The Mikado in Missoula and the Lord High Executioner

You can read a "fair and balanced" report of the brouhaha here and there is one of sorts so lets talk about it.

At issue is that the Missoula Community Theatre mounted a production of the Gilbert and Sullivan Savoy Opera "The Mikado".  In it there is a musical number called  Behold the Lord High Executioner  which goes into the song "As some day it may happen" where the character "Ko-Ko" reads off a list of people who would not be missed. Here are the lyrics and you can see plainly when modern productions take liberty with the words - generally making their own, topical list of persons, types, characters, etc.

KO-KO
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list — I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed — who never would be missed!
There's the pestilential nuisances who write for autographs —
All people who have flabby hands and irritating laughs —
All children who are up in dates, and floor you with 'em flat —
All persons who in shaking hands, shake hands with you like that —
And all third persons who on spoiling tête-á-têtes insist —
They'd none of 'em be missed — they'd none of 'em be missed!
CHORUS
He's got 'em on the list — he's got 'em on the list;
And they'll none of 'em be missed — they'll none of 'em be missed.

KO-KO

There's the nigger serenader, and the others of his race,

And the piano-organist — I've got him on the list!

And the people who eat peppermint and puff it in your face,

They never would be missed — they never would be missed!

Then the idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone,

All centuries but this, and every country but his own;

And the lady from the provinces, who dresses like a guy,

And who "doesn't think she dances, but would rather like to try";

And that singular anomaly, the lady novelist —

I don't think she'd be missed — I'm sure she'd not he missed!

CHORUS

He's got her on the list — he's got her on the list;

And I don't think she'll be missed — I'm sure she'll not be missed!

KO-KO
And that Nisi Prius nuisance, who just now is rather rife,
The Judicial humorist — I've got him on the list!
All funny fellows, comic men, and clowns of private life —
They'd none of 'em be missed — they'd none of 'em be missed.
And apologetic statesmen of a compromising kind,
Such as — What d'ye call him — Thing'em-bob, and likewise — Never-mind,
And 'St— 'st— 'st— and What's-his-name, and also You-know-who —
The task of filling up the blanks I'd rather leave to you.
But it really doesn't matter whom you put upon the list,
For they'd none of 'em be missed — they'd none of 'em be missed!
Chorus.
You may put 'em on the list — you may put 'em on the list;
And they'll none of 'em be missed — they'll none of 'em be missed!

Some of the references are a bit obscure and most were just topical to the time - poking fun at certain contemporaries (the female novelist - George Sand for instance) and other notables. Obviously the lyrics are ripe for lampooning current figures as was the intent of the production.  It was what Gilbert and Sullivan wanted and one actually becomes famous for inclusion rather than being ignored.  Think of it as a 19th century "roast".

In the Missoula production one of the substitutions (other than the roundabout and Missoula drivers inability to navigate same) was Sarah Palin.  That brought a minor uproar because "they'll none of them be missed" morphed to killing her and certain Tea Bagging knuckle-draggers  got crazy.  You want to scream at these people and remind them what the lyrics are and this is a poking fun song that has gone on for 125 years. But no.

Then the Wall Street Journal took up the cause and is now boasting that the right wing blogosphere did its duty by calling out the "liberals" for singling out Ms. Palin as the only "named" person marked for killing. While this is a stretch of all time, I am more taken by the defensiveness of the observation and the utter ignorance of the setting - the cultural ignorance displayed by the WSJ.

When any serious writer composes an opinion work for print he/she should do a little research to find out if, under examination, the arguments presented simply fall flat and the root point is or isn't there.  But no. Not the WSJ.  What we now have, in distilled form, is a story that says "Liberal 'Artsy' theater group calls for the Death of Sarah Palin" - that is the take away. 

It is a lie and an outrageous conclusion.