One of the most pervasive elements and media, across nearly every medium and genre, is a growing sense of pessimism regarding the world we find ourselves in today. Some very prevalent examples are the headlines and news we see about human and environmental tragedies, but this pessimism is especially predominant in films marketed towards and portraying teenagers and young adults; for example, the dystopian sub-genre has been growing exponentially in recent decades.
And so, as the supply of negativity increases, demand goes through the roof--in the opposite direction.
Ignorance is Bliss
Do I know the world is growing steadily hotter and hotter, fueled by the ramifications of centuries of capitalism that have allowed corporate influence to permeate governments worldwide, protecting this death march behind layers upon layers of policy? Yes.
Do I want to? [F-WORD] no.
People, especially teenagers and young adults, want to ignore the global issues they're born into, and just turn their brains off. Production studios know this, which is why they churn out so many comedies, romances, holiday movies, etc. Though their target audience is typically older generations, a great example of this practice is Public Enemy #1: Hallmark Media.
Christmas Homestead, Finding Santa, With Love, Christmas, A Wish For Christmas, The Christmas Cottage--you can read the rest. The obsession with Christmas has gotta be anti-semitic or Islamophobic or something...
Again, a great example of happy, mindless entertainment marketed to a specific audience. However, the genre I'd like to explore is one not only for teens and young adults, but queer teens and young adults; camp.
NOTE: The words "teenagers and young adults" appears far too much in this post. To improve the overall reading experience, many synonyms will be used, i.e. whippersnappers, youngsters, etc. You're welcome.
Do You Mean the Hit Indie Film/Musical Camp (2003) Directed by Todd Graff and Starring Anna Kendrick?
Camp, as defined by Urban Dictionary, is "so bad it's good. except it's gay." And though user urmomshotcorn summarized it rather eloquently, there's more to it than that.
Gay Turducken - Content
As the quote establishes, one of the main characteristics of a campy film is heavy presence of queer and/or feminine actors/actresses in the main cast. Queer representation in media, or at least good queer representation in media, has been increasing greatly in recent years, but most films of past decades noticeably lack any characters that aren't straight and cisgendered.
Camp is the same way; it doesn't have to be gay to be part of gay culture, and typically this occurs with movies that have a female lead. Especially if that lead is Anne Hathaway.
Beyond queerness, campy films typically feature something else; that "so bad it's good" element. I emphasize the word typically because I believe that while it's a feature found in the majority of the genre, it is not a requirement. In fact, this past year there have been two specific films made that intentionally lean into the genre characteristics while still being genuinely good productions. More on that at 5:00.
The "so bad it's good"-ness, henceforth silliness, can be found in just about any and every genre. A quick Google search of "campy movies" will show romance, horror, thrillers, comedies, sci-fi, action--you name it, they've got it.
All these movies are united by one thing; they're shit. They're so shit, in fact, that watching them is the funniest and most fun experience you will ever have.
Is the movie objectively good? No. It's an odd premise and weak story, the only selling point being the lead actress. But the real question is is it fun? And the answer is undoubtedly yes.
I saw the movie in theaters with a group of friends, and we all walked out with eight-packs from laughing so hard. The writing is either incredibly stupid or unbearably corny, to the point where you just can't help but laugh. And that type of silly writing is quintessential to the vast majority of campy movies.
Trust Me, I'm Bisexual - Production Techniques
Camp is a label that can apply to films of many genres and sub-genres. Some (me) would say you could therefore call it a mega-genre. Those some are really bad at naming things.
Regardless, because there are just so many different types of films that fall under its umbrella, the production quality and choices behind them vary heavily. But, as per usual, they are united in their terrible execution. While a film that's grounded in what's realistic might just be visually bland and ordinary, like No Hard Feelings, ones that seek to explore more creative compositions fail in the most spectacular ways.
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005) is a movie that anyone born in the 2000s has at least heard of, if not seen. Its special effects are.. special.. and aside from that the plot is batshit crazy. With a ten-second analysis of this image and a decent understanding of Blender you could probably recreate it at home.
to be continued
