Are We Getting Dumber?

Have you seen the movie Idiocracy? It’s a little-known Mike Judge film starring Luke Wilson, Dax Shepard, and Maya Rudolph. It is a biting social satire that explores the effects of television and corporate control on our intelligence. Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph are sent to the future in an Army experiment, and they find a world full of idiots whose most-popular TV show is Ow, My Balls and whose big Oscar movie is Ass.

It makes me wonder whether Rock of Love Bus and The Real World are a direct line to this horrific future. If so, what can we do about it. The lure of these ridiculous reality shows is big. They are like visual crack. I’ve spent many a weekend lost in a Real World, I Love the 80s, and even Living with Ed marathon. And I love getting lost in a good scripted show or movie. Does that mean that I’m making my self stupid by allowing myself to be entertained?

Ah, but that is the beauty of a good social satire. It makes you think. Some others I like are Thank You for Smoking, American Dreamz, But I’m a Cheerleader, and Heathers. And of course, there is The Colbert Report and South Park. What about you? What satires speak to you? Do you like satire as a tool for social commentary?

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Too Much Reality

A couple new reality shows have been announced.

First, the walking trainwreck that is octomom, aka Nadya Suleman, has gotten a show that will “chronicle the lives of her and her brood of 14 kids, including the uber-fertile mom’s search for romance.” Scary stuff.

Second, the first openly transgender mayor in the United States may get his own reality show. Will the small town of Silverton, Oregon, be able to handle it? According to the Statesman Journal, the production crew was in Silverton filming the mayor, Stu Rasmussen, for a teaser designed to sell the show to a network.

Will you watch either of these shows? I think you know my answer on that, but I want to hear from you.

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• Are We Getting Dumber?