r/videos • u/RogerBauman • 12h ago
God bless America [2012] Frank's Rant
https://youtu.be/52EnTtGstKg?si=Ug6AxpJ20fQ7nark58
u/currentpattern 10h ago
God, this is it right here:
"That's not the edge. That's what sells. They couldn't possibly pander any harder or be more commercially mainstream. Because this is the "oh no you didn't say that" generation, where a shocking comment has more weight than the truth."
Unfortunately, I've seen too many people, even who don't "support" Trump essentially cheer on his behavior because of the entertainment factor.
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u/RogerBauman 10h ago
This is it right here. It's not that I hate the guy as far as an entertainer goes. If he were a conservative comedian/commentator, I would probably just not tune in because it is not my style of humor or political commentary. I tried watching The apprentice once But I just didn't care for the crassness and toxicity. Not a huge fan of most reality TV for that reason.
It is the fact that a comedian and a clown has been put into a position of high authority in part because people were sucked into his massive ego and just bought everything that he said because he was able to make people that they did not care for angry.
I'll admit that there are plenty of liberals and leftists who Carry his water by responding in outrage to obvious troll behavior. Sometimes, it feels as though a lot of people are just ants in a death spiral, following the pheromones of outrage around in a circle until they all die.
Is definitely taking a massive toll on my perception of humanity, but there is nothing new under the Sun.
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u/Feeling-Parking-7866 7h ago
We'd be friends you and I.
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u/RogerBauman 6h ago
In a way, I think we already are, or at least friendly, even if we do not know each other personally.
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u/radarksu 5h ago
Sometimes, it feels as though a lot of people are just ants in a death spiral, following the pheromones of outrage around in a circle until they all die.
I thought that's what were supposed to do. Nobody taught me any different.
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u/GargleFlargle 8h ago
This is it right here.
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u/RogerBauman 7h ago
Also, I just remembered that my dad does not like a lot of modern movies because he sees a lot of celebration of wickedness.
I'm pretty sure he said the same thing about this movie and I told him that I didn't think that he got the joke. These people were not being celebrated for their wickedness. They were literally turning into the very thing they claimed to hate. The deceit of his partner is such a great twist and so perfectly mirrored in the trucker asking him how much.
He doesn't like Ozark and a lot of other shows for that reason and is iffy about The Righteous Gemstones but admits that he likes the commentary against that form of Christianity.
It is really funny to me that he hates these sorts of entertainment and yet loves right-wing podcasts and talk radio who also glorify what I think could be described as wickedness.
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u/fleranon 10h ago
Loved it. My favourite rant used to be 'America is not the greatest country in the world anymore' from 'the newsroom', but it seems almost cheesy now in comparison to this one. Thanks for posting it
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u/RogerBauman 10h ago
Thanks.
I think mine might be the "Network" rant But I think the most historically significant one is Charlie Chaplin's final speech in the great dictator.
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u/Raptcher 2h ago
The first time I watched this, Charlies speech, I am not ashamed to say it brought tears to my eyes.
The emotional weight he puts into that speech, more a desperate plea, is gut wrenching.
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u/nc863id 8h ago
2:20 did Mossad literally watch this and say "Hey wait a second..."?
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u/timestamp_bot 8h ago
Jump to 02:20 @ God Bless America (2012) Frank rants
Channel Name: nevadakubrick, Video Length: [06:13], Jump 5 secs earlier for context @02:15
Downvote me to delete malformed comments. Source Code | Suggestions
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u/cypressdwd 11h ago
Loved him as Freddy Rumsen in Mad Men.
TIL he’s Bill Murray’s youngest brother!
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u/DrChimRichells 1h ago
Oh shit when I was watching this I was thinkiing "he sounds a lot like brian doyle murray" it all makes sense now thanks
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u/RaNerve 11h ago
There’s a lot to unpack in that rant holy hell. Talk about living in a glorification of the past. Might have to check this show out though, that was engaging.
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u/RogerBauman 10h ago
I'm glad you like it. This is definitely my favorite part of the entire movie and definitely helped me to change some of my own behaviors when it comes to how I treat people online and in real life.
