volco Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 As a longtime fan of Mike Judge's King of the Hill series, I've recently downloaded 2006 movie "Idiocracy". I've gotta say that I've never laughed so much in my life. It makes ordinary people feel like Hank Hill, and it produced me an almoast convulsive laughter mixed with outrageous indignation. The movie's about an army librarian selected for being the most "average" being frozen, mistakenly, for 500 years. As he wakes up he finds a world where as a product of over-breeding of the worst the average IQ has lowered considerably. It's really an exaggerated parody of a liberal, populist, world showing the worst aspects of consumersim. I just want to know what you think about it before I go on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'kian Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 The premise sounds a lot like Cyril M. Kornbluth's classic "The Marching Morons." Perhaps it's based on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemuel Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 (edited) I thought it was a pretty funny movie. It's also one the most scathing polemics on pop culture I've ever seen. Frightening, too ... there's not much scarier than a planet full of Jerry Springer guests. When I was a kid, I was frightened of a world like the one in 1984 ... I fear the dystopia in Idiocracy will get here first. Heck, it will probably pave the way for 1984 - people too busy watching movies like Idiocracy's fictional Oscar-winning film Ass to notice the country swirling down the drain. I am suddenly reminded of last night's CNN/YouTube Presidential Debate, particularly the part where the asks the Democrat candidates about global warming. I couldn't take it anymore and turned the TV off before I killed it with a hammer. There would have been substantially more intellectual and political nourishment in an episode of "Ow my Balls!" ... It's sad Judge couldn't get distribution on the film - I was lucky to have chanced by it at Wal-Mart. Hopefully it will make its way to cable so the masses can see it - hopefully they'll be bright enough to see this as much more than a movie about stupid people. What is really needed, though, is a film that poses rational intellectuals in a positive light. People need to see that being intelligent, cultured, well-read, and concerned for things more important than reality TV doesn't mean being the uptight, snotty, elitist, academic Frasier Crane type. Edited July 24, 2007 by Lemuel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadkat Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 I saw this movie recently and loved it. Though I would never try to tell anyone whether they should have children or how many, I have to admit I do get frustrated when it seems like the biggest families always belong to the biggest morons. (Not a slam on anyone from a big family, as some of them can be very loving, just a trend I happen to see.) One thing I did like about the movie is that Joe, who is the epitome of average, shows that everyone has heroic qualities in them if they care to take their shot. He wasn't particularly gifted, but he did what he knew was right and was still able to help the idiot society. On the other hand, maybe living in stupid world wouldn't be so bad...after all, we'd have "Ow, my balls!" Hehehehe, he got hit in the balls. Aw, man, look, he got hit in the balls again! Sweet! Dude, he just got clocked in the balls! Hahahahaha! Kat, ordering advance tickets to go see "Ass"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenure Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 I saw the film... it wasn't very funny. Apparently this is by the same guy that made 'Office Space'? I saw that too and that wasn't very funny either. Maybe if it was a bit more over the top, a bit more grissly and harsh in how it treated the material, then I'd be satisfied. When satire is done, I like it to be dripping with blood (figuratively or literally) - and this just left me thinking, "Yeah, stupid people are stupid - so what?". I did like the opening ten minutes or so - made me wish I could have the honour of serving the military, and the ease of running the Army Library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 I saw the film... it wasn't very funny. Apparently this is by the same guy that made 'Office Space'? I saw that too and that wasn't very funny either. I haven't seen Idiocracy, but I have seen Office Space, Beevis and Butthead and King of the Hill and that's some funny stuff. I think anyone who has ever worked for any length of time in a corporate office environment can relate to Office Space. Especially the scene where they destroy the printer. And Beevis and Butthead just remind me of the stoners who lived in my neighborhood. (I wonder what ever became of those guys?) I'll be sure to check out Idiocracy...thanks for letting me know it's out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 I've been wanting to discuss this movie for a long time. But I got reminded to do it because I found Brawndo was a real drink now. What do you guys think? I think the way the future is presented is a very good representation of what would happen if we let certain trends continue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 You know, I was about to come here and ask why no one responded to my thread and thought "surely I'm not the only one whos seen this movie!" I want more of a discussion about it because I think it does raise a lot of good points. A lot of people say it's anti-capitalist but I don't see that, I think it's just anti-stupid ideas. I mean, lets just face it, some companies have incredibly stupid ass ideas and they keep going with them. Like dumb slogans or catchphrases. The Carl's Junior thing was a corruption of "Don't Bother Me, I'm Eating!" which isn't too far off from what the movie turned it into. I kind of agree with Tenure in the respect that I wish they would of fleshed some concepts out some more. I almost wish it was a T.V. show so they could show more stuff. I think they needed to show how religion played a part in degraded everyones intelligience. This is what will happen when they teach Creationism in school! I haven't seen Idiocracy, but I have seen Office Space, Beevis and Butthead and King of the Hill and that's some funny stuff. I think anyone who has ever worked for any length of time in a corporate office environment can relate to Office Space. Especially the scene where they destroy the printer. And Beevis and Butthead just remind me of the stoners who lived in my neighborhood. (I wonder what ever became of those guys?) I'll be sure to check out Idiocracy...thanks for letting me know it's out there. Did you ever see it K-Mac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Especially the scene where they destroy the printer. Especially the scene where they destroy the printer. I still have bitter memories of Qume printers from 1989..