Idiocratic Design
February 28, 2007 6:52 AM Subscribe
Idiocratic Design. A look at the signs and logos that litter the world in Idiocracy.
That money is decidedly metal. I have to see this movie.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:06 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by Pastabagel at 7:06 AM on February 28, 2007
I love the St. God's Memorial Hospital sign. That's just a perfect sight gag. (I gotta see the movie, too.)
posted by maryh at 7:09 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by maryh at 7:09 AM on February 28, 2007
This thing makes the movie seem a lot funnier than it is. Almost everything that happens in the background is funny while the actual Luke Wilson story is actually dumb, not just pretend dumb.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:11 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by Bookhouse at 7:11 AM on February 28, 2007
I dunno, I loved the movie and thought it was mostly hilarious... but the best part of the movie is the background jokes, and figuring out how the society works on your own. My favorite part was how no one had buttons or zippers on their clothes... everything was jerseys and pull ons. Not to mention that all the shoes are the same... no pesky laces to deal with.
Also, welcome to CostCo. I love you.
posted by tittergrrl at 7:15 AM on February 28, 2007
Also, welcome to CostCo. I love you.
posted by tittergrrl at 7:15 AM on February 28, 2007
I saw the movie just this weekend. The background had some decent jokes, but the movie as a whole was seriously disappointing. You know the fine line between sarcasm and just plain bitterness? Idiocracy crossed it, spiked the ball and did an endzone dance.
posted by graymouser at 7:19 AM on February 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by graymouser at 7:19 AM on February 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
I liked the movie a lot. And somehow, it seems like it is a more important film to see than, say... Children of Men.
But that's just me...
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:19 AM on February 28, 2007
But that's just me...
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:19 AM on February 28, 2007
Children of Men being another movie with a somewhat disappointing "foreground" story over and utterly compelling "background" world.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:20 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:20 AM on February 28, 2007
There was enough material for an absolutely brilliant, 15-minute short film. It's too bad it was 84 minutes long.
posted by I Am Not a Lobster at 7:21 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by I Am Not a Lobster at 7:21 AM on February 28, 2007
... Over "an" utterly compelling....
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:22 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:22 AM on February 28, 2007
it seems like it is a more important film to see than, say...
To me, it was up there with Natural Born Killers as a "cake and eat it too" movie -- it asked you to both snicker at the word Buttfucker and groan about how stupid rednecks are these days.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:23 AM on February 28, 2007
To me, it was up there with Natural Born Killers as a "cake and eat it too" movie -- it asked you to both snicker at the word Buttfucker and groan about how stupid rednecks are these days.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:23 AM on February 28, 2007
The only problem with Idiocracy was that it just wasn't very funny. It isn't particularly hard to do biting social satire that isn't funny.
Seriously, all of the jokes in Idiocracy were funnier when Futurama made them.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:24 AM on February 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
Seriously, all of the jokes in Idiocracy were funnier when Futurama made them.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:24 AM on February 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
Seriously, all of the jokes in Idiocracy were funnier when Futurama made them.
I agree with that, but I'm glad that at least someone is making them in the (temporary, hooray!) absence of Futurama.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:26 AM on February 28, 2007
I agree with that, but I'm glad that at least someone is making them in the (temporary, hooray!) absence of Futurama.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:26 AM on February 28, 2007
Children of Men was pretty kick ass. I think its the best representations of a dystopian future i've seen. I haven't seen Idiocracy yet; my friends who have seen it were a bit disappointed.
posted by chunking express at 7:28 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by chunking express at 7:28 AM on February 28, 2007
I haven't seen Idiocracy, but do you think the author of the blog post might be missing the metahumor in the unchanged Fox News logo? He blames it on the studio being unwilling to play along, but I laughed when it came up on the page, assuming that the underlying intent was to say that Fox News is already as dumb as it could ever possibly be.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:38 AM on February 28, 2007 [5 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:38 AM on February 28, 2007 [5 favorites]
"Next on The Violence Channel, an all-new, "Ow my balls!"
posted by Tarn at 7:50 AM on February 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by Tarn at 7:50 AM on February 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
That page left off the hospital touch panel. Blastphemy!
