[quacked]

I have thought similar things about Whiplash. On the one hand, I find that J.K. Simmons's character was a monster, one who I would have a hard time not coming to blows with if he treated a family member in the way he treats Miles Teller's character. On the other hand, he leads the most elite student band in the (country?), and anyone who could make it out of the other end of his tutelage with their mind intact would be an incredibly proficient musician with the tenacity to endure many different directing styles of various intensity. I am reminded of the Chinese students that I met during my undergraduate degree who breezed through math that kept me up late into the night. Yes, perhaps their upbringing was cruel, but they have minds made of iron compared to myself and many of my Western peers. I still haven't decided whether or not the trade-off is worth it.