Ow My Balls: We're in Idiocracy
I would bet that most people who’ve seen “Idiocracy” (2006) and loved it, are probably not in the crowd who believes “The Dark Knight” is “OMGZ the best movie ever!” If you haven’t seen Idiocracy, check it out – it’s building up a cult following and for a reason: It’s a biting satire of what the future holds for society and is at times absolutely hilarious, and sometimes discomforting – primarily during the moments it rings true.
The general premise of the movie is that an average man from 2005 who’s put in deep freeze in a U.S. Army experiment is forgotten about — then gets revived 500 years later. The world he re-enters is a future that predicts what would happen if present-day society (whose culture is becoming more and more fixated on corporate brands, celebrity, sex, money, and superficial trivializations) is taken to it’s most extreme. It’s by no means a Shakespearean effort, but the many moments of comedic commentary are truly brilliant.
The people of the future are so stupid that the lead character effectively becomes the smartest man alive. If you don’t mind spoilers, a full description is at Wikipedia. For anyone who hasn’t seen the movie, this article might not make complete sense, but at least the general point will probably still be clear.
“The Dark Knight” marketing in many ways was pretty effective at what it intended to do: Indoctrinate the masses into believing that the movie would be amazing by immersing them into it before it premiered. A large number of viral websites were launched that gave peeks into the background of the movie’s storyline. Further, the actor playing the role of the lead villain passed away tragically 2 months after production was completed and his death became a pseudo-marketing vehicle in and of itself. People who otherwise would not have had an interest in seeing the movie in a theater were now fixated on it. When the movie finally premiered, the conditioning that all the marketing and hype induced caused the vast majority of people who saw it to believe it truly was an amazing movie and not just a mediocre run-of-the-mill action movie. So many people invested themselves in the belief that it would be amazing, that dissonance kicked in and caused them to believe it was, even though it wasn’t – because to believe otherwise would mean that they would have to contradict their own consistency.
"Welcome to Costco. I love you."
In the future presented in “Idiocracy”, one of the running gags is there’s a drink called “Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator” and apparently the company that markets it, Brawndo Corporation, apparently buys up so many government agencies that it can go unhindered when marketing (and institutionalizing) Brawndo for everything imaginable, including crop irrigation, and water is only used in toilets. The tagline for the drink is that “it’s rich in electrolytes”, although nobody knows what that means, everyone accepts it because “it’s what people crave”. Why is it used to irrigate crops? “Because it’s what plants crave.” Which of course results in massive crop issues, and nobody knows why, because everyone is too stupid to figure it out.
Also in the future, the most popular movie is called “Ass” and it’s entirely just a movie of someone’s ass (just doing nothing, occasionally farting, etc). The most popular TV show is “Ow My Balls” which is about (and only about) a guy who constantly gets his balls smashed, banged, hit, whacked, etc and yells “ow my balls”.
The mass of people who proclaim “The Dark Knight” remind me of the sad citizens of this future. They don’t know why they think TDK is “awesome”, they just know it is, because everyone else thinks it is. “Because it’s got electrolytes.” The hoopla over TDK is a hint at what’s happening in society now. For example, the Internet’s existence, instead of helping people get smarter (by making access to information easier) is just causing them to become dumber. Just look at any random MySpace page or peruse the kind of moronic questions people ask on “Yahoo! Answers“. Take a look at the current US President – is he a representative of the people?
The sad thing is, I’m pretty sure that only a small number of people visiting this site or reading this will ever comprehend the irony of what’s happening in society, and the majority of others are just reading this and thinking “you fag!” and will never know exactly how far into the depths of “Idiocracy” the world is actually spinning. That’s because for those who the movie makes fun of, they will never actually comprehend that it’s a parody of them and a satire of where society is going because of their consumerist behavior. If that’s you, then you probably found this article hard to follow, difficult to understand, and one of the few things running through your mind is “what a fag”. If so, go back to ‘batin.
Filed under: Entertainment, Uncategorized Tags: balls, Brawndo, celebrity, comedy, corporate brands, cult, electrolytes, Entertainment, future, idiocracy, ow my balls, society, stupid, TDK, the dark knight
Sounds like a good movie… er, “Idiocracy” that is. Even though I haven’t seen it, you gave enough information for me to get your point without having to check the wiki link.
Every TDK thread seems to have examples of this behavior with people proclaiming the movie to be a “perfect 10″, then going on to list the flaws they noticed.
If they can’t understand that “perfect” means you cannot fault it, even in the slightest, I’m sure they would enjoy “Ow My Balls”.
