Sense of Wonder: Mainstreaming Necrophilia for the Masses

{EDITOR’S NOTE: This brief “opinion piece” was written as a joke, prior to the release of Tim Burton’s CORPSE BRIDE. To my surprise, a few commentators took it seriously. I’m not sure what that means.]
Tim Burton’s new film version of Roald Dahl’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY begins with a wonderful computer-generated sequence of mechanical devices creating Wonka chocolate bars, but I feel as if I missed most of it, because my brain was still buzzing from the coming attractions trailer that preceded the movie: a preview of Tim Burton’s CORPSE BRIDE.
The breif glimpse of this animated tale (about a man who finds himself inadvertently betrothed to the title character) looks like an absolute delight — another masterpiece along the lines of Burton’s A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. The colors and character designs look beautiful in a Gothic, ghoulish way, but the most striking thing is how sexy the title character looks (beyond even Sally, Jack Skellington’s love interest in NIGHTMARE).
Now keep in mind: she’s a corpse. And the film is basically a love story between her and a living man. Is it just me, or does it seem like Burton, under the guise of crafting a family-film for children, is actually mainstreaming necrophilia for the masses? Doesn’t this go well beyond being mildly demented and reach into the realm of being radically subversive? Can white, American, Christian family values stand up to such an onslaught, or will our culture become hopelessly eroded? How can we possibly hope to defeat terrorism and bring peace and prosperity to the world, when our own society has this sickness rotting away at the core?
I can’t wait until the rightwing guardians of public morals get ahold of this one.
Copyright 2005 Steve Biodrowski

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