J and I went to see the Dictator last weekend. We are usually the takeout and HIMYM rerun crowd but couldn’t resist SBC‘s latest work. We love (and cite endlessly lines from) Borat and crass humor so the Dictator is very much our cup of tea. If you enjoyed Borat but found Bruno to have crossed the line (with excessive nudity), I think you’ll like the Dictator.
As funny as over-the-top theatrics and toilet humor may appear to us – those of us who share our sense of humor with 10-year-old boys – real-life dictators are not funny at all. There were moments in the movie when I would first laugh out loud and then fall into an abrupt silence. After all, there is nothing funny about infanticide, rape, or nuclear proliferation in unstable regimes.
I enjoyed the dictator as a work of fiction and realize that the movie pokes fun at both dictatorships and democracy – no political system is perfect. I do, however, want to end this post with a Foreign Policy article from 2010 that lists some of the most ruthless dictators, some of whom have already been ousted from power since then. For better or worse, disgruntled people and the recent economic turmoil are fueling the fire that’s overthrowing dictatorships.
Have a terrific long weekend, everyone!
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| Ann Taylor blouse, H&M blazer, Club Monaco skirt, Butter shoes, and J. Crew bag |
