The Year in Film 2008
I think I'll start with a poem:
The ABC's of Modern Cinematic Comedy
Audience heading East? Show "The Little Beast".
Behind on your laughs? Unclad that ass.
Crowds disappearing? The rump is endearing.
Desperate times? Think pose, not rhymes.
Everybody knows you gotta lose those clothes.
Fellows you lack? Say "Yes" to crack.
Gong going "Clang"? Unveil that wang.
Hearing cat calls? There's always the balls.
I know that it's right to view such a sight.
Jury's still out? Go rumping about.
Know in your heart: Mr. Blue Vein is art.
Lacking appeal? Free Willy for real.
Mob's a packin'? Release the Kraken.
New to your craft? Give 'em the shaft.
One way to appease… expose to your knees.
People not there? Push pubic hair.
Queen Liz, so dry? Unzip that fly.
Remember it now: "I must drop trou."
Subversion below? Undies gotta go.
Too much Hermione? Let's see that heinie.
Under this guise, exposure is wise.
Vilified plot? The Cap'n is not.
Why tolerate failure? Put it in the trailer.
X-rating is near? If flaccid, don't fear.
You won't be here long if we don't get some dong.
Zany not found? "Plan Penis" is sound.
I blame Borat. Ok, that's not quite fair. Mike Myers got naked a lot for the sake of comedy long before our krazy Kazakhstanian friend came to call. Still, Borat showed an all-nude male public wrestling match for comic purposes only. And it was pretty funny. It not like the signs weren't there already, but Sasha Baron Cohen pushed a new level of gratuity and tastelessness.
We fast forward. 2007 gave us a slew of naked man fights. Two in the same month, release-wise (Beowulf and Eastern Promises). But neither was handled in comic fashion, and so maybe the pattern of increased male nudity in film had broken, or had evolved. But when Jason Segal saw fit to deliver his Southern soliloquy for audience review twice in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, well, this isn't just a pattern or common occurrence. This is now a genre.