Animal House, the greatest college movie of all time, is a work of cinematic genius. It is one of the funniest movies of all time and is my personal favorite movie. Harold Ramis, the ingenius director behind the whole comedic masterpiece, created in Animal House what most comedy directors would sell their souls to create. The many protagonists--Bluto, Flounder, Boone, Otter, D-Day, and the myriad of others--create lasting impressions on the viewer that will remain with one no matter how long between viewings. Through their ridiculous antics and pranks against the dean of the college (they killed a horse in the dean's office with a gun that shot blanks) and their hysterical hijinks among themselves (the legendary toga party), the characters seem to take on a life of their own and make the movie seem that much more real.
The movie, while at the same time being the greatest comedy ever, echoes the everpresent idea of acceptance and equality. The Deltas, the notorious party fraternity to which the protagonists belong, is constantly being harassed by the dean of the college and the prep house, the smug Omegas. The Deltas earnestly try to make life at the stuffy college tolerable by having as much fun as they can: by pulling pranks and throwing parties. Because they don't necessarily "fit in" with the more upper-crust crowd at the college, the dean tries his best to make life for the Deltas a veritable hell. He gives them "double secret probation," which means if the Deltas screw up one more time, their charter is revoked. No questions, no nothing. Strike one and you're out. As the dean so eloquently put it, "It's time to grab the bull by the balls and kick those Deltas out of this college!" How lovely.
This seems to show a theme of intolerance towards anyone who is different or maybe not of the same social class as another. The Deltas, being social outcasts at the college, are shunned by the higher-ups, and are passed off as grotesque, barbaric, and vulgar. However, the Omegas don't even know them, and are quick to judge, even though most of the people at the school believe they have problems themselves. At the same time, it seems only the people of prominence are intolerant of the Deltas. By the turnout of their numerous parties, it seems that many people at the college actually like the Deltas. Could be a clever representation of how the general public have no problem with diversity while the people who run the show can't stand anything that differs from their idea of normality?
Now, I highly doubt that Harold Ramis was really trying to convey this. At the same time, he might have. I mean, the man was in Ghostbusters and directed this masterpiece of cinematic comedy, so who knows? And, yes, I was able to make a sharp accusation at the government by using Animal House as a take-off point. How, you ask? Because I'm just that good.
Interesting. It is a common theme in distopian works--that those in power enforce one order, one way, one structure, allowing for no divergent thinking or actions. There's always at least one divergent thinker who others--those in power and, even, sometimes the grunts--fear, for the threat of diversity threatens their very fabric of society. Fear of those who are different does seem an innate human quality. Those who can accept the divergent with open arms are a rarity.
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