You seem a little susceptible to ignorance and high school conformity yourself if you think that “you fag” is an acceptable derogatory term in our society (even as a hypothetical projected on others). I can’t see what about your site would cause anyone to suspect you to be a homosexual, no matter how ignorant or idiotic they were.
But I still love your site and enjoy most of the posts.
^ If you catch the movie described, you’ll understand.
I don’t think Batman…I mean The Dark Knight, is quite THAT bad, that it’s the decline of civilization, that’s the job of MTV, G4 and Miley Cyrus; but you’re definitely right about how people saw it only for the fact it was so hyped that some might have thought Jesus would come out of the sky and given Batman a hand (that would have made more sense than the sonar thing). But if more people really did see it, who might not have otherwise, just because Heath Ledger died, and in the back of my mind I kind of think that, than not only is it wrong, but kind of sick too in a way. Also it’s funny that the same brain dead people who probably called Heath a “fag” after Brokeback Mountain (a very well acted movie) are now defending a mediocre movie with the same actor…makes you think….
Genius. The sick obsession with this movie is a perfect example of how far society has fallen. I’ll definitely have to check out Idiocracy now.
hafabat, no it’s not THAT bad, it’s just the reaction to it by the masses that concerns me more. I mean, a lot of movies come out regularly that suck ass worse than TDK but they don’t make me think we’re in trouble because it always seems there is a normal consensus about them. On this, it seems the concensus is abnormal and the main difference is in the way it was, and continues to be, marketed. It tells me that if the marketing for something is done right that society at large can be manipulated into a certain unwavering belief.
So I liked TDK and give it a 9.5/10. I saw it because I liked BB a lot, and I like this one much more (BB is a 8.9/10 for me). I’ve also seen Idiocracy and thought it was funny and had a good point.
So where does that leave me in your theory? Am I a sheep drinking kool-aid, despite rating this as my favorite movie, and pointing out flaws?
Your lump sum theory here (Sheep seeing TDK because “everyone else did” or smart people seeing it and realizing it sucked despite mass histeria) kind of leaves me out.
Not cool.
What you are John, is an anomaly. Take pride.
I would bet that most people who’ve seen “Idiocracy” (2006) and loved it, are probably not in the crowd who believes “The Dark Knight” is “OMGZ the best movie ever!”
I agree.
“peruse the kind of moronic questions people ask on “Yahoo! Answers”
Those people are using the internet to get smarter, by asking questions . Using the internet for what you say it should be for . Yet you use that as an example of how it is making people dumb.
It’s funny you compare The Dark Knight praise to the situation in Idiocracy (And yes, I have seen it), when it is in fact the opposite.
What you should be focusing this article on, and indeed this website (And/or your apparent life), are things like MTV, the pathetic music industry, “Spoof” Movies, and the countless brainless action flicks we see every summer.
The Dark Knight breaks away from those with superb acting, a story that is refreshingly ambitious and complex, and underlying themes and philosophy that you won’t find in any film of its kind.
And sure, there are a lot of “sheep”, who love the movie for no other reason then the fact that their friends do – but that doesn’t detract from the film. In fact, I’d rather see blind followers of a movie that has a 95% on RottenTomatoes and a 9.4 on IMDB than anything else.
But then again, your opinion > everything, so my apologies.
I’m gonna have to say I liked both movies. It’s not like if you liked Batman a lot, then automatically you have terrible movie taste. TDK was a fun little movie that had a few great points, along with some embarrassingly bad acting from Bale, and some great acting from Ledger.
Oh dear, here we go again, the same stupid thing that happen to Titanic years ago, lots of boxoffice numbers, and then lots of website with the same features like yours, what a shit, get a fucking life or better get a job and get out from that basement
That movie Idiocracy sounds like a pretty interesting movie. If you ask me, sitcoms and reality shows are more responsible for that then anything. And you are pretty ignorant for saying that people only saw the dark knight because of marketing techniques. Yes they did have a huge marketing campaign, but thats only because they were smart about releasing their movie. I saw the movie because im a batman fan and I was excited that a new take on the joker was coming out, and it looked interesting. I never even visited any of their viral marketing sites, so there goes your little theory. Where do i fit into your all knowing plan? Who exactly do you think you are, the new messiah? Yes, anyone that has a different opinion than you is a sheep. What about all your little supporters on this site, who is to say they are not sheep? Are their eyes opened by you, the one man that sees through everything wrong in this world, including the dark knight, a terrible movie that ensures a terrible future to come? If you say so. Hmm, if I conform to your opinion(oops, i mean if i conform to THE TRUTH) will you forgive me and save me a space in your cave when the world ends?
