Does it count as a satire if it defends the status quo? (ANOTHER ATTACK ON "TEAM AMERICA")

Chicago Tribune ^ | October 17, 2004 | Mark Caro Tribune entertainment reporter

[Chi-townChief]

Michael Moore, outfitted as a suicide bomber, barges into U.S. intelligence headquarters and blows himself and the whole place up.

-SNIP-

The scene comes not from one of the several Moore-bashing, conservative-minded docs vying for exposure in the weeks before the presidential election but rather Trey Parker and Matt Stone's new raunchy puppet comedy "Team America: World Police."

And the gag isn't funny because it's delivered with all of the wit of a right-wing talk-radio rant.

What is funny is recalling the pundits who declared irony dead after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. On the contrary, irony, skepticism and cynicism may have reached an all-time high in this culture.

What's ailing -- ironically enough -- is satire, at least in the fictional realm.

-SNIP-

In actuality, right-wingers complaining about liberal Hollywood should just shut up and embrace "Team America." It's a raw red-meat feast for conservatives.

Contempt for progressives

Sure, rah-rah, guns-blazing jingoism is lampooned by way of parodies of '80s action movies such as "Top Gun," but these jokes are affectionate compared with the violent contempt dished out to such Hollywood progressives as Alec Baldwin, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Tyler. (Darn that Liv Tyler!)

If you didn't appreciate these actors voicing their opposition to the war with Iraq, then you'll no doubt guffaw at their being grouped in the fictional Film Actors Guild, which, of course, is always referred to by its acronym. And you'll love seeing them portrayed as stooges for terrorist-backing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il before they're murdered in the most bloody ways imaginable.

mailto:MCaro@tribune.com

[Boundless]

Film critics are all "outing" themselves over this movie.
Here are some on Usenet:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=rec.arts.movies.reviews

They can't even hide their outrage over their ox herd
being gored en masse.

"Hillarious"
"Not funny"

[Samwise]

So I must be some hypocritical lefty to object when Parker and Stone aim their daggers at liberal celebrities and their causes."

Uhmmm. No argument here.

[DSBull]

I wonder if someone would point out to the foreign policy experts in Hollywood that the parody in Team America is that they used marionettes and not the attitudes and personal qualities on display..

Hummmm? Who knows.

[Savage Rider]

Someone needs to help Caro remove that stick he was sitting on as he watched the movie. So, do you think he is a D, a P or an A? I vote P, but that's just an inch and a half from being an A.

[mylife]

The poor liberals are upset that hollywood is being invaded by the likes of stone and parker L0L

[Chi-townChief]

"excessive puppet sex" ??????

[Drew68]

I'm going to go check it out today with some navy buddies.

[BADROTOFINGER]

Liberals decrying the coarsening of the culture. Up is up again, it seems...JFK

[DSBull]

The Trib maybe hoping for a visceral reaction from Conservatives to go the opposite way from what the Trib believes...Vote for Bush. and hoping that people will do the opposite..But trying to figure out liberal logics has been shown to cause cancer in Laboratory animals...

[isthisnickcool]

KIM JOHN IL: "Hey Freepers! Hey America! Go see dis movie! It a great movie! Democrats get in movie free on erection day! It's true! Would I rie? And someone tell John Kerry he can come live with me after he rooses. I'm so ronrey!"

[Boundless]

> ... was trimmed to receive an R rating. That restrictive
> rating could hold down the grosses for the film, as many
> fans of South Park are under the age of 17 and may not
> be able to get into the theater.

Like that's ever stopped the kiddos from seeing what they
want to see.

In any case, the reporter's wishful thinking here overlooks
a key point - those under 17 aren't voters. The left needs
to worry about the impressionable 18-and-overs, who aren't
even theoretically restricted from seeing this film.

[prion]

"excessive puppet sex" ??????

It's possible. They actually made them cut bits of that scene to earn the NC-17 rating. And the puppets aren't any more anatomically correct than Ken and Barbie!

The sad thing is, the theme song will never get airplay.

[Danno]

ha ha - so funny ...a big waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! to Chicago Tribune...you guys should be ashamed of yourself. If you love Moore so much strap on with him...

[Dan Evans]

BINGO!!! Caro nails it and then ignores his own comment.

It's like he puked up his hypocritical bias into a steaming pile under his nose and he can't even see it. Someone needs to grab him by the scruff of the neck and slam his face into it.

Team America is getting very good reviews. About 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.0 on IMDB.

[Danno]

lol!

[KevinDavis]

Thank you...

[etradervic]

It is important to note that the Democratic Party has become the Party of the Status Quo and Big Government. Progress and reform are being advanced by the GOP.

[Wormwood]

It's official: Mark Caro is a F.A.G.

[Bommer]

You know that someone is soooo pathetic to defend the puppets of the Left!

The movie is ranchy and freaking hilarious! You will be humming the America song after leaving...just won't be singing it around children!

Here's my review of the movie!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1246256/posts

[Radix]

That puppet did look just like Michael Mooreon and that was funny. The mustard on his lip was good as well.

Apparantly the producers had a little beef with Matt Damon because of some riff on South Park in another film. The Matt Damon lines were really funny after the 3rd time or so.

As for mild obscenity, now that is an understatement. The movie is laced with swears which become more prominent as the film goes along. I had no problem with that myself, but many others will I am certain,