Hey Kenny. Always nice to have you visit the blog. 🙂

There are a few things though you missed in this clip and from the movie. First, the emperor may have seemed idiotic (I think you’re reading his character as the principle for “Ferris Bueller” though. His character is not really like that in this movie). But regardless, his sensibilities were spot on. His reaction to a show was always a great indicator about how that show would ultimately succeed for fail. If he yawned a certain number of times, you knew the show would be in the crapper. So his opinion did count.

Second, the other court composers, although obviously not as brilliant at Mozart, also had a similar opinion. So it’s not just an untrained ear that felt the same.

Third, even geniuses can make mistakes. Steve Jobs had a number of flops and missteps from Apple.

Last, and this is the most important. The video is just a metaphor for the overall message. In this case, the message is that in MOST cases less is more. Not everyone is a Mozart or a Peter Jackson. 9 times out of 10, it will be better to err on the side of less.

Speaking of LOTR, yes it was long, but it didn’t FEEL long because everything that is in there needs to be in there. They propel and contribute to the story. It’s all relative. I have the extended editions at home, and I can tell you that after watching them, the scenes they added back definitely do not add much of anything to the story. They feel out of place, not because I don’t remember them in the theatrical release, but because they were extraneous.

Anybody want to go tell Peter Jackson that The Lord of the Rings was too long?

I like that.

You’re not related to Stephen by any chance are you? 😉