I don't get it.
I watched two weird movies this weekend: Napoleon Dynamite and The Aristocrats.
First, Napoleon Dynamite. Grade: C
All of the 20-somethings here at work seem to love that movie and make references to it. Feeling old and left out, I watched it. There are some very funny lines delivered by the oddly appealing hero with lazy open-mouthed, half-lidded, speaking-as-if-you're-emptying-the-air-out-of-an-air-mattress flair. My favorite? Before Napoleon works for the day moving chickens in a factory egg farm: "Do those chickens have large talons?" My second favorite? Used to woo his failed valley girl love interest: "I caught you a delicious bass." And the solo dance scene is a comic choreography masterpiece.
Through it all, Napoleon maintains true to himself in this heartwarming and quirky coming-of-age tale. (I'm sure someone, somewhere described it like that. It's neither.) For my money, if you want a good stoner-type comedy that makes little sense but provides many, many great lines and hilarious characters . . . give "Dazed and Confused" a try. Or "Waiting for Guffman". Or "Rushmore". Napoleon Dynamite seems to be trying a little too hard to be cool. But I can see how it works for a lot of people. Remember that "C" is average, not the stone-cold failure that overachievers consider it to be.
And then there's The Aristocrats. Grade: C-. No, I'll give it a C.
It's on the low side because of the joke itself, which is, in most tellings, absolutely disgusting and disturbing. It's on the high side because some of the comedians really do make it their own and are hilarious as a result. Also, I like the historical, backroom nature of it, and some of the commentary about the joke and how it's told are interesting. I went to sleep thinking about it, that's for sure. So it ends up with a C.
SPOILER ALERT!
This is the joke:
A man walks into a talent agency and tell the agent "I've got a great act for you." Agent says, "OK, let's hear it." Man says "It's a family act. . . " and then the joketeller proceeds to describe a vaudeville-type "act" that is the grossest, most disturbing thing on earth, almost always involving vivid descriptions of some or all of the following: incest (even to the youngest family members), bestiality, necrophilia, shat, pee, vomit, every disgusting "sex" act imaginable, in ways that are almost always sexist, sometimes racist, and sometimes involving references to 9/11. Agent says, "That's a hell of an act. What do you call it?"
Man says, "'The Aristocrats.'"
The joke originated backstage in Vaudevillian times and was shocking for its day but considerably more tame than how most comedians tell it today. Supposedly it's how comedians entertain themselves--who can be grosser, go on longer, etc. It's hardly ever told on stage because comedians don't tell jokes--they have acts--and it's too filthy for almost all venues.
Most of the tellers stayed in gross-out mode, and it was amazing how sexist most of them were (most of the really horrid acts were performed on or to women/girls). They even had women comics talking about the differences between how men and women tell the joke. I was in the shower for most of that commentary--after 10 minutes of the movie, I didn't think I would be able to watch the rest, and didn't feel the need to, so I started washing the slime off of me. But when I got out, I went back into the living room, curious to see whether or not this shtick was going to change. It did, somewhat. The dullest comedians stayed in Andrew Dice Clayland, telling versions that were as rude--and as easy to think up--as possible. This "improv comedy" doesn't impress me when I can do it. Easily do it. The inventive comedians made something worthwhile out of the joke. My favorite was Mario Cantone, who impersonated a high-on-pills Liza describing her act. It was gross, but totally, totally, hilarious. A train-wreck of comedy genius.
The most disturbing version had to be South Park's. Of course! Cartman was telling the joke to his friends who, after he really gets into it, start begging him to stop. The joke was heavy on the incest with a topping of 9/11 for kicks. After Cartman delivers the punchline, the guys stand around mystified, finally saying "I don't get it." A beat goes by and Cartman says, "I don't either." Now THAT'S funny.
I do get it, but I don't think it's all that. There's too many real-life Aristocrats in the world, and too many victims of their act. I just can't shake the reality of that kind of violence. So those tellings struck me as extremely juvenile--and this is a movie that, like Faces of Death, shows up after hours on hushed televisions surrounded by posses of 14 year-olds. If this is what comedians do for fun . . . meh. It has a very Boogie Nights vibe of misery about it--it looks like it's all fun and games, but pull back the curtain (or open your trench coat) and the dark, seedy carnival is exposed.
You know, I think I will give it a C-. It's a somewhat emotional grade. My blog, my notions of objectivity.
