The brain: not just a space filler

By David Wonpu

With last week's apocalyptic release of "Jackass Number Two," it is now of paramount importance we all step back and reflect on our collective taste as Americans.

Have we gotten so impatient, so in need of instant gratification and so scared of being forced to think critically (or at all, for that matter) that a movie about stupid people doing stupid things was actually successful enough to spawn a sequel?

There is definitely a need for disposal entertainment, especially after a hard day of work or school. But it is our duty to expose ourselves to more than just "Laguna Beach."

What is becoming lost is entertainment can actually be art. Really, most good entertainment is.

Paying eight bucks to watch Jessica Alba in an invisible bikini desperately trying to act her way out of a box might seem like a good time.

Heck, it might even be a good time. But that's nothing compared to something that resonates with you for years after you've watched it.

The truth is, Hollywood has made us lousy audience members. If something's not blowing up every six minutes, we lose interest.

We either miss vital plot points unless they're made completely explicit, or we don't even care about plot in the first place.

We're reneging on the unspoken pact we make when we purchase the ticket to actually give our full attention and commit all our brain cells to the proceedings.

If you don't think this is true, take a friend who has never been to a theatre to see a decent play. Wait and see if they complain about having to read the program to understand what's going on.

Culturally, many of us are proud of being stupid, especially men.

It's something we announce to the world: "Screw those weird indie movies and give me a beer." It's also something that, most of the time, is the product of an adopted persona related to fitting in and not how we really are.

Taking pride in having bad taste is probably the most disturbing trend of our generation.

We think that acting like everything is meaningless is somehow hip, when it's really just pathetic.

The world is full of meaning, and that meaning should be reflected in what we watch.

I think we probably don't realize the politics that go into making a movie like "Jackass."

We have to remember that most of our entertainment is made by rich 50-year-olds who are under the assumption that we are stupid. Think about that for a second. Your favorite movie might have been made based on the belief that you are a complete idiot.

If you're okay with that, you really shouldn't be.

Contact David Wonpu at dwonpu@scu.edu