Why do we love things that are bad?
I’m not talking about guilty pleasures, because that is something else entirely.
No, I’m talking about things that are truly and completely bad. Very little redeeming features or good qualities, and yet we love them.
This comes to mind after viewing probably the worst movie I have ever seen. Truly, it is completely awful.
The movie in question is “The Room”, the brain-child of Tommy Wiseau.
I’m not lying when I say this movie is quite possibly the worst I have ever had the (dis)pleasure of viewing.
And yet I love this stupid, pointless movie.
I can’t even say this movie has a plot, because I’m pretty sure it doesn’t. Maybe it is a mix of a few different plots that don’t really mesh together, it’s hard to say.
The acting is awful and completely over the top.
The cinematography looks like it is from the early to mid 1990s, even though it was released in 2003.
The decor of the sets is weird, with stock photos of spoons proudly displayed everywhere.
There is confusing scenes and transitions, such as a game of catch with a football in suits or a rooftop confrontation about drugs that really don’t add to any story, but do add a lot of questions.
This movie has a score of 32 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is really quite generous.
But, again I must tell you I love this movie.
While I love this movie, I must say it isn’t something I would watch by myself. It isn’t a movie I would pop into the DVD player while munching on popcorn.
This is a movie that has to be viewed with multiple people in a theatre.
Maybe that is what I actually love about this movie, the experience of viewing it.
It has a cult following and is viewed in theatres almost solely as a midnight special feature.
People line up and discuss where Tommy Wiseau is actually from, because even though he claims to be from America, his accent says otherwise.
Every time you see a spoon a volley of plastic spoons make their way towards the screen. Whenever a door is left open you shut at the screen to “Close the dang door.” Someone enters the scene, the automatic response is “Oh hai Denny.” I am certain Tommy Wiseau does not actualy say “hi” like everyonce else.
It’s similar to the phenomenon “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Say what you will, the 1975 cult favourite is not exactly a good movie.
But people dress up with every showing and sing along and shout out lines. It’s a thing, it has it’s own life and breathes independently of anything commonly referred to as good.
This is a notion that can be seen outside of movies, as well.
Something is so ugly it’s cute for example, even cheering for the underdog is one version of loving something that bad.
Of course there is a food version as well. Loving greasy, salty food from fast food places, or eating more cake than you should in a single sitting. All very bad, but you love it.
My theory is loving something normally recognized as bad is about the pure enjoyment of the thing.
When I watch “The Room” I’m not analyzing it or trying to be smart. I’m just enjoying the sheer awfulness of the movie. I’m shouting at the screen, throwing plastic spoons and I don’t care.
When you love something, often times, or at least in my experience, it is the feeling you get while experiencing it.
Loving something bad is about the enjoyment you get from it without guilt or worry or trying to be smart. It’s just good, old-fashioned fun.
Next time “The Room” is playing near by, take a chance and go see it. Stock up on plastic spoons before hand, trust me, it’s worth it.