Since everyone is bringing up Children of Men, waxpancake linked to this movie of ephemera from the film this morning. Was pretty neat.
posted by Remy at 7:55 AM on February 28, 2007
Since everyone is bringing up Children of Men, waxpancake linked to this movie of ephemera from the film this morning. Was pretty neat.
posted by Remy at 7:55 AM on February 28, 2007
I laughed when it came up on the page, assuming that the underlying intent was to say that Fox News is already as dumb as it could ever possibly be.
I think that was the point, and it is funny as hell, if not exactly LOL funnay.
This blog post is surprisingly dead on in summing up my own reaction to it. It was not as funny as what I was expecting it to be, but in a few surprising ways, it was funnier and better than I could have hoped.
Some may not have enjoyed the movie, but it does have a universal and timeless message: you'll never effect positive change in this world if you don't spend at least some time being a dick and fucking up shit.
posted by psmealey at 8:01 AM on February 28, 2007
I think that was the point, and it is funny as hell, if not exactly LOL funnay.
This blog post is surprisingly dead on in summing up my own reaction to it. It was not as funny as what I was expecting it to be, but in a few surprising ways, it was funnier and better than I could have hoped.
Some may not have enjoyed the movie, but it does have a universal and timeless message: you'll never effect positive change in this world if you don't spend at least some time being a dick and fucking up shit.
posted by psmealey at 8:01 AM on February 28, 2007
I loved Idiocracy.
I'm living it now in the Quad Cities *ugh*
posted by squidfartz at 8:14 AM on February 28, 2007
I'm living it now in the Quad Cities *ugh*
posted by squidfartz at 8:14 AM on February 28, 2007
I, for one, loved Idiocracy, flaws and all.
The little kid in the Presidential Cabinet was genius. I love his expression of aggressively ignorant disdain.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:15 AM on February 28, 2007
The little kid in the Presidential Cabinet was genius. I love his expression of aggressively ignorant disdain.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:15 AM on February 28, 2007
Idiocracy wasn't subtle or especially insightful, and I thought it was great. The projected evolution of advertising was definitely the best part of the film.
posted by lekvar at 8:26 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by lekvar at 8:26 AM on February 28, 2007
You know the fine line between sarcasm and just plain bitterness? Idiocracy crossed it, spiked the ball and did an endzone dance.
Sounds like my kind of movie!
posted by keswick at 8:31 AM on February 28, 2007
Sounds like my kind of movie!
posted by keswick at 8:31 AM on February 28, 2007
Wow. I wish I hadn't already seen Idiocracy, because that web page has every single funny or satirical thing in the whole movie, and it took a lot less time to process.
posted by gurple at 8:35 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by gurple at 8:35 AM on February 28, 2007
I haven't seen the movie and maybe I'm missing the reviewer's sarcasm, but isn't the fact that Fox News' logo is unchanged in the idiot world exactly the point?
posted by DU at 8:42 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by DU at 8:42 AM on February 28, 2007
This was a nice compliment to watching the film last week. Some of the sight gags, the money for example, were too fast to really take in. Some nice followup laughs.
I agree with some of the earlier sentiments that Idiocracy was enjoyable, if somewhat flawed as a film.
posted by bullitt 5 at 9:00 AM on February 28, 2007
I agree with some of the earlier sentiments that Idiocracy was enjoyable, if somewhat flawed as a film.
posted by bullitt 5 at 9:00 AM on February 28, 2007
I won't see it. It'll depress me.
But mostly I wont see it becuase my wife brought home Luke Wilson's last film - My super Ex-Girlfriend... and it was such a complete crap-sandwich that anything Wilson (or Uma Thurman) touches is henceforth banned.
BANNED I tell you!
posted by tkchrist at 9:05 AM on February 28, 2007
But mostly I wont see it becuase my wife brought home Luke Wilson's last film - My super Ex-Girlfriend... and it was such a complete crap-sandwich that anything Wilson (or Uma Thurman) touches is henceforth banned.
