Idiocracy. A "crappy film?" Really?

[lightningBugout]

Luther B. how could you? My heart aches.

Mike Judge was always a bit smarter than he first appeared. Dating way back to Spike n Mike. Continuing on through B n B (particularly the Chelsea Clinton romance episode). But Idiocracy is, not kidding here, one of the most painfully precise bits of social commentary I can think of.

Ever so much more effective than any of those silly documentaries about Fox News ("Outfoxed!" my ass) or Murdoch or the Bushies or etc. etc.

I thought it might be a guilty pleasure until, one day, not long after seeing it, I walked over to the Shell station across the street from my then-home in Koreatown and saw a 50 yo white male tourist who looked, in body type, identical to Tweedle Dee. Appearing to be from, say, Oklahoma, he was wearing a quintuple-XL Tupac t-shirt (may have been Biggie, but I refuse to speak ill of saints) and carrying a gas-station bucket of what was probably diet soda. Then the literal-ness of it all hit me. Call it a crappy film but it genuinely appears to be exactly where we are headed.

"Welcome to Costco, I love you" (repeat indefinitely)

[Luther Blissett]

Oh trust me, I was speaking strictly in terms of aesthetics, production values, acting, and general popularity.

Like I said, it comes to mind often. Like almost every other day at times. And I've only seen it once (I have a really good memory when it comes to film). I actually really like it - and I totally agree with you on its importance in terms of social commentary.

"Carl's Jr's - Fuck you, I'm eating."

[lightningBugout]

"Carl's Jr. believes no child should go hungry. You are an unfit mother. Your children will be placed in the custody of Carl's Jr."

[justdrew]

http://www.xkcd.com/603/

he misses the point of what causes the dumbing down entirely though

[monster]

"You like money too?"

[lightningBugout]

'I can't believe you like money too! We should hang out."

PS. "Hey, a couple of us guys were wonderin', uh if we'd go family-style on her..."

[JackRiddler]

Prior thread
http://rigorousintuition.ca/board/viewt ... 9f78f96bd3

I maybe overdid the following comment, since I laughed a lot at the clever sketch comedy. Brawndo's got electrolytes and all that.

My problem with Idiocracy was in the pseudo-documentary narrative explaining how the future dystopia arose: the smart yuppies are too busy being careerist to make babies, while the white trash breed. (Who was that voice supposed to be, God?)

But the popular culture's ongoing descent into trivial, sexed-up stupidity* is not due to too many stupid people breeding, and I doubt Mike Judge thinks so, because everything else about the movie extrapolates or exaggerates trends in capitalism and consumerism that operate independently of inherited intelligence.

Since most of any U.S. audience is going to identify as middle class (even if they live in a trailer), the history given in the film distances them from their own complicity. I won't belabor the racialization of class categories as so odious, because the only practical upshot of the idea is to render the film harmless as a critique of present conditions.

And the sappy admonition to read more books really falls flat as a moral. The film itself is not a product of Idiocracy, to be sure, but of Middlebrow.

* NOTE:
They keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
But you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be!

Which reminds me - Idiocracy also avoided the reality that organized religions are among the biggest stupidity generators in the culture. This helps in crafting a film that all Americans can enjoy, even though it's about how stupid they are.

[mentalgongfu2]

[barracuda]

Bah, I think I can afford to be a snob on this one.





I've got snob capital, and I'm gonna spend it.

[professorpan]

Idiocracy didn't do much for me. Sounds better on paper than it plays.

[JackRiddler]

barracuda:

"Week-End" wins.

All you Idiocracy fans will want to locate it right away and get back to this thread after you watch it. No doubt.

[teamdaemon]

I often risk social awkwardness in order to show this movie to anybody willing to watch it. Even though it is an appropriately crappy movie about a crappy subject, it gets the message through very effetively to a wide variety of people. Especially people who still watch television.

Brought to you by Carl's Junior.

[Luther Blissett]

Prior thread
http://rigorousintuition.ca/board/viewt ... 9f78f96bd3

I maybe overdid the following comment, since I laughed a lot at the clever sketch comedy. Brawndo's got electrolytes and all that.

My problem with Idiocracy was in the pseudo-documentary narrative explaining how the future dystopia arose: the smart yuppies are too busy being careerist to make babies, while the white trash breed. (Who was that voice supposed to be, God?)

But the popular culture's ongoing descent into trivial, sexed-up stupidity* is not due to too many stupid people breeding, and I doubt Mike Judge thinks so, because everything else about the movie extrapolates or exaggerates trends in capitalism and consumerism that operate independently of inherited intelligence.

Since most of any U.S. audience is going to identify as middle class (even if they live in a trailer), the history given in the film distances them from their own complicity. I won't belabor the racialization of class categories as so odious, because the only practical upshot of the idea is to render the film harmless as a critique of present conditions.

And the sappy admonition to read more books really falls flat as a moral. The film itself is not a product of Idiocracy, to be sure, but of Middlebrow.

Which reminds me - Idiocracy also avoided the reality that organized religions are among the biggest stupidity generators in the culture. This helps in crafting a film that all Americans can enjoy, even though it's about how stupid they are.

It does seem to me that Judge tried to work into the subtexts of this film a hidden intelligent elite, behind the media and corporate control. Do they show any execs in the film? I can't remember.

And also, there are a lot of religious undertones in the film, commercials about God and so-on and so forth. He does seem to be trying to say that in the future, everyone identifies as "christian" but there is no association with the modern version. It's even more strictly for control and for marketing.

"St. God's Memorial Hospital"

I have tried to locate Week-End but couldn't find it the last time it was on my radar. I'll have to try again.

Side-note: has anyone ever seen the album art to Joan of Arc's album "Live in Chicago 1999" (not an actual live album, more of an admonition, telling the listener where to live and when)? The band stages an amateurish version of Week-End as a stage play, photos of which then become the album insert.

[Wombaticus Rex]

It absolutely was a crap movie. The intro was fantastic -- some of the best infographics work in a popular film ever. After that, nose dive.

And, they squandered the brilliant and funny Maya Rudolph as the "token black chick" / "prostitute with a heart of gold."

It was a blown opportunity.

[JackRiddler]

It does seem to me that Judge tried to work into the subtexts of this film a hidden intelligent elite, behind the media and corporate control. Do they show any execs in the film? I can't remember.

I vaguely remember the Brawndo board room, and they're just as dumb. Which makes sense, really.