First, Napoleon Dynamite. Grade: C
All of the 20-somethings here at work seem to love that movie and make references to it. Feeling old and left out, I watched it. There are some very funny lines delivered by the oddly appealing hero with lazy open-mouthed, half-lidded, speaking-as-if-you're-emptying-the-air-out-of-an-air-mattress flair. My favorite? Before Napoleon works for the day moving chickens in a factory egg farm: "Do those chickens have large talons?" My second favorite? Used to woo his failed valley girl love interest: "I caught you a delicious bass." And the solo dance scene is a comic choreography masterpiece.
Through it all, Napoleon maintains true to himself in this heartwarming and quirky coming-of-age tale. (I'm sure someone, somewhere described it like that. It's neither.) For my money, if you want a good stoner-type comedy that makes little sense but provides many, many great lines and hilarious characters . . . give "Dazed and Confused" a try. Or "Waiting for Guffman". Or "Rushmore". Napoleon Dynamite seems to be trying a little too hard to be cool. But I can see how it works for a lot of people. Remember that "C" is average, not the stone-cold failure that overachievers consider it to be.
And then there's The Aristocrats. Grade: C-. No, I'll give it a C.
It's on the low side because of the joke itself, which is, in most tellings, absolutely disgusting and disturbing. It's on the high side because some of the comedians really do make it their own and are hilarious as a result. Also, I like the historical, backroom nature of it, and some of the commentary about the joke and how it's told are interesting. I went to sleep thinking about it, that's for sure. So it ends up with a C.
SPOILER ALERT!
This is the joke:
A man walks into a talent agency and tell the agent "I've got a great act for you." Agent says, "OK, let's hear it." Man says "It's a family act. . . " and then the joketeller proceeds to describe a vaudeville-type "act" that is the grossest, most disturbing thing on earth, almost always involving vivid descriptions of some or all of the following: incest (even to the youngest family members), bestiality, necrophilia, shat, pee, vomit, every disgusting "sex" act imaginable, in ways that are almost always sexist, sometimes racist, and sometimes involving references to 9/11. Agent says, "That's a hell of an act. What do you call it?"
Man says, "'The Aristocrats.'"
The joke originated backstage in Vaudevillian times and was shocking for its day but considerably more tame than how most comedians tell it today. Supposedly it's how comedians entertain themselves--who can be grosser, go on longer, etc. It's hardly ever told on stage because comedians don't tell jokes--they have acts--and it's too filthy for almost all venues.
Most of the tellers stayed in gross-out mode, and it was amazing how sexist most of them were (most of the really horrid acts were performed on or to women/girls). They even had women comics talking about the differences between how men and women tell the joke. I was in the shower for most of that commentary--after 10 minutes of the movie, I didn't think I would be able to watch the rest, and didn't feel the need to, so I started washing the slime off of me. But when I got out, I went back into the living room, curious to see whether or not this shtick was going to change. It did, somewhat. The dullest comedians stayed in Andrew Dice Clayland, telling versions that were as rude--and as easy to think up--as possible. This "improv comedy" doesn't impress me when I can do it. Easily do it. The inventive comedians made something worthwhile out of the joke. My favorite was Mario Cantone, who impersonated a high-on-pills Liza describing her act. It was gross, but totally, totally, hilarious. A train-wreck of comedy genius.
The most disturbing version had to be South Park's. Of course! Cartman was telling the joke to his friends who, after he really gets into it, start begging him to stop. The joke was heavy on the incest with a topping of 9/11 for kicks. After Cartman delivers the punchline, the guys stand around mystified, finally saying "I don't get it." A beat goes by and Cartman says, "I don't either." Now THAT'S funny.
I do get it, but I don't think it's all that. There's too many real-life Aristocrats in the world, and too many victims of their act. I just can't shake the reality of that kind of violence. So those tellings struck me as extremely juvenile--and this is a movie that, like Faces of Death, shows up after hours on hushed televisions surrounded by posses of 14 year-olds. If this is what comedians do for fun . . . meh. It has a very Boogie Nights vibe of misery about it--it looks like it's all fun and games, but pull back the curtain (or open your trench coat) and the dark, seedy carnival is exposed.
You know, I think I will give it a C-. It's a somewhat emotional grade. My blog, my notions of objectivity.
posted by lulu | 7:54 AM
1 Comments:
I don't either. I'm not supposed to get it. If I got it, it wouldn't have the cachet of being like totally in-group. Nor do I ride/carry a skateboard everywhere.
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