Ridiculous

In Red Foo's most recent and insanely fun dance song, he calls everyone to ridiculousness. Why don't we? What prevents us from going a bit crazy and dancing extravagantly or laughing our heads off? Why are we are so restrained by our inhibitions and repressed by the scary prospect of being judged by others as stupid or weird? Why can't we let go? Why do we stay in the trenches and never rush over the top?

I watched The Internship last week, and aside from thinking that it should have won an academy award for  perpetuating cultural stereotypes, and for destroying itself with two particularly cringe worthy scenes-if you've seen it, think dance club restroom and nursing home- it made me wonder why people are all so understated.  Apart from celebrities, from whom bizarre behaviour and appearance is expected, and characters in movies or television shows, there are very few larger than life characters. Most people keep a lid on themselves.

The ridiculous, exaggerated and farcically comical words and deeds of people in films and on TV shows is largely absent from our everyday lives. Why? When was the last time you Tom Cruised around your living room in your underpants? Or made love slowly, like Demi and Patrick in Ghost? Or stood half naked in the rain with your hands held to the sky a la Shawshank Redemption? Or celebrated victory like Steve Martin in Parenthood? When was the last time you laughed so much you couldn't stand up? 

Are all the great highs of our lives only experienced vicariously through films, televisions, and books? Is outlandish behaviour only for entertainment purposes, or should it be used as an expression of gratitude and liberty?Are we really living or just passing the time? 

Photo source:
http://lovethoseclassicmovies.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/risky-business-1983-there-is-time-for.html