BANNED I tell you!
posted by tkchrist at 9:05 AM on February 28, 2007
You know the fine line between sarcasm and just plain bitterness? Idiocracy crossed it, spiked the ball and did an endzone dance.
That's precisely why I loved it!
posted by ob at 9:12 AM on February 28, 2007
That's precisely why I loved it!
posted by ob at 9:12 AM on February 28, 2007
I loved the movie. I like how the clothes, or "pro wear", are pulled out of a wall dispenser and are filled with corporate logos.
I also like the doctor ("sez here you fucked up and you're shit's all retarded").
posted by jefbla at 9:25 AM on February 28, 2007
I also like the doctor ("sez here you fucked up and you're shit's all retarded").
posted by jefbla at 9:25 AM on February 28, 2007
Idiocracy was a terrifyingly poignant dystopia that everyone mistook for a comedy.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 9:46 AM on February 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 9:46 AM on February 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
"I agree with that, but I'm glad that at least someone is making them in the (temporary, hooray!) absence of Futurama."
Dude, you need to get cable.
Maya Rudolph looks pretty hot in a lot of this film, so that's a plus!
I thought the movie was amusing on the whole but not a comedy tour-de-force; I agree that most of what made me laugh out loud was the background jokes. It was worth the $3.95 for OnDemand viewing, but I'm glad I didn't go see it in the theaters.
posted by zoogleplex at 9:58 AM on February 28, 2007
Dude, you need to get cable.
Maya Rudolph looks pretty hot in a lot of this film, so that's a plus!
I thought the movie was amusing on the whole but not a comedy tour-de-force; I agree that most of what made me laugh out loud was the background jokes. It was worth the $3.95 for OnDemand viewing, but I'm glad I didn't go see it in the theaters.
posted by zoogleplex at 9:58 AM on February 28, 2007
but I'm glad I didn't go see it in the theaters
Apparently Fox agrees with you.
Count me in the brilliantly, hilariously misanthropic camp, both as a description of the movie and of my personality.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:19 AM on February 28, 2007
Apparently Fox agrees with you.
Count me in the brilliantly, hilariously misanthropic camp, both as a description of the movie and of my personality.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:19 AM on February 28, 2007
I thought Idiocracy was the funniest and scariest horror movie I'd ever seen.
posted by flaterik at 10:40 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by flaterik at 10:40 AM on February 28, 2007
The movie is very loosely based on a classic SF short story called "The Marching Morons" by C. M. Kornbluth. Everybody should read it, because it is really scary when a horror story written in 1951 seems to be coming more into reality with each news program you watch.
The story has been collected in many anthologies, and inexpensive used copies can be found at www.bookfinder.com
posted by Nyrath at 10:47 AM on February 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
The story has been collected in many anthologies, and inexpensive used copies can be found at www.bookfinder.com
posted by Nyrath at 10:47 AM on February 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
Why am I only hearing about this now? If it weren't for MeFi, I never would have known. Blast!
posted by mr_book at 11:59 AM on February 28, 2007
posted by mr_book at 11:59 AM on February 28, 2007
I loved this movie. I saw it in theaters twice. The prologue is smarter than 90% of comedy on TV or in movies.
posted by Megafly at 12:04 PM on February 28, 2007
posted by Megafly at 12:04 PM on February 28, 2007
I'm one of the 13 or so people who saw it in the theatres.
I love Mike Judge.
Awful, awful, awful movie. Not "smart," barely funny, barely watchable. And the concept really doesn't stand up to careful examination. (replace "rednecks" with the people of a slightly different color who actually have the most babies in this country and a lot of people who call themselves liberals are going to get very uncomfortable very fast)
And the concept just plain doesn't hold up: obviously some of the children of the rednecks would be genetic outliers with above average intelligence, who would then become the new elite and breed with each other.
But there's no need to over-analyze. it's just unfunny and painful to watch.
posted by drjimmy11 at 2:15 PM on February 28, 2007
I love Mike Judge.
