Random Blog: The Genius Behind Pootie Tang

                                            Today---I got home and turned on the TV right away. This is generally my first move when I get home. But this was a special kind of turning on the TV for when I turned it on....I noticed that the critically panned comedy Pootie Tang was on Comedy Central. As I sat there on my couch watching it...I felt obliged to run over to the computer and tell the world about my love of this film. It's a film I hold near and dear to my heart. Now...before you go off on a rant about how this is just some stupid comedy....let me explain why you would be completely wrong to do so.

                                             First and foremost---you would be wrong because this is one of the smartest movies you will ever see. On the surface...this looks like a ridiculous, dumb parody of the Blaxplotation films of the 70's. On the contrary, this is a social satire that not only has something to say about the world we live in but does so in an incredibly smart manner. Take the fact that all the heroes are black and all the heavies are white. By presenting an idea that is the opposite of what you think it will be...it says something about the racism that is still going on in our world today. Take another example----a scene in which Pootie (Lance Crouther)'s father (Chris Rock) is attacked by a gorilla at work and the narrator of the film, Trucky (JB Smoove) says "Only the third time a man had been mauled by a gorilla at that steel mill." This actually does say something about working conditions in steel mills, factories and other places of that sort. I'm really not kidding when I say this film is absolutely brilliant.

                                                The film was written and directed by hilarious stand up comedian Louis CK. CK who has had two shows---the short-lived "Lucky Louie" and the successful "Louie." When this film was released....it was panned by critics such as Roger Ebert who asked "How did this train wreck happen?" Still....CK proved himself to be a master of comedy with this film. Who can blame companies for seeing that CK was a funny guy? This is not the funniest film I've ever seen. That honor still belongs to Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy. Still---this is definitely one of the smartest films I've ever seen if not the smartest.  Also...it's the 3rd funniest film I've ever seen (I still think Fear Of A Black Hat gets that #2 spot) and that averages out quite nicely.

                                                  A comedy I have not yet mentioned...Office Space is still my favorite film of all time. Just like Mike Judge's workplace comedy...I have watched Pootie Tang around 100 times and it has never gotten old. It's one of those rare films I actually wished was a half an hour longer. At only 81 minutes...Pootie Tang always has me wishing I could spend more time with all the characters of this film.