Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Idiocracy


Mike Judge's film, Idiocracy (now on DVD), imagines a future where people are so culturally dumbed down that two average people from present day who travel there are treated as geniuses. This funny film is an obvious statement on the current state of things. Twentieth Century Fox released the film with virtually no press or promotions - big media is skewered effectively throughout the movie, and it may have hit a nerve.
An important first step toward this future was taken recently with the debut of Fox's, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. It's a game show on which adults answer grade school questions to feel better about themselves. In Scott Collins' Los Angeles Times column, Foxworthy is quoted, "I'm in the grocery store, and a 50-year old guy comes up to me - and he goes, 'I only missed one question last night.' He was really proud of himself."
This is a grown man who felt good about himself because he almost answered all the elementary school questions correctly. Of course the show pulled in huge ratings and will undoubtedly be a hit - so get ready to play. Quickly! Is the world round or flat?