Q: How many feminists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: One--and that's NOT funny!
There's an independent film coming out in the next couple of weeks. You might have heard of it. "The Aristocrats," from Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) and Paul Provenza, features at least a hundred comedians telling some variation on what's known as "the world's dirtiest joke." This joke frequently describes acts of pedophilia, bestiality, and other such acts to be related elsewhere. "The Aristocrats" has been acclaimed as both the filthiest and funniest film in years; it is also the only film to be threatened with an NC-17 on the basis of its language alone (although I thought this almost happened to "Clerks" as well).
I'm a very liberal guy, and I am really looking forward to "The Aristocrats." I laugh at Michael Jackson jokes and dead baby ones, too. But I can't help but think HBO's upcoming series "Big Love" will cross that line between being funny and being...wrong.
"Big Love," premiering in 2006, stars Bill Paxton, Chloe Sevigny, and Harry Dean Stanton (among others) as a family of polygamist, fundamentalist Mormons. And anyone who knows just a little bit about fundamentalist Mormonism knows that girls as young thirteen and fourteen frequently are married off and impregnated by men twice their age. (Read Jon Krakaur's "Under The Banner of Heaven" for an indepth look at this.) See, it's hard to imagine anyone wringing humor from that situation.
The problem, I think, comes from the approach. "Big Love," which boasts some staff from "Six Feet Under," describes itself as a 'dramady.' "Six Feet" is able to be both hilarious and moving about another taboo subject in our culture. I just can't see how this series is going to do it with the ritualized, community-encouraged child rape that goes on in most hard-line fundamentalist Mormon communities. If it were a grossly exagerated satire of this culture and perhaps religion in general, then it might work.
But right now, this looks like HBO wants to have its cake and eat it too. I'm not saying that it will suck, I'm not trying to armchair quarterback all that much, and if it turns out to be awesome, I'll be right back on here eating my words.
I'm just wondering how they're going to make it funny without making you feel like you want to take a shower afterwards. Speaking of which:
Q: What's blue and knocks on glass?
A: Baby in a fishtank.
(All hate mail, dead baby jokes, or attempts to enlighten me to the truth about fundamentalist Mormons can be sent to me through e-mail.)
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