I learned the origins of the words "idiot", "moron", and "imbecile" but I could have unearthed that in an article. I learned who some of the leading authors are in this understudied field of "stupid" but I could have unearthed that in an Amazon book search. I didn't leanr anything about the nature of "stupidity" other
than it is hard to find a consensus on the definition of the word, but that lack of consensus hold true for any loaded and complicated subject that tries to pick one all-encompassing word to define it. I was, at least, impressed by the lineup of intelligent individuals the film-makers were able to interview. My biggest sense of being cheated by this film is that it doesn't do something so utterly obvious - interview and explore the lives of the "stupid". The film also never addresses the idea that stupidity, idiocy, etc can all be defined by their antithesis to a system to which most of modern societies subscribe, the fields of "logic" and "ration". This film just does not provoke enough thought on non-thought, and often ignores the elephant in the room of stating that the film-makers, like the researchers they are interviewing and referencing, define stupidity by a lack of awareness. But I guess that is all okay because the opening disclaimer is that the film was made by idiots.Just not a revealing documentary and not worth your time. If you wish to further investigate the realm of stupidity and its brethren, watch a few episodes of Jackass and make your own observations on why and what could be considered "stupid".
August 27, 2009
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