POP CULTURE FUN….Tim Cavanaugh has a funny take on AFI’s latest “100 Greatest” list, the “100 Most Inspiring Films Of All Time”:
Lawrence of Arabia clocks in at 30, a film that opens with its hero’s meaningless death, ends with his ambiguous departure from the battlefield, and in between features both an extended segment of homoerotic torture in a Turkish army prison and an Arthur Kennedy performance that really drags down the film’s second half. I don’t know, maybe pointless death, sexually-charged torture, and ambiguous battlefield departures are what Americans find inspiring these days.
My biggest complaint with the list was the inclusion of Rudy at #54. Here’s what I took away from that film: if you have no athletic talent, it doesn’t matter how annoying and and persistently stupid you are. You’re still not going to be good enough to play Division 1 football. However, you will be annoying and persistently stupid.
Hmmm. I guess it’s obvious that I’m not taking my political blogging duties very seriously today, isn’t it? That being the case, be sure to check out John Holbo’s meditation on feminism and the Legion of Super Heroes. In the interest of fairness, however, keep in mind that the story in question was (a) written by a 17-year-old, (b) in 1968, (c) for a comic book. Beyond that, enjoy.
