The Drunk Conundrum
Please excuse me if I do a little thinking aloud on this sunny Friday afternoon, but:
Remember when people used to find drunks funny? (I mean on TV and in movies – they’re still pretty hilarious on YouTube.)
Sure you do.
[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3tG5t9cN0]
So, what happened? Where did they all go? Well, sometime during the politically correct ’90s, I suppose we all realized that a life of hard drinking rarely leads to humour – instead, it more often ends in a sad state of loneliness and medical bills.
It wasn’t the first time popular culture has had to reevaluate one of its stock characters, (I don’t think we need to go into the the moronic housewife/uneducated black servant/black-faced entertainer,) and I’m here to suggest that maybe its time to take another look at an old standard.
Now, listen, sometimes a talented artist can find himself in a bad bit; Rowan Atkinson is a hilarious fellow with fantastic timing and a glorious wit – when used properly.
[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umRRCkspaQU]
The problem, however, is the dimwitted mute which arguably made Atkinson famous overseas.
[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW6R9kSGV2Q]
While there are many that fit the category of lovable imbecile, the worst offender, to my mind, is Mr. Bean. Of course, I utilize “imbecile” in place of a word I was much freer with in my youth – one associated with Down’s Syndrome and a bevy of other genetic and mental disorders.
I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s parade, but aren’t we just laughing at people too stupid to be functional? I understand the need for slow characters – I’ve used them myself on more than a few occasions – but if the person realistically ought to be in some sort of assisted living home (or, say, has a number of odd facial ticks and tends to wander around with a stuffed animal,) maybe it’s something we shouldn’t be laughing at.
Just sayin’.
I was wondering why there was a picture of Corky in the first pic and then it all made sense in the end.
Your point absolutely makes sense, and I agree, but the thing about Mr. Bean is that he is functional, albeit in his own dysfunctional way. I never considered him slow at all. His mind works, very quickly at times, but on a very different track than most other people’s. He usually gets to the same destination, but it is like driving to Toronto from New York via New Mexico.
Yeah, understood – I agree that the character/show at its best is ridiculous/clever problem solving.
The thing that’s most worrisome to me is that average people, going about their daily lives, supposedly free of genetic defect and of sound mind are beginning to seem more and more dim-witted and dysfunctional.
Perhaps this is an American phenomena. The line is beginning to blur for me as to who is on which end of what spectrum. I never know if I should attempt clever conversation with some folks or just grunt, drool and grin.
Think I’ll go watch Snookie now.
: J
It is an American TV phenomenon, that’s for sure.