Add Nakedness to the List
Last week (April 14, 2024), we noted that many people (apparently) think that vulgar speech is humorous. Although the actual obscenities are silenced and the lips are blurred, one can hear the studio audience laughing at the corrupt speech that has just been enunciated (consider Eph. 4:29, Matt. 12:35-37). Probably, most of us never thought that such corrupt speech was all that funny (especially if we were spanked for imitating that behavior). But now nakedness can be added to what constitutes hilarity, thanks to this year\n n
The host began the award for Best Costume Design by reminding everyone of the time David Niven was giving an award, and a streaker ran across the stage behind him. He says, “What would we think if something like that happened today?” Behind him, hidden by some stage props was a supposedly very nervous man, naked, who was supposed to present the award. They banter back and forth. The naked man is John Cena, known mostly for being an American professional wrestler—with the WWE since 2001. He protests that he cannot appear naked on the stage, but the host of the Awards (Jimmy Kimmel) asserts that he’s practically naked when he wrestles, to which Cena replies that he is wearing shorts then; Kimmel quips, “Shorts are worse than naked.” Ha. Ha.
The banter continues until Cena relents. Holding the manilla envelope over his private part, he shuffles sideways over to the microphone. This all seems to be funny to most of the audience. And it is ironic that a nearly naked man would give the award for best costume design, over which skilled persons probably labored diligently for weeks (as opposed to just placing a manilla envelope in a strategic location). Apparently, the bit received a favorable response by the majority of those present and perhaps viewers at home—which should tell all of us something about Hollywood. As Geoff Rowe used to say, “What can you expect from people whose job it is to lie for a living?”
Someone will probably try a way to top that stunt, but most of us will not want to watch whatever it is. Will someone try to find a way to make child molestation humorous? One would scarcely be surprised. With this latest skit, one could say that the “stars” have pushed the envelope far enough already. Hollywood no longer contains that certain mystique of glamor and optimism that good will win out. All of that was pretense anyway; sordid things were always going on in the background. But the public always chose to believe the myth. Actually, Hollywood is just a seamy place with those who are willing to act (or be) degenerate. As Paul Simon wrote in another context, “You know, I don’t find this stuff amusing anymore.”