If you get it, you get it! 🤣
In 1987, comedic filmmaker Mel Brooks released one of his many classics, Spaceballs, a spoof/parody of the beloved Star Wars franchise, complete with massive Starships, prissy androids, and energy-based phallic symbols...uh, I mean...Lightsabers! Like the rest of Mr. Brooks' films, Spaceballs delivers a loving over-the-top comedic romp poking fun at Star Wars while simultaneously praising what made the franchise so memorable. Apparently, Mel Brooks secured the blessing of George Lucas himself, under the condition that he does not produce any merchandise from the movie. This is a shame because I have longed for Yogurt's plush doll to add to my collection.
Not too long ago, it was announced that an official sequel, starring Josh Gad and produced by Mr. Brooks himself, was in production over at Amazon/MGM studios. As of this writing, this project is only in the earliest phases of development. As such, there isn't much to say about it other than it's not a good idea. Not only is there no justification for making a sequel to Spaceballs (other than as a blatant nostalgic cash-grab), but also because no one in Hollywood or anywhere else knows how to make this particular style of comedy anymore!
Mel Brooks's style is best defined as over-the-top silliness fused with clever innuendo and a dash of spontaneous creativity and humor the cast encourages. This style has been well demonstrated and perfected by classic comedic talents such as Rowan Atkinson, Monty Python, and Laurel & Hardy. A style that encourages letting go of convention and embracing the absurd. Mr. Brooks also remains one of the few comedic talents who genuinely understands the nature of comedy and has never been afraid to venture into the dreaded questionable realm of "Isn't that offensive?"
In my opinion, the comedy genius of Mel Brookes has never gone out of fashion, despite its unfortunate lack of a presence in the modern comedic landscape, which seems to favor adolescent potty jokes and what I refer to as "Awkward Moment Humor," neither of which have rarely (if ever) been actually funny! And before you point out my possible inadvertent hypocrisy with the most fantastic fart joke scene in cinema history from Mr. Brooks himself, please allow me to elaborate!
Yes, Mel Brooks has made jokes in his movies that could be categorized as offensive or inappropriate by modern standards, but here's the thing: At least some people perceive EVERYTHING that way in this modern world!
Consider this quote from another comedic icon, Steve Martin: "Comedy is not pretty." While there are many ways to potentially interpret that quote, the most essential and relevant to this blog entry is that comedy is subjective and harsh, for want of a better word! By its very nature, comedy stems from observing and singling out the absurd and impracticality in every aspect of our existence. This includes but is not limited to government idiocracy, subpar human behavior, and little unusual interactions in our day-to-day lives. These are but a handful of the strange yet familiar things found in our world that can be difficult to process and challenging to comprehend, so we turn to comedy to not only make us feel a bit better about it all but also for a little reassurance that we're not alone in our frustrations.
Consider another Mel Brooks classic from 1974, Blazing Saddles. For those who have not yet seen it (and why haven't you already?), Blazing Saddles is a loving spoof of the cowboy western genre. It follows the exploits of a young man, who happens to be black, named Bart, who is chosen as the new Sheriff of a small, troubled town known as Rock Ridge. Despite confrontations from heavy racism, Bart is determined to win over the people and optimistically takes on the role of Sheriff. One day, while walking through the town, Bart stops to say hello to one of the locals, wishing her a good morning and commenting on how nice of a day it is, to which the local responds, "Up yours, n!**er," leaving Bart somewhat confused and frustrated.
As I'm sure you've noticed, that scene contained a racial slur. It works in this scene because Mel Brooks isn't using it to be mean; he uses it to make a point! Mel Brooks points out the ridiculousness of racism in the form of a clever joke, complete with a proper set-up, build, and punchline. It's openly mocking racism without being racist itself!
This joke would not work without using that awful word in English, commonly known as the "N" word. Had this movie been released just a few years ago, no one would have been talking about how clever the joke was; they would have been raging over using the "N" word and completely ignoring or misunderstanding the intended use!
Please understand this is not me ranting about oversensitive people, cancel culture, and trigger warnings. Living in an age where people try to be more thoughtful about their past and present actions is fantastic. This quality is long overdue in our society and culture, and I greatly appreciate the efforts made to make ourselves more aware and understanding. But there is a line, and attacking comedic efforts to point out our faults and hypocrisies absolutely crosses it!
Comedy is not pretty because, by its nature, it delves into the uglier aspects of our humanity and tries to encourage us to do better through laughter and overwhelming emotional resonance. In the modern age of knee-jerk reactions to seemingly politically incorrect, insensitive, or inappropriate things, comedy is losing its ability to have any meaningful impact on our perception and progress as a culture and especially as a species!
Mel Brooks isn't a comedic genius because he used the "N" word; he's a comedic genius because he knew how to use it and why! So, unless the folks over at Amazon/MGM studios are prepared to genuinely allow comedy to return to its roots, as it were, I have no faith in anyone's ability to deliver a proper sequel to any of Mel Brooks' works, even with his direct or indirect involvement! Not only is there no justifiable reason outside of naked nostalgic cash grabs, but no one in modern Hollywood (or anywhere else, for that matter) has the courage, wisdom, or appropriate amount of legal insanity to deliver the kind of cleverness people like Mel Brooks specialized in.
Since the movie has not been filmed yet, I am happy to reserve my judgment for when it is released. In the meantime, I'm not holding my breath.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and comb the desert for something I can't find.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
