The Coffee-Philosophers.

So I went for coffee with my brother this morning. He's a fun guy to chat with, and we both have similar views on art and movies. As a matter of fact, we both have our eyes set on making movies one day, and he's actually going to school for directing pretty soon. He's also got an awesome blog located here 
for anyone who'd like to see an off-the-hook movie blog. Seriously, he's pretty out there, and swears like a drunken sailor while giving you his opinions about whatever he wants to talk about.

Anyhow we talked about movies and art and how movies and video games are trying too hard to appeal to the widest audience possible. It's a shame really, the more "free" people become, the more (it would seem) they get shallow and enjoy only the most cliche and dull forms of entertainment. My personal opinion is that people are bored and have all but given up on life. What is needed is some excitement, and that is pretty much what me and my brother want to do with our movies. Bring back the shocking and controversial form of art. Course by the time we get into films, controversial might be illegal.

There's a huge problem when you can't laugh at yourself, and this becomes "offense". The thing is, you can take anything the way you want to so, really, if someone says something about you and you take it as an insult, you've basically insulted yourself. Nothing's bad unless you decide it is, and I wish people would know and exercise that instead of adding hundreds of laws to the "politically-correct bible" to keep everyone feeling good about themselves. But again, there's a catch: if you don't feel good about yourself, you won't feel better if no one says anything about you, and (unless you want people to lie to you) you're out of luck until you accept yourself the way you are. Again, not till the world, your family, or other people accept who you are, YOU have to do the accepting, and then, as if by magic, you won't care even if people DO hate you.

To illustrate this point best I'd like to direct you fine folks to the following videos of one of my favorite comedians, Don Rickles. The thing about Don is he has fun, and sometimes that can mean he gets controversial, but you can sure tell when he encounters people who are completely fine with a little ball-busting, take a look:

Now in that one, he busts on David Letterman, Filipinos, his wife, and so on. Letterman does try to get Rickles to tone it down at various points, but I have the suspicion that it's only due to television censorshiop obligations, and NOT because Letterman himself wants Don to "keep it decent". The guy is having a great time, and it shows. 

In this next clip we see the same thing, only this time with Denzel Washington who, despite being the subject of a few racist jokes, is laughing his HEAD off, and I can't imagine him being sore or "hurt" at any point during the relentlessly funny foray of the Don.

This final clip is taken from when Don Rickles gave a toast to Martin Scorsese,  and once again, "Mr. Warmth" shows his respect and admiration for people with his humor. 

It has been said that the only time people feel insulted by Mr. Rickles, is when he doesn't insult them. Imagine that.