Measure Your Life in Charity to the Homeless

"Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care? Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?"

Irony: A down-the street-and-around-the-corner line of people holding expensive tickets to see Rent ignoring the homeless guy trying to sell his newspapers.

And it's funny because I just last week defended Rent to my parents as cultural. Cultural because it raised the societal questions of homelessness and AIDS and homosexuality. Cultural because it made a point and started public discussion on topics that had been taboo for a very long time. And I may not agree with everything that's in it, but I think it says a lot of important things and does so in an amazing performance, which to my mind makes it cultural.

Except the whole point is that it's supposed to do something. It's supposed to make people think. Make them think differently. Make them view the homeless differently. Make them view life differently, maybe. And granted this line was for the entrance to Rent, but the show doesn't do very much if all those people -- myself included -- are willing to buy expensive theater tickets but not to even give the homeless guy their spare change or leftovers.