Watching the film in class on Monday, I thought a lot about Veronica's point regarding censorship and humor. Bernstein makes clear at the end of Inside Out that the only way the studio would let him make the movie is if it were a comedy. What is the reasoning behind this? Is a strong political message more easily written off and explained away if it is presented in a comedic format rather than a dramatic or straight manner? Or is it that an attack is believed to be softened by being coupled with humor, as some sort of a consolation or resassurance?
In recent political controversies and campaigns, it seems that some of the most vicious and effective attacks on ideology have come from a comedic perspective. Take the "Gathering Storm" campaign by the National Organization for Marriage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp76ly2_NoI&feature=related) and one of the many satyrical responses to it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCLClFEtO0E&feature=related). While humor may be thought to make a message less severe, in this case (and in The Front as well) the humor involved serves to characterize the opposition as illogical and incorrect in a way that is accessible to a wider audience.
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