards developing his "artistic" skills? that's the kind of giving back to the community that i want to see-- not whether or not he employs yet another mediocre actor who can sing, not whether or not he opens the door for another mediocre writer.