I agree 100% with this article, I have seen this amazing movie who is Idiocracy, it’s surely one the most realistic movie I have never seen and we can easily make a comparaison with the recent success of Dark Knight, I’m myself fan of comicbook but I find that very strange that in all the forums like imdb or others forums about comics, everybody say like one man that it’s the best movie in the world, it’s very strange that they are no different level of passion about that, when a guy like me or others try to say that just I don’t like the movie, there are always some insult, it’s like there are lot of electrolyles in this movie.
Idiocracy deserve to be one the greatest movie lot more that the Dark Knight, Idiocracy is a real smart movie with lot of link with the reality, with a great message against the society and the media, it’s for that there are boycott of this movie done by fox (the distributor), Dark Knight is a failure in my opinion because the movie have no message, but the movie also failed to be a great action movie, I’m fan of hk movie and the fight action sequence are very weak in comparaison, there are no real violence in the movie, just the appearance of that for to make sure all the children can see the movie (for me it’s a lack of courage, unlike Sin City for example or the Punisher), and there are no special effect, it seem the movie are no budget unlike Spider-man movies or Iron Man, for it’s a failure and the comics deserve lot more.
Gee. a website about one’s person’s opinion, supported by random reviews that supposedly share that opinion.
This is truly original. tres chic. wow youre on to something junior.
oh no, a film studio spent money to market its own movie to make people see it! because that’s never been done before. The audacity!
nobody brainwashed the public to make this the Film of 2008. meanwhile you make lame attempts into brow beating weak people into grist for your mill, and to what end?
Clearly this must be the latest clever WarnerBros viral site. because the other option, of an anal, pseudo intellectual trying to make a name for himself by cashing in pandering to empty elitist ennui comes off as just attention whoring.
Either way, you are still promoting THE DARK KNIGHT, making you the unknowing idiot from Idiocracy. the joke is on you. that’s the irony that hasnt dawned on you yet.
you couldve done this site for any flick but you chose this one. that speaks volumes. the movie was so disappointing that youre now making a career of it. riiiight. i say raise the stakes and add your name and face on your site for credibility, because doing it anonymously makes the whole thing taste like chicken.
You hide behind and link to critics who put their name and face to their reviews but you dont? that’s pussyocracy.
Trendy contrarianism against popular opinion is so fashionable and lucrative isnt it? take an opposing view and milk it to the max. ride the outrage to notoriety and google adsense revenues.
You think youre gonna get a mention/appearance on G4TV or CNN? is that it? if so, all the better so we can put a face to the wimpery. i already know what type you are just by the look and overkill of this site. i look forward to your TV time confirming it. CASE SOLVED
I don’t know, I mean marketing and targeting general audiences have always been around since it was possible to do so, but because of TV, internet, newspapers, billboards, cell phones, etc etc it’s a lot easier to tell the public what they want, or might need. I mean, in Roman days people went to go see gladiators fight, but that doesn’t mean they were sheep, they just wanted a good time. But I do agree any whiff of goodness is exhilarating to people. The example I always use is the Xbox had such god awful games, when Halo came out it was the greatest thing of all time. Did it do anything new? No, but it was better than anything the Xbox owners had.
Just saw it Idiocracy, if I knew the movie was like that, I would have seen it way sooner because I thought it was great, and I’ve already recommended it to a couple people. BUT on the other hand, how about I just say you have to be a sheep to like it and point out a bunch of trivial flaws to prove the movie sucks, like these:
1.How come the cryo machine was able to work unplugged for almost a century when it was shown before to be plugged into many things, and also the people had IV’s in them that obviously would be disconnected one the cryo machine was knocked and buried in the dirt?
2.If everyone is so stupid that its hard for them to figure out which shapes go into the corresponding holes(something an infant can do right now), then how could they possible operate vehicles? Since it is show that they have to control them, they’re not automatically driven.
3.Why was the prison guard that was in charge of releasing people from prison was able to talk noticeably clearer than anybody else?
4.Why did the president at one point brandish a FN Minimi LMG, an LMG that was invented in the 1970s??
5. Who threw the rock threw the window of the room in the white house that the main characters were in? When they show a shot of the angry mob outside, they are way too far away to have throw a rock that far, and also, it is shown by subsequent rocks that only reach half the distance.