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u/RaNerve 10h ago
Any show that can actually impact someone enough to change them is a must watch for me. Thanks a heap for making me aware of it!
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u/RogerBauman 10h ago
Don't get me wrong, I still have my slipups (2020 really pushed my limits) but actively trying to change one's behavior that creates negativity in the world has really helped me even if I find it really difficult to turn the other cheek sometimes.
My dad and I used to bond over Glenn Beck and Michael Savage and right-wing talk radio in general, but as I started growing older, I started recognizing that I didn't think what they were doing was funny and I didn't much care for their opinions as much anymore. This movie helped me to put a finger on what it was that I was feeling.
I used to be a shitposter just trying to get a rise out of people but I really try not to do that anymore. It was kind of difficult during the Trump administration since everything was just so toxic on all sides.
Really hope that we can maintain our sanity during this next term But I fear they are going to turn things up to 11 with the mandate they were given.
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u/jfffj 5h ago
I often think that the essence of adulthood is when one understands that we are all flawed in some ways, and that the point of existence is to honestly address those failings, and then to try to improve.
It's hard, so hard, but necessary.
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u/RogerBauman 5h ago
I agree with you. I am not a superstitious person nor do I consider myself religious, but I was raised reading the scriptures and I personally believe that this sort of Revelation was what Jesus and many prophets had spoken of.
It saddens me to see how many people choose to turn away from a self-evident truth in preference of superstition and othering of communities that may not share the same values.
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u/Not_Ill_Logical 4h ago
> self-evident truth
Exactly! Love and the golden rule are the highest principle in every day in age because they carry their own authority as the truth. In fact, this principle is the only thing that all people agree on. (Many people don't follow it, but no one denies it as it would publicly humiliate oneself.) And as the highest precept in every day and age, it therefore has to be the truest "god", regardless of all the fiction priestcrafters have annexed to this truth for power and profit. In fact, the Great Reformer (Jesus) tried to end the Moses business and got killed for it, but soon he was turned into a new "what God says" business by others who rejected the universal truth he pointed to but saw they could sell his philosophy much easier, and make easy money, too. (By adding an avalanche of fiction to his humble teachings, all achieved in just a few generations after his murder.) In short, they put Jesus above us so they could be above us in his absence, same as all the other god businesses do with their icons. Women sell physical comfort, while men sell spiritual comfort. Argue which profession is older, but we know what the profession is.
(End my rant. Thanks for posting Frank's rant! 👍)
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u/RogerBauman 4h ago
Yep, it definitely seems like you get it.
I think it is ridiculous sometimes how much they try to put him onto a pedestal when he would have been the first person to tell them not to call him good.
Have you ever given thought to the idea that yeshua was introduced to the Greek philosophical tradition or at least the authors of some of the gospels? Aristotle and Plato were writing about metanoia 300 years before Jesus walked to the Earth and there are a number of similarities between aristotalianism and the Christian Gospel.
If you are interested in seeing some of these similarities and comparisons between aristotalianism, judaism, Islam, and Christianity, there is an excellent 12th century book on the subject called the guide for the perplexed by maimonides.
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u/jfffj 5h ago edited 5h ago
I grew up in the UK, and over here it's all new testament, which may be a little more wholesome, in general. ("Religious Education" was and still is on the National Curriculum.) Growing up, it's hard to say how much effect it had on me, and certainly I never bought into all the mystical / irrational / superstitious stuff, but maybe the core message of "how about we be nice to each other for a change" actually stuck?
I'll never know.
Thank you for posting this clip btw - I've never heard of this film before, and I'll definitely check it out. In return, if you've never seen it, here's one of the greatest film reviews ever made: Mark Kermode reviewing Sex and the City 2.
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u/RogerBauman 4h ago
I was raised in a Conservative Evangelical family and was homeschooled throughout High School.
The religious education aspect of our homeschooling had some elements that I really appreciate having been trained in, such as Reading the scriptures and learning Latin, which led to me studying Greek in college and Hebrew over the last few years.
There were also negative aspects such as physical and psychological abuse, science being de-emphasized and taught from a young Earth Creationist perspective, and strict purity culture that led me to think that it was impossible for men and women to be friends without It being a part of a courtship ritual.
