2. It's Sarcastic Commentary Done Right
Idiocracy cuts deep into American culture, which is probably why it was not widely accepted or marketed. The very thing it addresses is also its most negative point; America is not the glowing green light at the end of the dock, to pull a 'of-the-moment' Great Gatsby reference. It's a country that has become reliant on corporations and of the meekness of its citizens to not care about where things are going, provided they have the right distractions and as Dax Sheppard repeatedly states "likes money". Yet, I don't feel Idiocracy comes off as heavy-handed like a Michael Moore documentary nor does it come off as light-hearted and slapstick like a Mel Brooks comedy. It's a veiled warning of a possible scenario that sometimes we see directly in our internet feeds and on news channels. It's what could happen if education is placed behind television ratings, if corporations take over social services. If our quest for material goods becomes so disposable, we can pull our clothes out of a tissue box and everyone just gives up and wears Crocs all the time. Will big box mega stores ever sell law degrees? Maybe. Will they have a greeter at the front door, staring zombie-like into nothing saying 'Welcome to (fill in store name), we love you'? They just about do now. Will we eventually watch live executions involving monster trucks and fireballs? Sure, why not?