Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Hitler discovers that Starship Troopers was a parody

After watching the brilliant video: "Hitler Finds Out Rick Perry Completely Failed at the CNBC Debate"(see embedded video below), I found myself reading an old NYT article on the phenomenon of "Downfall Parodies" (from Feb. 2010). And then I spent about 10 minutes trying to think up a good topic for a "downfall parody" of my own. And then it hit me: "Hitler discovers that the film Starship Troopers was actually a parody of fascism and militarism."

Of course I will probably never actually carry through and make the video. So if anyone reads this and wants to take a shot at it, please feel free, so long as you 'fess up and admit that you stole the idea from me!!



Are You Doing Your Part??



Hey kids, here are some more Starship Troopers related links:
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9 comments:

  1. KullervoNovember 15, 2011 at 10:17 PM

    Honestly? I never bought that explanation for Starship Troopers. That sounds like the kind of desperate thing you say after the fact to save face after you've made a completely shitty movie.

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  2. Apuleius PlatonicusNovember 16, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    Well, as long as we are being honest, I kind of liked the movie myself. Michael Ironside was pretty awesome. And Neal Patrick Harris' transformation into cold-blooded Gestapo dillwad was entertaining. And I also think that it worked just as a straight-up action movie.

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  3. KaukoNovember 16, 2011 at 1:08 PM

    I remember years ago, I was at a retaurant with some friends and there happened to be a table full of huge fans of the original Starship Troopers book right next to my table. These people spent the entire time they were there gushing over the book and how the world would be so much better if we just followed its political philosophy. It was pretty obnoxious, actually.

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  4. JamesNovember 16, 2011 at 1:57 PM

    Me, I'm mildly ashamed I like the movie. Even watched it again not long ago when my spouse was out of town. Other than perhaps revealing an inner fascist, I blame the fact I adored Heinlein as a kid & like the story that it was nostalgia for an old but youthful infatuation...

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  5. Apuleius PlatonicusNovember 16, 2011 at 1:58 PM

    As far as the book goes, it was a real disappointment to me. I read it right after having read "Forever War" by Joe Halderman, which made it even worse.

    It's hard to believe the thing won a Hugo.

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  6. Apuleius PlatonicusNovember 16, 2011 at 2:00 PM

    @James: it's OK - just so long as you didn't spend $$$ on any of the direct-to-video sequels!

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  7. Apuleius PlatonicusNovember 16, 2011 at 2:04 PM

    In the interests of full disclosure I should reveal that I also liked the original Battlestar Galactica, and I also greatly enjoyed "Judge Dredd" (the '95 one with Sly Stallone).

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  8. AnonymousNovember 16, 2011 at 5:44 PM

    I took it as a parody from the first time I saw it. Look at the casting.
    Look at the propaganda sequences.
    I think it is a good parody and it was intended as such.

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  9. Todd JacksonJanuary 7, 2012 at 10:27 AM

    "What's it thinking?"

    "It's afraid!"

    Thousands cheer.

    That's parody.

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