Awful, awful, awful movie. Not "smart," barely funny, barely watchable. And the concept really doesn't stand up to careful examination. (replace "rednecks" with the people of a slightly different color who actually have the most babies in this country and a lot of people who call themselves liberals are going to get very uncomfortable very fast)
And the concept just plain doesn't hold up: obviously some of the children of the rednecks would be genetic outliers with above average intelligence, who would then become the new elite and breed with each other.
But there's no need to over-analyze. it's just unfunny and painful to watch.
posted by drjimmy11 at 2:15 PM on February 28, 2007
oh yeah, and a lot of people here are borrowing a trick from our Republican friends: framing the argument.
If you don't like the movie, it must be because you're either a redneck yourself, or not as "cynical" and "bitter" as the cool kids.
Nope, just an unfunny, bad movie.
posted by drjimmy11 at 2:17 PM on February 28, 2007
If you don't like the movie, it must be because you're either a redneck yourself, or not as "cynical" and "bitter" as the cool kids.
Nope, just an unfunny, bad movie.
posted by drjimmy11 at 2:17 PM on February 28, 2007
I loved this movie. I saw it in theaters twice. The prologue is smarter than 90% of comedy on TV or in movies.
The prologue is, by far, the best part of the movie. 10 minutes into the movie I remember thinking, "This might be the best satire I've seen in a while." 45 minutes in, I was bored.
posted by dbolll at 2:31 PM on February 28, 2007
The prologue is, by far, the best part of the movie. 10 minutes into the movie I remember thinking, "This might be the best satire I've seen in a while." 45 minutes in, I was bored.
posted by dbolll at 2:31 PM on February 28, 2007
And the concept just plain doesn't hold up: obviously some of the children of the rednecks would be genetic outliers with above average intelligence, who would then become the new elite and breed with each other.
Only if intelligence is genetically based, but good luck trying to prove that. I think the idea is that people are stupid because they are brought up in an atmosphere where stupidity is the norm rather than having their parents' "stupid genes."
posted by SBMike at 3:22 PM on February 28, 2007
Only if intelligence is genetically based, but good luck trying to prove that. I think the idea is that people are stupid because they are brought up in an atmosphere where stupidity is the norm rather than having their parents' "stupid genes."
posted by SBMike at 3:22 PM on February 28, 2007
I think the idea is that people are stupid because they are brought up in an atmosphere where stupidity is the norm rather than having their parents' "stupid genes."
Actually, the movie very pointedly connected the decline in the population's intelligence to the over-breeding of people with "stupid genes."
I thought the movie was terrible, by the way. Unfunny and unthoughtful, unsure of who or what it was trying to criticize.
posted by elwoodwiles at 4:21 PM on February 28, 2007
Actually, the movie very pointedly connected the decline in the population's intelligence to the over-breeding of people with "stupid genes."
I thought the movie was terrible, by the way. Unfunny and unthoughtful, unsure of who or what it was trying to criticize.
posted by elwoodwiles at 4:21 PM on February 28, 2007
But mostly I wont see it becuase my wife brought home Luke Wilson's last film - My super Ex-Girlfriend... and it was such a complete crap-sandwich that anything Wilson (or Uma Thurman) touches is henceforth banned.
No question that movie sucked endless hectares of ASS, but Uma is sexier than ever. I would probably see again for that reason alone.
posted by psmealey at 5:56 PM on February 28, 2007
No question that movie sucked endless hectares of ASS, but Uma is sexier than ever. I would probably see again for that reason alone.
posted by psmealey at 5:56 PM on February 28, 2007
And the concept just plain doesn't hold up: obviously some of the children of the rednecks would be genetic outliers with above average intelligence, who would then become the new elite and breed with each other.
Only if intelligence is genetically based, but good luck trying to prove that. I think the idea is that people are stupid because they are brought up in an atmosphere where stupidity is the norm rather than having their parents' "stupid genes."
posted by ghastlyfop at 6:03 PM on February 28, 2007
Only if intelligence is genetically based, but good luck trying to prove that. I think the idea is that people are stupid because they are brought up in an atmosphere where stupidity is the norm rather than having their parents' "stupid genes."
posted by ghastlyfop at 6:03 PM on February 28, 2007
Sorry, it just seemed like the right thing to do.
