Woke killed the modern movie comedy.
Don't believe it? Just ask podcast giant Joe Rogan and "Hangover" director Todd Phillips.
Rogan repeatedly bemoaned the state of big-screen comedies on his signature podcast.
Wokeness killed the comedy movie in a lot of ways ... Is there even an attempt at a politically correct comedy movie?
Phillips, who gave us three "Hangover" films and the great Will Ferrell comedy "Old School," directed 2019's "Joker" after the woke mob cuffed comedy scribes.
There were articles written about why comedies don’t work anymore—I’ll tell you why, because all the f***ing funny guys are like, ‘F*** this s***, because I don’t want to offend you.’ It’s hard to argue with 30 million people on Twitter. You just can’t do it, right?
You don't need experts to spell it out, though. When was the last great R-rated comedy? "Bridesmaids?" That was in 2011. "Step Brothers" is nearly 20 years old (2008).
Now, finally, we have a week with not one but two funny new movies.
First up is "The Invite," by director Olivia Wilde. She plays Seth Rogen's wife in the film, and this couple does nothing but bicker. It's funny in a deeply dysfunctional way, and the sparks really fly when they invite their hip, attractive neighbors (Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton) over for dinner.
The dysfunction is only beginning. Rogen essentially plays his usual stoner self, but his comic timing remains tight and the script offers the foursome plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
Funny, funny stuff. Not woke, just keenly observed takes on marriage, sex, relationships and more. Credit Wilde for keeping what should have been a stage play visually electric.
If "The Invite" is too cringey given the material there's a fun Plan B.
"Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass" find a bride-to-be fuming that her fiance just hooked up with his favorite female celebrity.
Thus the "Sex Pass" part of the story. To balance the ledger, the fuming fiancee (Zoey Deutch) decides to bed her celebrity crush, Jon Hamm. It's silliness on a grand scale with funny cameos and a seriously wacky spirit. Some jokes land. Many don't. The overall effect is dizzying and oddly sweet.
"Gail Daughtry" isn't woke, nor does it stop to deliver any lectures about feminism or other oh, so 2020 vibes. It's the kind of film we might expect pre-2015, when the woke mind virus infiltrated Hollywood.
We've seen some recent attempts to bring back raw and raucous comedies. The results have been ... mixed.
The 2024 film "Ricky Stanicky" had its moments, but it couldn't sustain that madcap spirit. It also bowed on Prime Video, where audiences couldn't assemble in a theater and laugh together like the old days.
The more recent "Busboys" with David Spade and Theo Von got ignored in theaters.
It's hopeful to see two solid comedies opening wide on a given weekend. It's also important to see woke comedy scolds losing their cultural power, witness the recent celebrity roasts where no one suffered any cancellation threats.
