regarding a fictional Austrian

2009-07-16T13:14:00.006-06:00

I recently caught Sacha Baron Cohen's latest sociological experiment at the theatre and have to say I was left rather unsatisfied. Where the character of Borat seemed geared to evoke xenophobic and racist response, Bruno is similarly constructed to provoke homophobia. Flamboyant, intrusive, and always overtly sexual, Bruno is a tool designed to push people over the edge and provoke their harshest and most reflexive reactions, exposing their ignorance and prejudice. Compared to Borat, however, this movie seemed to focus less on clever social manipulation and more on playing up the gay stereotype for comedic purposes. The number of jokes involving some sort of penis, be it synthetic combat dildos or Baron Cohen's own whispering "Bruno" through a flexing meatus, seem to indicate a shift away from satire and over to slapstick. Not to mention the bevy of anal insertion jokes. The unfortunate part of all of this is that very little of it was supported with the infinitely more satisfying exposé of the public mindset. Sure, he sought out homophobes who reacted predictably, but none of the interactions stuck with me as being particularly poignant. Putting an incredibly polite Ron Paul in a hotel bedroom with an increasingly naked Bruno unsurprisingly resulted in the former presidential candidate leaving the room. The scene was based not on the reaction of the public (in this case, Ron Paul), but on Bruno's antics, repeated attempts to cash in on homosexual stereotypes for laughs. Staging "Straight Dave's Man-Slamming MAXOUT" in a highly conservative locale, then sliding it into a man-on-man lovefest produces a response that is really neither edgy or surprising. The audience, having come to see a wrestling match, become angry when their expectations are defied. On the whole, the film seemed to have been sampled from a much smaller and less rich pool of footage, leaving me wholly unsatisfied with the experience.

Watching Bruno, however, led me to the following question: where does the line fall between making fun of public opinion and reaction to a stereotype and simply perpetuating an unhealthy stereotype by parading it about? I've heard it said that anyone of intelligence could easiliy see that Bruno is a grotesque designed for satire and that those who don't recognize this are beyond help anyways. My problem with this is that I think Western culture, on the whole, is not particularly intelligent. By beating people about the head with an irritating stereotype, the reaction is far less often a shift in perspective and more frequently the reinforcement of said stereotype. We have the tendency to lock ourselves into our own little paradigm and stick to what is habitual or requires the least effort. When we're in this state, we're much more likely to rely on heuristics and less likely to digest new and divergent information, leading us to further label and lump stereotypical behaviour in with a potentially faulty paradigm. Furthermore, if this stereotypical behaviour is irritating or inconveniences someone, they are more likely to push the subject of the stereotype further into a place of disdain. Yes, I think these habits are a failure of humanity and that we should strive to break free from them. However, I don't think beating people about the head with ideological clubs is the best way to win them over to a better way of thinking.

I've always had a problem with protests because of this. I've found that those protesting are invariably looked down upon by those they are protesting against and, in some situations, the general public as well. Getting in people's way and disrupting their routine typically has a polarizing effect rather than a worldview-widening one. Change takes time and change takes thought. I certainly applaud the efforts of do-gooders the world over, but wonder if their is a better way to faciliate change. Could we perhaps use a scalpel rather than a club, carefully excising these carcinomas rather than simply inflaming them?

Admittedly, I don't have a solution for you right now, but I think it's a direction worth thinking in. Work smarter, not harder, right? What is the most efficient way to change the world?

New Birth Control Options

2009-07-15T16:21:00.002-06:00

SHCS now carries Yasmin for $15/month. For more info on oral and other contraceptives available at SHCS, visit our clinic.

Welcome to SHCS's new staff blog

2009-07-15T15:47:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone, thanks for stopping by Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon's new blog. Stop by from time to time -- or subscribe to our Atom feed -- to keep up-to date on what's happening at the Centre.