Defend your cereal
October 16, 2012 10:29 AM Subscribe
Ayn Bran - The Objectebreakfast. (SLFunnyOrDie)
That was as ham-handed and humorless as an Ayn Rand novel. Was that the point?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:39 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:39 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Howard Roark cringed.
posted by Fritz Langwedge at 10:43 AM on October 16, 2012
posted by Fritz Langwedge at 10:43 AM on October 16, 2012
The boxes being too long joke was funny, so there's that.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:45 AM on October 16, 2012
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:45 AM on October 16, 2012
Oh my god, there's going to be an Atlas Shrugged: Part III.
I wonder what sort of throw you have to have with theater owners to get an obvious bomb on the big screen?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:55 AM on October 16, 2012
I wonder what sort of throw you have to have with theater owners to get an obvious bomb on the big screen?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:55 AM on October 16, 2012
The only thing missing was some meddling bureaucrats to get in the way of her superior cereal production skills.
posted by diogenes at 10:56 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by diogenes at 10:56 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
And children being shot in the face is always hilarious.
posted by gallois at 10:56 AM on October 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by gallois at 10:56 AM on October 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
There's really no wrong way to make fun of Ayn Rand's philosophy.
posted by diogenes at 10:58 AM on October 16, 2012 [13 favorites]
posted by diogenes at 10:58 AM on October 16, 2012 [13 favorites]
Myth-Os: they're blasphemously delicious!
posted by gurple at 10:59 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by gurple at 10:59 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Brilliant!
posted by homodigitalis at 11:07 AM on October 16, 2012
posted by homodigitalis at 11:07 AM on October 16, 2012
You, uh, better hurry.
How much do I love the disparity between critic and audience scores. How very much do I love the picture that paints.
posted by middleclasstool at 11:08 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
How much do I love the disparity between critic and audience scores. How very much do I love the picture that paints.
posted by middleclasstool at 11:08 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
There's really no wrong way to make fun of Ayn Rand's philosophy.
Yes there is. Watch the video.
posted by The Bellman at 11:11 AM on October 16, 2012
Yes there is. Watch the video.
posted by The Bellman at 11:11 AM on October 16, 2012
So the creators of this one chose "die" over "funny," apparently.
posted by Longtime Listener at 11:18 AM on October 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Longtime Listener at 11:18 AM on October 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
I'm sure I've already made a joke about the free market rejecting the Atlas Shrugged films, so I'll, uh, not do that here.
posted by brundlefly at 11:26 AM on October 16, 2012
posted by brundlefly at 11:26 AM on October 16, 2012
You, uh, better hurry.
The tomatometer in my heart is now at maximum freshness.
posted by mintcake! at 11:31 AM on October 16, 2012
The tomatometer in my heart is now at maximum freshness.
posted by mintcake! at 11:31 AM on October 16, 2012
Had some humorous elements...but like most SNL skits, it just goes on too long and takes some too-broad swipes. Best touch: the 3 grams of gold price!
posted by davidmsc at 11:35 AM on October 16, 2012
posted by davidmsc at 11:35 AM on October 16, 2012
Atlas Shrugged: Part II is in theaters now.
You, uh, better hurry.
Via Rotten Tomatoes:
You, uh, better hurry.
Via Rotten Tomatoes:
Seriously, if this is the best promotion of itself that the free market can manage, it really would benefit from the help of a Ministry of Culture or something.posted by Herodios at 11:58 AM on October 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
Alan Scherstuhl, The Village Voice
Oh my god, there's going to be an Atlas Shrugged: Part III.
Of course there is. After all, the genius behind the first two took the response against the first one like any true objectivist would: He blamed short-sighted parasites and fired his entire workforce.
posted by Shadax at 12:20 PM on October 16, 2012
Of course there is. After all, the genius behind the first two took the response against the first one like any true objectivist would: He blamed short-sighted parasites and fired his entire workforce.
posted by Shadax at 12:20 PM on October 16, 2012
At some point people are going to realize that Atlas is actually having a seizure.
posted by srboisvert at 12:45 PM on October 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 12:45 PM on October 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
If you're going to claim that Rand is the parent of the Tea Party, it'd get some comic material if you showed how. They're not one and the same (Rand hated libertarians, regarding them as people who copied her ideas in a toothless way - in her philosophy, you either adopted her ideas wholesale or you betrayed them entirely, and to adapt them was to corrupt them), and contrasts and connections between the two of them would give you something to actually say beyond 'Ayn Rand believed in selfishness', which as far as comedy is concerned is just not funny because:
a) Rand said as much herself, repeatedly, at great length, so it's hardly an insight. Saying 'Rand believed in selfishness!' is as much of a zinger as saying 'Harpo Marx was kind of quiet onscreen!' You cannot mock someone by identifying their willingly-owned trademark, and you can't mock them very cleverly by just slightly exaggerating it. They're way ahead of you.
b) It's already been joked to death.