6.Why was the female lead so ugly?(and we all know that is a big ass deal when it comes to a movie) She should have gotten an award for best male actress *cough cough*
7. If everyone was so stupid, How were they able to invent such high tech destroying machines that were present at the rehabilitation?
8. How did the rose grow out of the TOP of a completely dead bush?
9. How as the main character yanked out of his car during rehabilitation while going at least 30 miles an hour without tearing his leg off from the chain attached to his ankle that was attached to the boulder? Or at least have broken something in his leg, but no, its perfectly fine for him to run off.
10.How are all the races of people not intermixed by then? Unrealistic.
11. In rehabilitation, when that one guy is sprayed with napalm and it engulfs him, he still runs off with just a few small 3-5 inch patches of charred material on the back of his shirt, in real life, Napalm is a jelly-like material that does not come off nearly that easily, it sticks to you. Unrealistic.
12. The grenade launcher that is repeatedly shot at the main character is also from present times, so why is it in the future? Also, it has a revolving cylinder mechanism that holds 6 rounds, yet it fires way more shots than that.
13. It having a black president shows that it has Obama-isms.
Man, your job is too easy.
I never proclaimed Idiocracy a masterpiece like the masses have with TDK. Good job, though, I get your humor, I’ll give you a pat on the back for it. Now you can put your helmet back on and take your crayons to the corner of the room…
Well even if tdk were a masterpiece, it would still contain flaws, because every movie that has ever been made, has flaws, just like everything else in the entire world. But to point out such trivial things as a huge issue in a movie, is just stupid, That was my point with that list I just gave you. Its a great movie, but when a giant list of flaws like that comes around it makes it appear to be pretty damn bad, but in reality it isnt. By the way, that insult was pretty original, I’ll give you that.
how can anyone continue to BELIEVE this thing is anything more than a virtual merry-go-round. dumb and dumber might be a better film.
the avid supporters of this thing (i even refuse to call it a film, it might be more accurately considered an amusement) who have posted comments here, sound very much like the ole moral majority. it’s kind of weird. and yes, it does remind me, sadly, of that dopey though sort of funny film, idiocracy.
democracy is not bliss, you have to work at it… and some of the dangers of democracy (listed below) actually apply to the over-glorification of this batman thing:
1. Glorification of mediocrity.
2. Choice of base and ignorant rulers.
3. Failure to recognize the basic facts of social evolution.
4. Slavery to public opinion; the majority is not always right.
Everyone is so mad at you. I agree and I don’t understand why people think dark night is the greatest movie to ever happen. It’s just batman.
Okay, this is your most illogical post so far. Although, you may have a point that many people went to see The Dark Knight due to Ledger’s death, marketing strategies and word of mouth, this lead them to see a VERY thought provoking, entertaining, action-packed film with an absolutely intelligent script and phenomenal acting. I am PLEASED to see our society, for once, going the opposite direction of “Idiocracy”(yes, I’ve seen and love the movie…it’s genius), and hyping up your average individual with a brilliant movie, and having them walk out with their expectations surpassed. A movie that, although the average person may have been lead like sheep in to see, walk out with alot to think about.
Now, if “Wanted” was getting similar reviews as The Dark Knight, we’d have something to worry about…(not that it’s a bad movie, just a brianless action movie)… the fact that “Family Guy” is one of the most popular shows on television… that gives us something to worry about…
You’re bashing a movie that can lead to a sign of HOPE!
This site, is, really, ran and most commented by, the few who did not enjoy the movie and feel like outcasts….
Thank you, I know a ton of movies out there are mindless, and I hate that type of movie, but the dark knight is definantly not one of them. Thats what makes it good, is its got the cool action but at the same time its got alot of depth to it. And if you dont like it, dont try to say its a mindless movie that will make society dumber as a whole, because it is FAR from that. In fact, i know a couple people that like really really stupid movies, such as dont mess with the zohan, meet the spartans, and prom night. The fact that they saw the dark knight and didnt like it because it was “too serious” was a plus if you ask me.
“In fact, i know a couple people that like really really stupid movies, such as dont mess with the zohan, meet the spartans, and prom night. ”
Well, if those are the benchmarks, I guess I understand why people think TDK is such a deep movie. It also supports the original premise of this thread…
Idiocracy kind of sucked. Im tired of these satires that think they think they have a perfect picture of the future. Luke Wilson is just a horrible actor.
Thats funny cause my friends and I saw Idiocracy and loved it. We made fun of TDK the whole way through. Of couse, we could tell it was going to be bad before we saw it.I mean, the Joker doesn’t even tell jokes. Whats the sense in that?
