9.15.20 Bee-otch of the Day: Rupert Murdoch

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Name: Rupert Murdoch
Age: 89
Occupation: Fox's owner
Last Seen: New York City
Bee-otched For: being a man of poor Judge-ment

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Some of the greatest films of all time didn't start out big.

When "It's A Wonderful Life" was released in 1946, it tanked with both critics and audiences. By the 1970s, the rights of the movie changed hands and its copyright lapsed. However, because it was now in the public domain, TV stations could show it at anytime. Because of its big star, Jimmy Stewart and the fact that it was now free to air, "It's A Wonderful Life" was now a hit, some 30 years after it was produced. 

Other films took years to achieve cult status, too, like "A Christmas Story", which was only a modest hit when it was released in 1983. But thanks to TBS and TNT's holiday marathons with the film, millions of people around the world shoot their eyes out with little Ralphie every Christmas. 

Well, we can go on and on. Just because a film bombs at the box office doesn't mean that it's the end of the world. Just ask Mike Judge. When "Office Space" was released in 1999, it was a massive flop, only making $12 million. But, it did well on home video and cable showings.

Seven years after "Office Space", Judge wanted to hit the big screen again. So, he crafted the sci-fi comedy "Idiocracy". In the movie, Luke Wilson plays an Army librarian who goes into the future with a prostitute, played by Maya Rudolph. They discover that in 2505, the world isn't necessarily a better place.  As a matter of fact, most people lack a real intellect.

For an example, people in 2505 are so dumb that they'll believe anything. Not only that, but people are named after name brands (the president, played by Terry Crews, has the middle name of "Mountain Dew"). 

Now, sadly, I never got the chance to see the movie when it was released. Neither did most people. It only made $495,000 on a $4 million budget. I did see the tail end of it on Comedy Central once, but that was it. It turned into one of those films I would see someday in full.

Well, I finally saw it on demand on Saturday. Talk about well before its time.

What made "Idiocracy" special was that it was 100% on the mark on so much. It speaks the truth regarding why stupid people keep breeding while poor souls like me are screwed over. I think the message that the movie tells is that people with low IQs run the world and will listen to anything. Kinda like Drumpf and his sheep. 

So, why did "Idiocracy" flop? Good question. Of course, Mike Judge made tons of money for 20th Century Fox thanks to King of the Hill and "Office Space". Apparently, when Fox executives saw "Idiocracy" for the first time, they were scared shitless. You see, the movie is loaded with not-so-nice uses of big name companies, like Starbucks, Pepsi and Fuddrucker's, which was renamed "Buttfucker's" for the film. Apparently, prostitution is everywhere and you can get a hand job at Starbucks. 

So, what did Fox do? Simple: they buried the film. They did EXTREMELY little promotion for "Idiocracy". They did virtually no advertising and no trailers for the film. It wasn't even screened for critics, which is a traditional death knell for any movie. 

However, it did find its audience. Like "Office Space", it did get shown on Comedy Central and it did get a following. Eventually, rentals helped cover the film's box office bust. Thanks to the fact that the film is now a cult classic, it should be seen.

Of course, the Murdochs sold Twentieth Century Fox to Disney not long ago for $71.3 billion. They kept the Fox name for their broadcasting division while Disney renamed the 85-year-old company Twentieth Century Studios. In other words, King of the Hill, "Office Space" and "Idiocracy" are now in the Mouse's hands, along with his 2009 flop, "Extract" which he made for their now-spun-off Miramax division. 

By now, we all know that Judge is hard at work producing a new Beavis and Butt-head series for Comedy Central. Bear in mind, too that his short-lived The Goode Family - whose main character was a rip-off of David VanDreesen from B&B - aired for one season on ABC. I don't think he'll be doing anything for Mickey anytime soon. 

"Idiocracy" speaks the sad truth that corporate America is simply dumbing us down. Their goal is to rid the world of intelligence to make their shit sell easier. Look at MyPillow: its creator, Mike Lindell, has made millions from claiming that he's a sleep expert, which he is not. My mother's boyfriend even bought one of his shitty pillows and it only made his sleep worse. And what has Lindell used the money he scammed people on? FAR-RIGHT-WINGED CAUSES! He spent a million dollars on a movie that spread lies on Planned Parenthood and he also is one of Fox News Channel's biggest advertisers. I would imagine if MyPillow was around in 2006, it would be namedropped in the movie as a Fleshlight-like device. 

So if you get the chance, please see "Idiocracy"! It will be stupid if you didn't.

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