November 12, 2004
Whither Vulgar Comedy?
filed under: Idle Chatter
I watched Caddyshack on Cinemax recently. Caddyshack is not a movie I spent a whole lot of attention on as a kid, though of course the legendary moments were repeated daily for months of elementary school. I was startled to discover that as a movie it pretty much blows.
I also watched an episode of Comedy Central's Drawn Together last night. And the two viewing experiences left me puzzled for reasons I'm still wrestling with.
It is a certainty of American culture that with each turning of a generation, the formerly inconceivable becomes merely shocking, the formerly shocking becomes mundane, and the formerly mundane becomes cliche (and then, about five years later, the cliche becomes "retro" and lots of money is made on eBay).
What seems beyond doubt is this: each generation will push the limits farther. But here's my problem:
Last night on Drawn Together (not terrible, not brilliant - pretty pedestrian stuff all in all), there was much hijinks centered around the outing of a gay character. At one point, said character wanders over to inspect a glory hole. On the other side of said hole is a Sponge Bob ripoff character, giving an interview - when a large erect penis stabs into the frame (mildly pixellated, for whatever that's worth anymore). The Sponge Bob guy, being a total naif, says "Well hello there, you're a friendly little fella" or words to that extent, sniffs the dick, and twangs it with his finger so that it bounces.
Fair enough. Makes the stoners go "Whoa hahaha dude did you SEE that! That was totally a dong!" and the gives the nine-year-olds something to jabber about at school.
Later in the episode, God is giving an interview (saying he's okay with "the Gays," among other things). Yes, God: big white beard, long hair, robes, you know the guy.
And into the frame comes: the big dong. God looks at it, says "Well hello there, you're a friendly little fella," sniffs the dick, bounces it with his finger.
Again: fair enough, I say. You've got to go farther these days to get a rise out of people.
What I don't understand is: we've already agreed that the lower bounds of low comedy will be pushed farther by the next generation. By the time Max is trading "whoa did you see?!" stories in school, Drawn Together will look like yesterday's news, and I'll be the Hip Dad shaking my head and going "wow, when I think of what we thought was extreme in MY day..."
But when you've already gotten down to God bouncing a long hard cock with his finger - where the HELL do we go from there? It's not that I'm worried about it - I just literally can't imagine.
I probably won't have to for long.
Posted by rjt at November 12, 2004 04:23 PMHere's what'll happen. First, a live abortion on radio will get Howard or Opie & Anthony permanently fired. Then teen popstars will openly talk and sing about giving head. Followed shortly by a sitcom about a rape or incest victim with a "kiss my grits" catch phrase like "whoa, she had it coming!". And the noise and lunacy will escalate for as long as we're looking. The news tonight led with ODB's death followed by Dick Cheney's chest pains. One's news and one gets ratings, can you tell which is which? But what really comes through is that most of this is unmemorable, pedestrian, disposable pablum that lives on in talk radio the next morning and is quickly forgotten. Don't let it bug ya. Even Shakespeare put in a few scenes for the retards in the audience. And don't let Max watch any TV alone.
Posted by: perjay at November 13, 2004 11:49 PMWHOA, Dude!! I totally didnt get that he was supposed to be SpongeBob.....
And Dude? Havent you heard? God is coming...So like TV n Radio n stuff wont be allowed to show sick shit no more. God would sooner twang the chords to the Armageddon Harp, and evaporate Howard, Oprah, n Opie, than twang a big ole schlong, or twang Cheney's heart strangs--and you kin take that both ways....
In FOUR MORE YEARS, Max'll be able to eat off the TV screen, its gonna be so clean....and
bland, and colorless, and odorless.......
Heck...yer worrying up the wrong big thick trunk.....
Caddyshack does not "blow". No more than comedies like "Animal Crackers" or "Some Like It Hot" blow. It's a film from that hallowed 80's comedy genre, the "Working Class Smart Alec Vs. The Rich, Powerful Snob."
Ted Knight and Rodney Dangerfield are a classic comedic hero/villain pairing. The idea that the little guy can triumph (with the help of a wealthy Zen coke head, who is blind to class, but wise to potential) against those at the top of the pyramid scheme is an ethic lacking today.
And who doesn't love a mumbling Bill Murray battling a muppet? It's an environmental metaphor you god damn snob!
And where do we go from here!?!?!? I DON'T KNOW! ASK ARISTOPHANES! MAYBE FARTS AND DICKS WILL GO OUT OF STYLE! AND THE JOKES THEY INSPIRE!
Anyway, Caddyshack is great.
Posted by: devore at November 15, 2004 07:52 PMHmmm...."Caddyshack" is not great...It's an okay film in some ways...but it's also pretty much low-ball humor, except for some specific lines by Chevy and some of Murray's antics that really come out of the humor from Harvard/National Lampoon and SNL before it blew...I wouldn't say "blows", but I would have to agree with RJ that it's not among my top comedies...and farts/dick jokes/whatever will never go out of style...Take "Lysistrata," for chrissakes...guys running around with woodies two thousand years ago...and Ben Franklin's great essay on farts...I'm more interested in watching the ruckus that may (note: I said "may") happen when Oliver Stone's fairly accurate "Alexander" comes out in a few days and people see it and say:"Oh My God! He's Gay!" (Well, technically, Bi, but you get my point).
Posted by: deafwolf at November 23, 2004 05:17 PM