Links between Rand and the Tea Party? Relevant, timely and potentially comedic. Throwing the two into the same bowl? Not so funny.
The trouble with that sketch was that it made the wrong assumptions about how much the audience knew of Rand. If you're familiar with her, there was nothing new in any of the jokes; we've all heard it before, because the jokes made are the obvious ones. If you're not, you probably aren't going to get the jokes because they're referring to things they don't explain.
I have the feeling the 'Ayn Bran' jokes was all they had and the rest was just padding.
posted by Kit W at 1:59 PM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
a) Rand said as much herself, repeatedly, at great length, so it's hardly an insight. Saying 'Rand believed in selfishness!' is as much of a zinger as saying 'Harpo Marx was kind of quiet onscreen!' You cannot mock someone by identifying their willingly-owned trademark, and you can't mock them very cleverly by just slightly exaggerating it. They're way ahead of you.
b) It's already been joked to death.
Links between Rand and the Tea Party? Relevant, timely and potentially comedic. Throwing the two into the same bowl? Not so funny.
The trouble with that sketch was that it made the wrong assumptions about how much the audience knew of Rand. If you're familiar with her, there was nothing new in any of the jokes; we've all heard it before, because the jokes made are the obvious ones. If you're not, you probably aren't going to get the jokes because they're referring to things they don't explain.
I have the feeling the 'Ayn Bran' jokes was all they had and the rest was just padding.
posted by Kit W at 1:59 PM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
middleclasstool: How much do I love the disparity between critic and audience scores. How very much do I love the picture that paints.
Pull quote from one of the audience reviews:
"An excellent series! I am amazed at people thinking this is political. Not one political party was mentioned."
Spit take
posted by O Blitiri at 2:53 PM on October 16, 2012
Pull quote from one of the audience reviews:
"An excellent series! I am amazed at people thinking this is political. Not one political party was mentioned."
Spit take
posted by O Blitiri at 2:53 PM on October 16, 2012
O Blitiri: ""An excellent series! I am amazed at people thinking this is political. Not one political party was mentioned.""
I read that too and laughed out loud. What a bizarre definition of "political". That sentence is followed up by, "However it shows the last days of a failing future society that ran too long on socialistic principles."
Nope. No sir. Not political at all.
posted by brundlefly at 3:24 PM on October 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
I read that too and laughed out loud. What a bizarre definition of "political". That sentence is followed up by, "However it shows the last days of a failing future society that ran too long on socialistic principles."
Nope. No sir. Not political at all.
posted by brundlefly at 3:24 PM on October 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
Fox News talks about Atlas Shrugged: Part II. Reason loves it.
Having sat through Part 1, I can safely say that "Better than Atlas Shrugged: Part 1" is some of the dimmest praise imaginable...and I generally like terrible movies about trains!
Also, it didn't really do a very good job of selling Rand's worldview. The Taggarts came across as being pretty monstrous and unlikable. I'm pretty surprised that the devotees lined up behind it so firmly. It's a terrible film, regardless of your political beliefs.
posted by schmod at 3:43 PM on October 16, 2012
Having sat through Part 1, I can safely say that "Better than Atlas Shrugged: Part 1" is some of the dimmest praise imaginable...and I generally like terrible movies about trains!
