Without question, movie “Team America: World Police” is one of the most offensive pieces of filmmaking to be released in a couple of decades—and what a delightful offense, too. The movie had me crying to tears within the first 30 seconds, and laughing and crying and laughing for the next hour and a half. I’m waiting for the news story that some poor movie goer either laughed or was offended to death. Either is likely.
I could see the aftermath audience reaction as the lights lifted in the theatre. A group of young black men whopped, “America, Fuck Yeah!”; from the movie’s theme song. About 10 rows behind them, several older, black and white couples sat immobile. Stunned I think, because they were so offended by the movie’s philosophical conclusion.
The movie is so offensive, I use “Team America” as a benchmark for measuring the attitudes and politics of film reviewers and commentators. I encourage anyone looking to understand where there is media bias to do the same.
Chicago Sun Times reviewer Roger Ebert gave the movie one star. His reaction raises my doubts about his other reviews; I long suspected he and I diverged either on our tolerances or politics. Whichever, doesn’t much matter to me. The movie attacks Hollywood’s liberal agenda, and with such panache. Too much offense for the reviewer, I guess. By contrast, Associated Press reviewer Christy Lemire took the humor in stride, which is smartly reflected in her take on “Team America.”
I do hope filmmakers Trey Parker and Matt Stone stir up plenty of controversy and shake loose some of the politically correct attitudes that, during the 1990s, put peoples’ feelings above other peoples’ freedom to speak freely. Before the rise of political correctness, or what I call fascist liberalism (now there’s an oxymoron for some far-left liberals to chew on), good humor was everything about offense and in doing so questioning ironclad moral attitudes and mores.
Nineteen Seventies’ comedian George “seven words you can’t say on TV” Carlin or “not ready for prime time” troupe Saturday Night Live stirred up social change through biting, offensive humor. Plenty of people would find John Landis movie “Animal House” still offensive today—and funny and pushing societal boundaries through rip-roaring humor.
That Trey and Matt so offended actor Sean Penn accents the point “Team America” was trying to make. The actor is maybe a bit too uptight, as are fascist liberals so hung up on everyone’s feelings. OH PLEASE! Get a life.
I remember reading about the creators of “Mad Magazine” laughing their way through the movie “Love Story.” Good for them for not taking the film too seriously and recognizing the movie for what it really was. They saw humor in the over-wound-up plot.
Plenty of wound-too-tight people–regardless of political or moral persuasion–could use to loosen up and laugh more. The funniest humor stretches extremes and by definition is supposed to be offensive. If you aren’t offended, the joke wasn’t funny enough.
“Team America” offended my beliefs and got me to laugh at them, too, and in so doing think about some of them differently. That’s what good satire is supposed to do.