Sick Dick Flicking

Yes, it's true. Only three posts in and your critic has fallen ill. No matter. I have a video store membership! And it's right across the street.

Tonight rented: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Elektra," and "Ali G Indahouse." I saw Sacha Baron Cohen (a.ka. Ali G.) interviewed on the Daily Show. He seemed a bit stunned by what he gets away with. I took that as humility, and I liked it. My concern, having passed over renting the film many times for the scantily clad women on the cover, is that he will disappoint. By that I mean: He will make an absolutely wonderful satire of modern mores, lampooning racism, classism, materialism, conservativism and completely miss sexism. I am not surprised by this anymore.

(An aside here: When I refer to sexism, I am referring to both male and female stereotypes. For instance, Sacha Baron Cohen appears to be playing a gangsta-wannabe, replete with not only the objectification of the women around him, but also himself. This stereotype seems to cast itself as having an uncontrolable and uncontrolled libido, and are "made" to do things by women. How sad is it that, on both sides of the gender grass, no one seems able to take responsibility for their actions toward the opposite sex, or to claim their power? What, as a culture, have we done? And I'm not talking about the kind of power where a person forces themselves on another, or is manipulative. I'm talking about the real power that comes from being truly responsible for ones actions, and compassionate towards others.)

Even on The Daily Show, arguably the best show on television (I sold my TV and TiVo rig, etc, because I could no longer justify allocating such resources for the sake of one program), that boys-will-be-boys-objectifying-women mentality still seems righteously intact. I plan on asking Jon Stewart about it the next time I go to NYC and am an audience member.

At any rate, I think I'm pulling a Bob Dole here. Wasn't he the one during his campaign against Clinton who reviewed films he hadn't seen? So, I will wait to give the full report.

Upcoming:
"Indahouse" Impressions
Why Harry Potter films are neutral
Why the "Charlie's Angels" franchise is Dick Flicks in Disguise

Till then, I'll be resting.