Also, it didn't really do a very good job of selling Rand's worldview. The Taggarts came across as being pretty monstrous and unlikable. I'm pretty surprised that the devotees lined up behind it so firmly. It's a terrible film, regardless of your political beliefs.
posted by schmod at 3:43 PM on October 16, 2012
You've all seen this already, but: Atlas Shrugged 2: One Hour Later.
posted by SPrintF at 5:05 PM on October 16, 2012
posted by SPrintF at 5:05 PM on October 16, 2012
Gotta love the Adsense content delivered on this page:
"Obama care is wrong and I will repeal it. Romney/Ryan 2012"
posted by mediocre at 6:25 PM on October 16, 2012
"Obama care is wrong and I will repeal it. Romney/Ryan 2012"
posted by mediocre at 6:25 PM on October 16, 2012
Personally, I prefer the delicious taste of Nietzsche Pops, but whatever works for you.
posted by Suddenly, elf ass at 9:22 PM on October 16, 2012
posted by Suddenly, elf ass at 9:22 PM on October 16, 2012
"An excellent series! I am amazed at people thinking this is political. Not one political party was mentioned."
Politics, like an accent, seems to be one of those things that the other guy has.
posted by Kit W at 7:00 AM on October 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Politics, like an accent, seems to be one of those things that the other guy has.
posted by Kit W at 7:00 AM on October 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Although Objectivists are particularly prone to this kind of thinking. I once got into a Facebook debate with a guy who claimed that "there is no such thing as a 'follower' of Ayn Rand. One reason this is true, is that it is a contradiction in terms. Rand's philosophy is based on an objective reality, and on the individual's responsibility to discover it.'
It's not a political position. It's objective reality.
posted by brundlefly at 11:22 AM on October 17, 2012
It's not a political position. It's objective reality.
posted by brundlefly at 11:22 AM on October 17, 2012
You've all seen this already, but: Atlas Shrugged 2: One Hour Later.
I don't understand this. Objectivism doesn't preclude there being people who can make lunch. It turns out that people get hungry and will give you their money to make food for them, and getting money is pretty much the goal of objectivism.
I realize I'm way over-thinking this comic, but seriously if you're going to mock something mock it.
posted by !Jim at 10:06 PM on October 17, 2012
I don't understand this. Objectivism doesn't preclude there being people who can make lunch. It turns out that people get hungry and will give you their money to make food for them, and getting money is pretty much the goal of objectivism.
I realize I'm way over-thinking this comic, but seriously if you're going to mock something mock it.
posted by !Jim at 10:06 PM on October 17, 2012
The Taggarts came across as being pretty monstrous and unlikable. I'm pretty surprised that the devotees lined up behind it so firmly. It's a terrible film, regardless of your political beliefs.
I guess this is as good a place as any to post the Forbes review, in which the reviewer flat out says: "In terms of the film’s quality, it seems high, but then so moved was this reviewer by the elevation of life’s winners, it’s arguably true that my bias blinds me to any weaknesses in the film that might exist."
Also contains completely unironic use of the phrase "shackled by the moochers".
posted by kagredon at 2:27 PM on October 25, 2012
I guess this is as good a place as any to post the Forbes review, in which the reviewer flat out says: "In terms of the film’s quality, it seems high, but then so moved was this reviewer by the elevation of life’s winners, it’s arguably true that my bias blinds me to any weaknesses in the film that might exist."
Also contains completely unironic use of the phrase "shackled by the moochers".
posted by kagredon at 2:27 PM on October 25, 2012
And as for unsympathetic protagonists, given some of the statements I've heard hardline Randians/objectivists/libertarians say without even a trace of self-awareness, I'm wonder if that's not part of the fantasy: a world in which instead of being horrified, people think you're really cool and awesome for saying poor people deserve to die.
posted by kagredon at 2:39 PM on October 25, 2012
posted by kagredon at 2:39 PM on October 25, 2012
a world in which instead of being horrified, people think you're really cool and awesome for saying poor people deserve to die.
It's not specifically horrible things. Randians believe you're cool and awesome if you say things they believe to be objectively true. Their ideal world consists of uncompromisingly rational people who look at the universe and all reach the same conclusions about what they're looking at.
The belief that rationality should be (or even can be) people's sole motivator goes a long way towards explaining why young computer geeks find Objectivism so appealing.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:07 PM on October 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's not specifically horrible things. Randians believe you're cool and awesome if you say things they believe to be objectively true. Their ideal world consists of uncompromisingly rational people who look at the universe and all reach the same conclusions about what they're looking at.
The belief that rationality should be (or even can be) people's sole motivator goes a long way towards explaining why young computer geeks find Objectivism so appealing.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:07 PM on October 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
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You, uh, better hurry.
posted by Egg Shen at 10:33 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]