I have always been one for pondering the mysteries of life. Here's my latest: for the second week in a row, "Paul Blart, Mall Cop" has been number one at the box office.Okay, I confess, I chuckled at the trailer when in the theater for another show. I tried to be a good sport about the possibilities, remembering Kevin James's memorable romantic nerd as one of the high spots of the movie "Hitch." And I honestly think Kevin James has a handsome face. . . on a nerdly body. He's naturally comedic and has an appealing "every man" thing going.
But really. Number One? In the season of "Benjamin Button" and "Doubt" and "Slumdog Millionaire" and even the Oscar-snubbed "Gran Torino"? Yep. Numero Uno.
Interestingly, this happens in the same week that Academy Award nominations were announced for most of the above-mentioned movies. . . none of which even made it into the top four on any given week. So what does that say about the disconnect between the Hollwood-ites and the rest of the viewing public? That it's big and growing? That it's in danger of snapping the fragile ties of respect the viewing public has for Oscars? That Hollywood is badly misreading the mood of the country? That our tolerance for paying $8.50 to $10.00 to sit in a darkened theater and be talked down to or be badgered with depressing or sobering or even just quirky images has reach the breaking point?
Maybe it means that with Caterpillar laying off 20,000 (announced this morning!) and Detroit circling the drain and the biggest banks in the country on public life support and everyone's retirement decimated and income in jeopardy . . . we just need a damned good laugh.
And maybe it means that the operatic lives of the stars and the arrogance of the Hollywood elite have finally exceeded our appetite for them. Maybe it means we're getting back to more central and down-to-earth values. It's hard to admire Paris Hilton's swag-grabbing greed and self-absorbed self-importance, or marvel at the millions paid for pictures of the "it" couple's new baby when people all around you are losing jobs and you're wondering where your next house payment is coming from.
Maybe it's a sign our society is waking up. Growing up. Maybe it's just the pendulum swinging back. . . away from artifice and glamor to something more basic and enduring. Fun. Escape into good fiction. Bonding with characters because they're kind of like us. Enjoying their triumph vicariously.
And maybe it's the REVENGE OF THE NERDS boxoffice style. Maybe nerds really are sexier and more desirable than anybody gives them credit for. They're certainly more interesting than the manequin-perfect pretty boys Hollywood churns out in droves. I mean, there were a couple of guys in my high school class who had distinct possibilities. . . waaaay smart, nose stuck in books, not at all conceited, and not especially social. . . who turned out to be quite the catch. Did you have any of those guys in your class? Where are they now?
What do you think? Do we just have "hottie" fatigue? Are we tired of washboard abs and guys who are too sexy for their shirts? Is Nerd the new Hottie? Or is there room for both in our hearts and imaginations? Check this out:
Is he adorable or what?
WHAT do you think? What's responsible for the success of "Mall Cop?" How many of the Academy Awards's "Best Picture" nominees have you seen? How many would you/do you want to see? And do you think Nerds may be on the way IN?