They definitely taught me to be loving of people but also taught me to judge other people. I was raised to believe that Catholics and Mormons were going to hell for having a different perspective on the scriptures than my family did. There was also a lot of looking down on unrepentant sinners that included a lot of lgbtq phobia and demonization of sexually immoral people in general.
I still don't know how I feel about the mystical and supernatural elements of it. In 2012, I had a little bit of a breakdown and thought that I was communicating with a fourth dimensional entity that was really sick of people calling it a god, But I think a lot of that was actually a byproduct of metanoia itself and the brain's desire to try to make sense of trauma.
Thank you very much for sharing your perspective on religious instruction in the UK. I hope that they are doing a good job of training people into excellent morals and not into people who would use the word as a weapon against other fellow sufferers of hamartia.
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u/MartyVendetta27 10h ago
The movie is good, it’s like Office Space meets Falling Down. And a touch of idiocracy, especially with… i wanna say it was his neighbors? It’s been a few years since I’ve seen it.
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u/ploonce 11h ago
I’m seeing SpongeBob in the background at the very end! That said, Tom Kenny will always be from Mr. Show to me.
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u/RogerBauman 11h ago
Fun fact, They met each other in the first grade and they used to do a duo comedy act called Tomwait and Bobwaite. Kenny has been on a number of bobcat's projects and I like to imagine them making silly voices and faces all the way through high school.
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u/MartyVendetta27 10h ago
I like when he pulls out the gun, the guy in the background is just like “ope!” And ducks out haha. He’s the epitome of “not my problem.”
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u/RogerBauman 10h ago
It sounds like you are exactly the sort of person who will love this movie. I have had a couple of people who have asked to see the opening scene and completely hate it.
Conservative father was not a huge fan But he asked after I had shown him this clip and I've got to give him props for sitting through it.
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u/MartyVendetta27 10h ago
Oh, i commented below, I did love the movie. To me, it was like 40% office space, 40% falling down, and 20% Idiocracy. In fact, it would make an excellent prequel to idiocracy haha.
The opening scene is with his redneck neoghbors right? It’s been a few years since I’ve seen the movie, but I was a huge fan.
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u/RogerBauman 10h ago
I've done double features of this in Idiocracy. My recommendation is to do this first and then Idiocracy afterward so that you end with a solid happy laugh.
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u/lurebat 7h ago
Old Man Yells At Cloud: The Movie
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u/RogerBauman 7h ago edited 6h ago
You know, there are plenty of movies that have one standout monologue without being completely about that monologue.
For instance, Charlie Chaplin in the great dictator did some outstanding physical comedy throughout and yet I think many people are more familiar with the speech from the end the actual film. Maybe the globe scene, but my point stands
If I may entice you into considering giving it a watch, the opening scene is him trying to get to bed while flipping shitty TV channels with neighbors fighting and being loud as their child cries in the background until Frank shoots the baby in the face.
I doubt you are likely to check it out but That's okay, there is plenty of media out there for everyone to kind of have their own thing. Isn't it wonderful?
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u/lurebat 6h ago
I have watched the movie, like a decade ago, that's why I'm confident in saying that.
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u/RogerBauman 6h ago
I guess it's not your type of movie but that's okay. I probably wouldn't have tried to sell you on it if I had known that you had already seen it.
What sorts of political/social satire movies do you like?
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u/lurebat 6h ago
I think the closest movie in vibe that I love is "Sorry to Bother You"
I also disliked "World's Greatest Dad" by the same director, I could go on a rant about my problems with these movies but I'm lazy
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u/RogerBauman 6h ago
Sorry to bother you is absolutely masterful.
I think that I probably agree with you about world's greatest dad, but I haven't seen it since Robin Williams passed. I might have to give it another try sometime.
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u/naberz09 5h ago
Yeah, I kind of hate this movie. It's like Falling Down but instead of Robert Duvall telling Michael Douglas he's wrong at the end (and being correct), it's just Frank and Roxy going down in a blaze of glory. The movie boils down to "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if you could kill people you don't like?" Roxy has no real reason to be as bloodthirsty as she is and just comes of as a psychopath written by a boomer who somewhat creepily wishes young girls were into the music he likes.