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exaltron Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 OMG I love this movie!!!! I chanced across it on HBO recently and laughed until tears streamed down my face. I actually thought of posting something here, but I figured no one else would have seen it. I could go on and on about all the parts made me spit my brawndo all over myself, but I also noticed that there was a decidedly promethean (not to say Roarkian) theme in the plot, where he is put on trial for being smart (perhaps oversimplifying a bit). But instead of turning the public around with his impassioned speech as Roark does in the Fountainhead, he is described by a reporter as "faggy" and mocked for his whiny voice. I would put this in the same category as Ricky Gervais' (British version of The Office, Extras) comedy, namely the kind that makes you laugh while making you squirm with discomfort and/or disgust at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'kian Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Sounds like I should see it. Is it out on DVD, say at Blockbuster? BTW did anyone ever read Cyril Kornbluth's "The Marching Morons"? The story deals with a future society where the vast majority of people are idiots. The smart ones run things, but they make the morons think otherwise. It's funny in spots, but the ending is absolutely disgusting. There's a realted story called "The Black Bag," which involves technology rfom the Moron's time traveling to the past. That one's interesting from a second-hander's point of view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Sounds like I should see it. Is it out on DVD, say at Blockbuster? BTW did anyone ever read Cyril Kornbluth's "The Marching Morons"? The story deals with a future society where the vast majority of people are idiots. The smart ones run things, but they make the morons think otherwise. It's funny in spots, but the ending is absolutely disgusting. There's a realted story called "The Black Bag," which involves technology rfom the Moron's time traveling to the past. That one's interesting from a second-hander's point of view. I think it might be based off the book, same premise but totally different plot. There are no visible smart people in the movie either... going off what exaltron said too, it reminds of Atlas Shrugged as well because I imagine this would be the world of all the prime movers just up and left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'kian Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I think it might be based off the book, same premise but totally different plot. There are no visible smart people in the movie either... going off what exaltron said too, it reminds of Atlas Shrugged as well because I imagine this would be the world of all the prime movers just up and left. Could be. Still, Kornbluth was rather obscure even in his prime. His best-known works are collaborations with Frederic Pohl. If you can look him up, I also suggest a novella called "Shark Ship." it deals in part with a society that has embraced death and religion as their highest values. Anyway, in "The Marching Morons" the explanation is that smart people delayed having children until they could properly afford to, while the stupid ones just up and got knocked up often. In time the morons became the very large majority. I don't buy that premise at all. For one thing intelligence isn't entirely inherited. For another, there is a gradient of intelligence that runs from genius down to the mentally retarded. Nor did Kornbluth make much of genetics in most of his other works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exaltron Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 ..Anyway, in "The Marching Morons" the explanation is that smart people delayed having children until they could properly afford to, while the stupid ones just up and got knocked up often. In time the morons became the very large majority. I don't buy that premise at all. For one thing intelligence isn't entirely inherited. For another, there is a gradient of intelligence that runs from genius down to the mentally retarded. Nor did Kornbluth make much of genetics in most of his other works. Agreed, I don't think this premise is very well thought out. It definitely requires ignoring the fact that the stupid, while clearly more likely to procreate due to their stupidity, are infinitely less likely to survive without the ability to benefit from their more intelligent contemporaries (whether through trade or through parasitism). Even as apocalyptic and depressing as Idiocracy is, I think it assumes a level of social and capital inertia that simply wouldn't exist in a world where our mediocre hero is the smartest person on the planet. I think the exponential spread of destruction and eventual implosion of society in Atlas Shrugged is much more credible and realistic. The rate at which abject panic and desperation would set in is much faster IMO than most people seem to think, which is consistent with how most people seem to take the lifestyle made possible by capitalism largely for granted. I think in no time at all the hardcore environmentalists could all be celebrating the return to agrarian society by dancing naked in their own waste while eating tree bark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'kian Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Agreed, I don't think this premise is very well thought out. It definitely requires ignoring the fact that the stupid, while clearly more likely to procreate due to their stupidity, are infinitely less likely to survive without the ability to benefit from their more intelligent contemporaries (whether through trade or through parasitism). That's how it's depicted. The smart take care of the morons. That's the problem the protagonist attempts to solve. The rate at which abject panic and desperation would set in is much faster IMO than most people seem to think, which is consistent with how most people seem to take the lifestyle made possible by capitalism largely for granted. I think in no time at all the hardcore environmentalists could all be celebrating the return to agrarian society by dancing naked in their own waste while eating tree bark. Oh, no. By that point the enviros would insist we learn to photosynthesize our food, lest we hurt an innocent plant's feelings, not to mention its life. Either that or they would insist we turn ourselves into fertilizer, which is what they want anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exaltron Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 That's how it's depicted. The smart take care of the morons. That's the problem the protagonist attempts to solve. I think someone came up with a name for this system at some point.. What was it? Oh yes, Democracy!! Oh, no. By that point the enviros would insist we learn to photosynthesize our food, lest we hurt an innocent plant's feelings, not to mention its life. Either that or they would insist we turn ourselves into fertilizer, which is what they want anyway. No doubt, witness the myriad ways in which leftists and enviros are getting all excited about The World Without Us, a book which to any sane person would seem bleak and disturbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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