Wonkette Movie Night: Idiocracy
Our second documentary for movie night!
Wonkers really wanted this flick as a movie night selection so here we go!
Usually this movie would come up after a discussion about something stupid Trump or his MAGA mob had inflicted upon humanity. So it was mentioned frequently!
President Camacho in Idiocracy is a macho moron dressed in red, white and blue. He gives the masses the bullshit they crave, firing off a big gun during a speech to the House Of Representin' and flipping a double bird from the back of a motorcycle after chugging a beer. There is plenty of Brawndo, a sports drink for everyone and everything.
But I think it's not fair to President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho to compare him to Donald John Orange Offender Mango Mussolini Trump. Although President Camacho may be a moron he is wise enough to actually listen to the most intelligent people on how to solve a national crisis that is killing people.
The citizens of the United States have become dumbed down consumers slowly destroying themselves. Even language has devolved into some kind of bro-glish. (Warning, the movie has frequent use of the r-word and f*g as demeaning insults from the maladapted, misogynistic mobs.)
Camacho must find a solution to the crops not growing and the subsequent dust storms they cause or humanity dies.
The world’s two most intelligent people, Joe and Rita, are from the past and would not have been considered the country's brightest during their lifetimes. Joe is a librarian for the army and is told he is volunteering for the Human Hibernation Project. Joe agrees because he's got nothing better to do. Rita is a prostitute who agreed to the yearlong experiment to clear her criminal record.
An accident leaves them in hibernation for 500 years. They awaken in the future where they are now the smartest people in the world.
It is a flip of how time travel is usually portrayed in cinema. The film barely touches on some of the ugly issues at the heart of this dark comedy. Like eugenics. If it were filmed today the influence of social media would fit easily into the concept of the movie.
The theme of Idiocracy can be found in the 1951 sci-fi short story The Marching Morons by CM Kornbluth. In that story the crisis of society’s maladies is handled in a decidedly different fashion.
It is all dark comedy, much like life. Someone will find a way to monetize it.
Idiocracy stars Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, and Dax Shepard. Directed by Mike Judge.
Idiocracy is available on the Internet Archive. For $3.99 in the usual places.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules, go to WonkMovie.
Tonight we have a double feature cartoon. First is Popeye For President (1956).
Followed up with Olive Oyl For President (1948).
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Our next movie night is 4/20 and we are watching 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐝 & 𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐨 𝐓𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞.
Please check this preview for my new weed review, 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐝.
https://open.substack.com/pub/ziggywiggy/p/wonkette-movie-night-april-20-harold?r=2knfuc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
BONUS TRIVIA:
In June of 2022 Mike Judge talked about the limited filming budget for Idiocracy, and how the film's costume designer needed to find futuristic-looking (but inexpensive) footwear for the whole cast. According to Judge, she proposed using a small startup company that "wasn't out in the world yet." "Look at these horrible plastic shoes with holes in them," she said. "We could really save a lot of money, just put everyone in these things." Judge replied, "But what if by the time the movie comes out, what if everyone's... what if these become popular, and people are wearing them?" The costume designer said, "Oh, these are never going to become popular. No one would ever wear these things, they're horrible." The shoes you see in the film are Crocs.