This weekend I watched The House Bunny. This is one of those movies that you see previews for and just think will be a movie for a good laugh and some great lines. But after watching it I got more than just laughs out of it.
The main premise of the movie is character Shelly gets “kicked out” of the Playboy mansion and is left to fend for herself. After some wondering she stumbles upon a “not so popular” sorority that is in dyer help just to stay afloat as a house. Shelly becomes what is called a 'house mother' and helps out these, what one would call 'nerdy', girls in the way she knows best. And this is where I think the Empire really comes out. In order to help them the believes they need new hot, sexy looks and then will get the attention from the other fraternities. With those things alone, good looks and hot guys, the sorority will be able to get the pledges that they need.
Now with that said, Shelly has the best of intentions while doing this because she is helping in the only way she knows how. So where could the harm be in that? But really when you think about it, don't we all have the “best of intentions” when we try to help or do something? Everyone here is just trying to do their best and make things right and that's when the sin of the world really comes out. No matter how hard we try to make things go the right way how we intended them to be, something, somewhere gets messed up and everything is ruined.
As the movie goes on this becomes very evident. Not just the girls outward appearance changes. They start to be snotty and judgmental to girls that are just like the way that they themselves once were. They went to such lengths to help the sorority, that they didn't care any more how they acted and who they hurt. After one of the girls realizes this she calls all of them out on it and they all then realize the monsters that they have become. After they have seen this the first thing they do is blame Shelly for it all.
I really see characteristics of this movie in the Empire. We change for something or someone and when things go wrong and aren't the way they were supposed to be, we automatically want to blame everyone but ourselves. But then there is always redemption and the movie stays true to it. The girls all realize the wrongs they did and that Shelly was only trying to help and that they can help the sorority by just being themselves.
Really we all can learn from this movie and try to look at the situation as the whole picture and just think hard before our actions and the things we say. This movie is good for laughs but not only that. As weird as this sounds, it made me step back and examine the way I live my life and come off to people. I would recommend everyone to see it.
However stereotypical this movie maybe be, I agree Susan! I thought it was actually a really good movie. I obviously reinforces the stereotypical appearance isnt everything, and be true to who you really are movie message that hollywood likes to put out there, but its a good message. I think a lot of the time people are so caught up in the way other people perceive them, they forget that they are a unique human being with their own special qualities. God made us to be the way we are, so when we act any other kind of way, we are essentially defying God. If we go against who we were created to be, that is when problems arise. Trying to be something we're not is most of the problem a lot of the time.
ReplyDelete"Just be yourself." It's a message we hear all the time from a lot of different places, but it matters greatly how we see the origin of our identity. Is it just a matter of individualistic "self-discovery" or are we striving to become the people God intended us to be, as individuals and in community? We should also be aware that, even with its message of self-reflection and forgiveness, the film is still being marketed on the basis of its abundant footage of stereotypically hot women.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite movies and I though that it was really funny. But until now I didn't try to get anything out of the plot. But I definitely agree with your opinion on it. Its important not to conform to what seems normal, or what is accepted.
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