The politics of Ricky Bobby
Published by punkass marc August 9th, 2006 in Movies, PoliticsTalledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby features Will Ferrell in a NASCAR comedy. This would probably be the last place you would look for lefty politics being subversively slipped into mainstream culture, but I think if you check out the film, you’ll find a lot more than racing satire.
Below the fold are massive — and I mean ending-ruiningly massive — spoilers. You have been warned.
Let’s just put this out there: The film’s climax features its hetero male protagonist actively choosing to kiss its gay male antagonist square on the mouth for about 20 seconds. And it celebrates this moment unabashedly as the two men set aside their differences and become friends. If making this the height of your NASCAR comedy isn’t subversive, what is? The film has been tirelessly marketed at a crowd that generally eschews this sort of behavior.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s ruthless Jean Gerard is an openly gay-married driver who parties with Elvis Costello and Mos Def. Some of the redneckier characters initially express stunned disbelief that two men would marry, but the film plays their ignorance for laughs (at them) and, by the end, TN appears to hold their relationship in esteem. While most of the movie’s target demographic will probably continue to be “grossed out” (as the comments section on this article indicates), what if 1 in 100 Joe Averages decide this whole gay love thing isn’t such a big deal after seeing this film? For a studio-driven Hollywood tentpole yukfest, that would be a remarkable achievement.
But the movie doesn’t just taunt homophobes; it tackles lazy American religion, too. A good dinner scene can carry a movie, and even if the rest of the film had been so-so, its commentary on saying grace would be worth the price of admission. It skewers those who eschew Jesus’ actal teachings and life to conjure up their own absurd versions to match their desires, and it kills. Outtakes during the credits show them going even farther with this humor.
Ricky Bobby’s childhood broken home and his brutal mismanagement of his own children also satirize poor parenting.
In fact, given how much Ricky Bobby seems derived from Ferrell’s Dubya impression, Ricky’s permissive attitudes towards being a father (”My kids are winners! And winners can do whatever they want!”) sound an awful lot like an indictment of our current administration.
Its politics aren’t perfect. I’m sure there’s plenty to nitpick about. But I got a lot more progressive humor than I thought out of that $8.
Fuckin’ Schweet! If something as milquetoast as an SNL/Will Farrell comedy is skewering homophobia, and civil unions (which got Dean death threats not long ago) is the mushy-middle position, who is winning?
I had already been considering seeing this movie. Now I definitely will. Normally I despise Ferrell, but this sounds awesome
I had the same impression about it. When the kiss happened, I thought “Oh man, this movie is going to piss off the people the trailers were trying to appeal to!” And all-in-all, I found the movie hilarious at most points. It accurately and almost cruelly skewers the NASCAR fucks who probably thought they were going to see something completely different than they did. This movie is one I’m going to buy when it comes out.
Dammit, I’m not going to like Will Ferrell, and you can’t make me.
It made me laugh harder than I have in a long time.
I’m not a Will Ferrell fan, but I think I would see that movie.
I once saw Adam McKay (TN writer/director/producer) interviewed at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater shortly before the 2004 election. He debuted this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkqrI3IibYI, which eventually made the rounds, and also plugged his upcoming stage show “George W. Bush is a Motherfucker.” Long story short: I have no doubt that the movie’s liberal twists are VERY intentional.