The "I'm a Mac" kid, as the doctor, was brilliant in the the movie.
posted by ghastlyfop at 6:06 PM on February 28, 2007
The "I'm a Mac" kid, as the doctor, was brilliant in the the movie.
posted by ghastlyfop at 6:06 PM on February 28, 2007
Oops. Who knew firefox's "try again" button would be so problematic? Sorry folks.
Sheepishly backs away from the intelligence discussion and considers postponing breeding another year or two.
posted by SBMike at 6:47 PM on February 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
Sheepishly backs away from the intelligence discussion and considers postponing breeding another year or two.
posted by SBMike at 6:47 PM on February 28, 2007 [1 favorite]
I haven't seen Idiocracy on the basis that it seems to be a direct ripoff of Kornbluth's "The Marching Morons".
...also, I didn't even know it was ever in theaters. I saw the trailers a long while back, and then I just saw an ad for the DVD one day a few weeks ago. Or did it go direct-to-DVD?
posted by Target Practice at 10:45 PM on February 28, 2007
...also, I didn't even know it was ever in theaters. I saw the trailers a long while back, and then I just saw an ad for the DVD one day a few weeks ago. Or did it go direct-to-DVD?
posted by Target Practice at 10:45 PM on February 28, 2007
I also can't believe the pictograms weren't mentioned, that was one of the funniest parts (and most relevent to a discussion of graphic design).
As far as all you haters, I thought the movie was hilarious. Very flawed, structurally, but still extremely funny. I don't know, maybe it's just my sense of humor...
posted by ChestnutMonkey at 10:54 PM on February 28, 2007
As far as all you haters, I thought the movie was hilarious. Very flawed, structurally, but still extremely funny. I don't know, maybe it's just my sense of humor...
posted by ChestnutMonkey at 10:54 PM on February 28, 2007
Nyrath: The movie is very loosely based on a classic SF short story called "The Marching Morons" by C. M. Kornbluth.
I wonder how it would have turned out if they hadn't grafted a different plot on? I doubt the movie-viewing public would have cared for the way the main character dealt with the future's problems.
posted by Mitrovarr at 12:29 AM on March 1, 2007
I wonder how it would have turned out if they hadn't grafted a different plot on? I doubt the movie-viewing public would have cared for the way the main character dealt with the future's problems.
posted by Mitrovarr at 12:29 AM on March 1, 2007
The best joke in the movie to me was the part when president Kamacho is giving his speech. the one that goes: "Shit. I know shit's bad right now. With all that starvin' bullshit and shit."
I loved how he started the speech and then they cut to the teleprompter to let you know that someone had to actually right out his speech. Like real though and care went in to opening with "Shit. I know shit's bad right now."
all in all, i give this post two d's for a double dose of dis pimpin'
posted by tylerfulltilt at 1:45 AM on March 1, 2007
I loved how he started the speech and then they cut to the teleprompter to let you know that someone had to actually right out his speech. Like real though and care went in to opening with "Shit. I know shit's bad right now."
all in all, i give this post two d's for a double dose of dis pimpin'
posted by tylerfulltilt at 1:45 AM on March 1, 2007
I loved this movie, and this graphic analysis let me relive the sweet parts of it!
posted by Meagan at 5:31 AM on March 1, 2007
posted by Meagan at 5:31 AM on March 1, 2007
Mod note: cleaned out SBMike's FF-driven tuple-posting spree
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:37 AM on March 1, 2007
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:37 AM on March 1, 2007
Added "Idiocracy" to my Netflix list today.
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:38 AM on March 1, 2007
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:38 AM on March 1, 2007
Man. I wish I could change my mefi handle to UPPGRAYEDD
posted by stenseng at 4:40 PM on March 1, 2007
posted by stenseng at 4:40 PM on March 1, 2007
« Older Somebody left me crying | "First to fall over when the atmosphere is less... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by billysumday at 7:03 AM on February 28, 2007 [2 favorites]