opinions // 16

Some movies bomb, while others F-bomb

» ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ breaks record with most fucks said in film

 
  
   

Elliot Chan
. Opinions Editor
M opinions
@theotherpress.ca

| ow did it happen that we

now live in a world where
the movie with the highest
number of F-bombs dropped is
not in a gangster movie, serial
killer flick, or even a buddy
comedy, but rather a film about
stockbrokers?

There is no argument
around Martin Scorsese’s
prowess as a filmmaker, and
that any key choices made in

the film were well-calculated
and thought-out. I’m certain
he knew he was going to break
some record. After all, he has
shown affection for characters
with dirty mouths in his other
movies with high “fuck” counts:
Casino with 422, Goodfellas with
300, and The Departed with 237.
When profanity is used
appropriately in film, it has the
same effect as a nicely timed
edit ora tension-building film
score. You don’t even notice it,
because youre so enthralled by
the film itself. Odds are, while
sitting through The Wolf of Wall

 

SCOre.

: Street, you weren't tallying the

: number of “fucks”—instead,

: the fast-paced movie probably

: kept your attention for most of
: the three hours. But hey, I’m

: not writing a review; I’m just

: wondering what 506 fucks in

: 180 minutes would do to me.

: Turns out, nothing, because I’m
: used to it.

Swear words are so common

: these days that it feels a little

: ridiculous to even call attention
: to them. You hear them at

: sporting events and on the

: streets, you read them on the

: Internet and social media, and

: of course, they fill the airwaves
: every time the television is

: turned on. Shit happens and

: apparently, so does fuck.

I hope there will soon be

: actors mimicking Matthew

: McConaughey’s beautiful

: yet brutish monologue, or

: Leonardo DiCaprio’s fuck-filled
: narration—it really is a shame

: that The Wolf of Wall Street,

: pending Academy Awards, will
: be remembered for another

: fuckin’ accolade.

It’s not a contest or anything

: and a movie's objective is not
: to reach arbitrary milestones :
: suchas the one The Wolf of Wall :

: Street has achieved. A movie

: is entertainment, and the only

: way to entertain is to get the

: audience engaged in the story.

: How do you keep an audience

: engaged? The writer must be

: honest when writing the script,

: creating truth in the situations

: and the characters; and the

: filmmaker must have courage

: to follow through. Would the

: movie be any less if it only had

: 435 fucks like in Spike Lee’s 1999
: New York serial killer movie,

: Summer of Sam? Probably not—
: not any significant difference

: at least—but I know a censored

When profanity is used appropriately in film it has the
same effect as a nicely timed edit or a tension-building film

: version of both those movies
: would be unwatchable.

Which leads me to the next

: question: how long will it be

: until we get to see the next cuss-
: filled movie to overtake The

: Wolf of Wall Street? It’s hard to

: say, there is no particular trend.

: Since the early ‘90s, filmmakers

: have been taking more chances

: by incorporating risky language,
: while being governed by the

: motion picture rating system

: that limits their audience.

: Because swearing is such a

: common part of modern life, I

: can't imagine it taking too long.

theotherpress.ca

 

 

By Joel McCarthy

 

Walking the dog?

» Strollers are new perk that pets don’t need

p Julia Siedlanowska
| Staff Writer

 

6 GT The Dogger, a dog quality

product, is designed
with senior dogs in mind and
ensures that you and your
older dog have the very best
in comfort, maneuverability,
and control... Built to last, the
Dogger stroller is the best dog
stroller on the market,” says
the advertising for the Dogger.
Selling for $249.95, the stroller
offers rear suspension and
adjustable handlebar for dog
owners of different heights.

to you, but upon further
inspection it’s not much more
ridiculous than other dog
trends popularized in the past
decade.

The days when Dad would

: take Lassie out back for walks

: are gone, at least in the urban

: community; however, the

: relationship between humans

: and their canines has remained
: largely the same since.

I always attributed clothing

: for canines to the 2000s,

: when I saw it popularized by

: Paris Hilton’s chihuahua. But

: accessorizing your dog is a

: trend that has been around

: since King Cuo of Zhongshan,
: who was found buried with

: his dog in 309 BC. The dog

: was wearing a gold, silver, and
: turquoise collar, surely a symbol :
: of the ruler’s extreme wealth
This product may seem comical : 2nd power. So is the seemingly
: practical invention of a dog

: stroller not a symbol of status

: as well?

In the age of consumerism

: buyers, what you buy is who you :
: are. If you can afford a $250 dog
: stroller, you've either got your

: priorities mixed up, or you've

: got more money than you know
: what to do with. Personally, I

: don't really care. The argument
: that we treat our animals better
: than we treat some people is

: true and sad. The reality is

: that people generally don't

: help others unless it benefits

: themselves. Sure, there are

: random acts of kindness, but

: the majority of people I know

: don’t think about their actions

: in relation to the greater good.

Pets provide happiness, and

: so we provide for them—
: sometimes to excess.

Then there’s treating

pets like human babies and

: calling owners “parents.” This
: : I do have a problem with. As

: where companies will always try :
* to push unnecessary items onto

dog owners, you do havea

responsibility, not unlike that

: dependent being. Your pet or
: child requires discipline, and
: you require a certain amount of :
: education before you commit to :
: the responsibilities. I think that :
: people greatly underestimate

: the value of educational books
: and videos. There is a plethora
: of information for new dog

: owners, and just like purchasing :
: anew Honda requires research,
: so do pets.

: the house when you leave it?

: Perhaps the answer lies in your
: humanizing it and making a

: great deal of your departure.

: When Fido looks at you with

: those big black eyes and you

: gush over him before you leave
: for work in the morning, youre
: actually instilling a habit that

: will lead to separation anxiety.

: This materializes itself in

: further negative habits like

of parents: you are caring fora

Wonder why your dog soils

: peeing on the carpet, which
: Fido will likely be confused
: by later when you come home

angry.
Instead of “spoiling” your
dog with useless devices that

: inhibit its exercise, serve your
: dog by understanding it.

: Although I thinka stroller is

: perfectly justified for a dog

unable to walk, the Dogger

? must remain in the niche

: market. My problem is not

: with the humanization of pets,
: but the harm that it may cause

: them. Humans will always find
: creative ways to show their

: status (consciously or not), and
: marketers will always find a way
: to make us think something is a
: necessity. It’s our responsibility,
: however, to draw the line and

: ensure that we're doing things

: for our animals’ benefit.