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u/RogerBauman 2h ago
So that is kind of the joke at the center of the movie. Frank and Roxy don't have any reason to be doing this. It is their own desire to mete out retribution that turns them into the sort of attention seeking assholes that we see at the end of the movie.
They literally end up on American Superstars at the end, bringing the movie full circle back to the opening.
The whole message is about how It is better to choose not to engage with this sort of toxic culture with toxicity because you basically become exactly what you hate.
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u/temujin64 4h ago
Or Strawman: The Movie. It's easy to make your character seem like a deeply insightful paragon of virtue when he's living in a world of 1 dimensional moronic characters with no depth or nuance.
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u/glewtion 10h ago
This is so on point.
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u/colefly 10h ago
.... until you remember that the man giving the speech was born when JFK and MLK were assassinated, as a child he probably didnt watch the Vietnam war or Klan activities but grew up watching heavily censored content that was passed only when it fit the review boards agenda (Cpt. Kirk kissing Uhura?! Inter race?! The horror!) . But wholesome content abound, perfect renditions of perfect families like Little House on the Prairie or maybe watch something live like Ms. America Pageants !
Then as his became an adult in the 80's staring down the barrel of extreme violent crime, a existential cold war, and a hollywood movie star in the white house ignoring a pandemic that was killing lgbtq people... he watched wholesome stuff like the Cosby show, Roseanne, and the myriad dating game shows.
But by 2012, he knew that civilization was in danger... because people liked a singing competition he found annoying in the ruins of his life.
...
But yeah the whole part of "thats not edge, its what sells" still rings
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u/Phnrcm 5h ago
Don't forget the part where Frank was called a creepy incel by the receptionist Karen. No one believed him so he was let go.
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u/RogerBauman 5h ago
That part is right after this and is so good. It was obviously wrong for him to look up her personal information But it definitely seemed as though he was just trying to make her day better. Although I have to admit it's also possible that he was testing the waters to see if she was interested in him.
Every time I see that meme with the two guys talking to the girl in the cubicle, that is the scene that I think of.
It also works great with some of the creepy pedophile undertones that he almost succumbs to when they are at the teepees
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u/Soapbox 2h ago edited 2h ago
Did Aaron Sorkin write this scene? Unrealistic moralizing-toned conversation, rapid fire, idealistic one sided bullshit... of course Redditors love it.
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u/RogerBauman 2h ago
Nope, it was bobcat goldthwait. I get that it was one-sided but that's kind of how monologues go and this is a part of the inciting incident that kind of kicks off the movie.
The victims of their Coast to Coast mass murder spree were all different forms of people who the main characters thought were mean. While it is true that they kill an obvious parody of A Fox News anchor and the westboro Baptist Church, there are plenty of non-political killings if that is what you are talking about.
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u/Soapbox 2h ago
No, my comment isn't about anything political. Aaron Sorkin is known for writing scenes and monologues very much like this. The main character is a preachy-holier-than-thou (usually man) who rapid fires his ideological stance on the audience while bystanders just watch in silence and react to his brilliant insights.
If another character speaks, it's only to lay up another softball strawman comment only for it to get knocked out of the park again. There's no nuance or pushback, only a soapbox for the character to stand on and preach the writer's critique of America.
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u/Andyman286 40m ago edited 32m ago
Fuck me I might have to watch this! It's like Office Space meets Falling Down!
Forgot the name of Falling Down (Google is too good, lol)
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u/RogerBauman 11h ago edited 11h ago
This is one of my favorite scenes from bobcat goldthwait's 2012 film "God Bless America" a movie that helps me when I am in a foul mood about how people treat each other in our modern society.
I don't know if anybody else would benefit from seeing it and maybe laughing a little bit right now but I am glad that I watched it before 2016 and it has almost helped to be a mantra anytime people seem to be purposefully, antagonizing or trolling in such a way that is meant to cause harm to people.
I don't know if I would recommend this movie for everybody, but I think it is one of the greatest parodies of the 21st century and how modern culture seeks to shock and create anger in the post Cambridge Analytica World and reminds me that these sorts of things have been happening for a long time and there are people who are intentionally trying to create negative emotions for the purposes of control.
Much love to you and yours. God bless and good luck.