Young liberals embrace far too much far too easily. In the process of being “cool” and “rebellious”, sometimes, you embrace stupidity and immorality. As always, it’s much more convenient to accept what is fed to you than to question it.
This is the issue I take with Rocky Horror Picture Show. This is a movie that “pushes the boundaries” as they say. Which is why, I gather, that young people and liberals are so fond of it. At least, this is the reason provided – I’m sure the actual reason is much more superficial. Mere perpetuation in and of itself is often enough.
My thoughts on the movie are such: it’s filth. It both promotes reckless frivolousness (which is a dangerous course, but negligible on its own), and most importantly, sanctions immorality in the name of “pushing boundaries.”
Believe it or not, but some boundaries ought not to be pushed. That’s why some societal values exist, as they have legitimate, reasonable and sensitive purposes. One of those boundaries that our society trys to support (there are loopholes and doublestandards on this front, I admit) is, when it comes to sex, taking advantage of your partner – in any way – is, if not out right immoral, morally ambiguous. If you’re sober, and you “court” someone while they’re inebriated – that’s probably (definitively) immoral. If you lie and trick your way into somebody’s pants, that’s also wrong.
It’s hard to find disagreement over this, these days. Especially among feminist-sympathizing young people. But alas such moral considerations are overlooked when it comes to popular culture, naturally!
The most glaring example would be when the transsexual Dr. Frank-N-Furter (sigh) fools, in the same night, the witless couple – each individually – to sleep with “it”. As this couple sleeps in separate beds, out of necessity, he sneaks into each respective room. As the lights are off, he slowly “makes out” with them while pretending to be the respective opposite sex partner – with this, he fools them. He pretends to be each respective lover. And, as the movie displays, both the male and the female eventually consent to more intercourse because they’re overwhelmed with pleasure “it” has given them.
But yet, of course, this is considered perfectly fine for a modern viewer. A host in an unfamiliar place initiating unwanted sexual contact, whilst pretending to be somebody else, to eventually get sex. Any modern feminist would have a hard time interpreting this as something other than rape, and at the very least misrepresentation (fraud) and molestation. Either way, pretty big moral lapses as far as I can tell.
This film was “subversive”, evidently. Sometimes you shouldn’t subvert this idea of “consent” and “honesty” – these are two values that ought to be esteemed above all else. To overlook this giant moral wrong in an otherwise stupid movie is still unacceptable.
I’ve had people tell me I’m “taking it too seriously” – to which I don’t understand. There’s a reason why rape jokes aren’t funny: because rape isn’t funny, and rape is far too serious an issue to make light of. Why is okay, in this instance, to “not take it seriously?” And shouldn’t us young people be uncomfortable with any movie which sanctions or makes light of that?