Last weekend, Ricky Gervais picked up a Golden Globe win for his recent Netflix comedy special, Armageddon, one that was immediately lambasted by everyone on the internet who, predictably, already hates Ricky Gervais. And yet, despite countless pleas on X (formerly known as Twitter) to get the show removed from the streaming giant, like the head of a Hydra, with every attempted decapitation, two new heads sprouted in its place, only making it stronger, leading to its eventual award win, which begs the question: perhaps Hollywood has learned its lesson?
And what happens when you sacrifice good storytelling in order to adhere to a bunch of Brooklyn-based liberal arts students who have now monopolized humour? Just ask Disney, who lost AED 5 Billion in 2023 alone.
American novelist, Philip Roth, once said, “Satire is moral outrage transformed into comic art.” Considering the recent outpour of satirical films, specifically those mocking the professional victim, in the last year alone, that should say something about the consensus.
In Gervais’s, Armageddon, he opened with, “After my last special people told me ‘you can’t say that!’ Well, actually, you can. And I did.” For those chronically online who salute only two flags, X (Twitter) and TikTok, saying the wrong thing can result in online suicide. So, how can you tell that we’re (finally) waking up to this policing of words that has lead to getting fired, getting ostracized, and getting excluded from your social circles?
You make people laugh about it.
The murderous, vile character of Patrick Bateman was a reaction to the unscrupulous consumer birthed out of 1980s Wall Street. However, when Christian Bale accepted the role, he interviewed real Wall Street bankers to get their take on Bateman, most of whom replied with, “We love him!”
“But ironically, right?” Bale asked, concerned. Apparently not, according to the actor.
Though we have often turned to art to make sense of what is happening around us, the last few years have seen a policing of creativity, yet 2023 has seen the shell of intolerance slowly begin to crack. And why? Simply put: we’re tired of it. And bored. And the only penetrable force capable of breaking such a wall is comedy. Because one’s opinions are immediately disarmed by the involuntary reaction to an uncomfortable truth: laughter. “People are so frustrated by politicians that they come to comedians, actors, footballers,” says comedian Bassem Youssef in our recent interview with him.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a career of capitalising on professional victimhood, hijacking all the cultural buzzwords in order to demand public sympathy as they take refuge in their multimillion dollar California mansion. So what was the antidote to this farcical symphony of self proclaimed victimhood? This:
Shortly thereafter, The Hollywood Reporter labeled the ex-royals as ‘the biggest losers’ of 2023. And Family Guy quickly followed with more mockery. Yes, this is very amusing indeed, probably no more than to Piers Morgan, but it’s also incredibly sad.
Much like the cautionary tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, the South Park episode mocking the ex-royals lifted the veil of what we were all thinking, yet were afraid to say out of fear of not being on the ride side of “the narrative.” The only thing worse than having people hate you, is having people laugh at you.
In 2022, Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli, released Sick of Myself, a film about a girl who purposely consumes a nearly lethal dose of medication in hopes of gaining sympathy from her friends, boyfriend, and mostly, social media. Not only does she go viral – the sole aspiration of many young people today – but she becomes a model, writes a bestselling book, and becomes a cultural hero and a voice for the oppressed. But, as with (almost) all scams, the lies told are eventually exposed.
Borgli’s recent 2023 film, Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage, finds him lamenting, “Trauma is a trend these days. Everything is trauma. Arguing with a friend is trauma. Getting bad grades is trauma. They need to grow up!”
In similar fashion, the 2019 film, White Lie, shows a young girl skyrocket to fame after lying about contracting cancer. Though this film is more of a thriller, it still parodies the younger generation’s need for social validation by any means necessary. And when it comes to victimhood as currency, there will never be a winner, so the only way to unmask the absurdity is through satire and mockery.
Rightfully so, public opinion is quick to defend the oppressed, but more than that, it is also a vindictive, untamable beast, and it does not like its generous altruism being taken advantage of. If your rise to the top is built on a lie, you can guarantee your truth-based fall will be ugly and unforgiving.
Sun Tzu said, in The Art of War, “In chaos, there is opportunity.” When chaos unfolds, be aware of those quickest to take advantage of the situation.