The joker isnt supposed to tell jokes. Maybe you should figure out who the character even is before you start assuming what he is supposed to do. Go watch standup on comedy central if thats what your after.
um…the joker is only called the joker because he looks like a clown. not because he tells jokes. aside from a few comedy oriented tricks the joker uses in the comics, he’s really not meant to be funny. just a wackjob whos been deformed and looks like a clown.
“Whats the sense in that?”
the sense in that is that he gets called a joker because of the way he looks. kinda obvious. if you wants to watch campy, lame versions of batman where the joker is literally a joker, watch the original batman tv series. or to a lesser extent, the tim burton batman. (jack-joker was still played slightly for laughs)
The Joker does indeed tell jokes. Im guessing you’ve only like Batman since Batman Begins came out. The Joker is funny. “Well. drown the kids, and shoot the neighbors! We’ve got a winner!” THATS what the joker is supposed to say. Not “You wanna know *Slobbers* how i got these *Slobbers again* scars?” They basically just ruined The Joker, and thats all they accomplished with Heith Ledger.
I have liked Batman since way before Batman Begins. Obviously you dont even know what a joke is. “Well drown the kids and shoot the neighbors! We’ve got a winner!” sounds funny, but its not a joke. And if you consider that to be a joke, then there are tons of moments like that in The Dark Knight.
No there isnt. Sure there are times when The Joker laughs like an idiot, but thats about it.
“THATS what the joker is supposed to say.”
I obviously said thats what hes supposed to say.
Actually ive been a big fan of batman for a while beforehand, yosamite. The joker does make the odd joke, but when he does its drenched in black humour. Thats how it is in comics and in TDK (eg I’m gonna make this pencil disappear). the joker isn’t meant to be about the jokes. he’s never been about the jokes (except in various lame incarnations throughout the sixties). He’s meant to be pure evil and a sociopathic serial killer, not a walking talking gag book.
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I saw Idiocracy and I didn’t like it nor did I like the batman movie.
I think everyone(and I DO NOT exclude myself) should just shut up and go read a book. Do not look for satire or moral messages from entertainment shit like movies popular music tv and youtube. Sure go for entertainment there is nothing sinful about that! But you see, our society has become so preoccupied with entertainment. Whenever there is a discussion in my philosophy or english class, students can only use ideas from movies they saw instead of literature! And the ideas are never of depth. The Dark Knight is not different from all other overhyped overrated movies. Sur it seems complex but all it is is puesdo-philosophical tripe…
Learn about the Romans-they are the archetype of a society that becomes so preoccupied with pleasure that it becomes their down fall.
It’s all about bread and circuses-that’s why we think Ledger is an artist and why Obama is president!
sorry abot my english! It is not my first language and I always have trouble sounding coherent when posting on the internet because I am in a hurry!
exactly, i love the movie but.. its just a movie, i wouldent defend it with my life,its just entertainment,you watch it and thats it,sure i like it,but i actually like the charecter more then the movie anyways
The Dark Knight absolutely sucked ass.
Ok so, any movie out there has many flaws or things that can be picked apart, such as character acting mistakes, filming mistakes, or plot or realism mistakes. Howveer in my opinion that wasnt all that sucked about it, or the most crucial points.
To save your time I’ll put it short and sweet.
This was not a traditional Batman movie. It was a shitty drama staring Batman as the main character.
It was a let down to true Batman fans, showing Batman weak, powerless, and practical incapable of doing anything the entire movie.
It was NOT the same structure that MADE BATMAN POPULAR.
Ok, so yes different can be different but in this case, was not.
I go to a Batman movie for the BATMAN Movie structure. Not a corny, drama based, boring, negative toned piece of crap.
go watch Batman Begins and youll understand.
First of all, awesome blog. It’s refreshing to hear someone talk about how The Dark Knight sucked so bad and why so many people are too dumb to realize it. Second it’s even better to hear someone talk about how great Idiocracy is and the irony of why people hate it. I think it’s a masterpiece, one of the few movies out there that really makes you think hard about what kind of society we live in. Is this where we are headed? Are we already there? It’s scary and I hope more and more people begin to understand its satire. If not the future is looking extremely bleak.
Well, Not Sure, you’ve certainyl got a strong appreciation for satire. You’re post is the most outrages Ive ever read! No wait, Im confusing irony with satire again, aren’t I? Or was that sarcasm. Ah, it’s doing my headin, I need to re-read my Swift to get a handle on it again. Or maybe I should watch the 60s Batman show.