Friday 26 June 2015

Tasteless vulgarity


In the shoddy light of Ted 2 release, one has to make an important distinction. Distinction between The Big Lebowski and Ted. Or, in other words, distinction between vulgarity and tasteless vulgarity.

Or could we just say scatological humour isn’t funny and be done with it? I mean, Ted was funny in places, but Christ Jesus God people laughing at fart jokes? Actually laughing?..

Unfathomable.

Imagine the Coen brothers doing something like that. Truth is, they never have/had to because they possess enough taste and style to be vulgar and retain taste. I have probably watched The Big Lebowski a million times now, and not once have I winced at a dick joke. It’s because the Coens know how to contextualize it, not just splash (jizz in Ted’s case) in your face in a crude, uncalled for kind of way. 

And that, I believe, is a vital distinction to make.