The phrase "cult classic" gets bandied around a lot, but if ever a show was deserving of the accolade then this is it. Somehow remaining topical in 2014 despite now being beyond the age of consent in most of Western civilisation, Brass Eye is all too easily devoured in its entirety in one sitting (mercifully for those of you with lives it'll only take an afternoon).
This is a satire without the satire - or rather, it is a satire, but not of the social ills it claims to have its sights set on. Rather, it is the media that Chris Morris is pointing the crosshairs at - at their tendency to spout meaningless buzzwords and, worse, alarming misinformation. This subtle bait-and-switch means that Morris doesn't have to get bogged down in the ethics and principles of notoriously tricky subjects, but rather to present the conflicting opinions these topics attract in a mangled heap, beat them savagely with a stick, and then move on to the next target.
It helps that the topics chosen are mostly evergreen in their controversy. Drugs and sex are always going to be touchy subjects and half a generation later they still, in the eyes of many, stand for the corruption of youth and all that is wrong for society - so Morris just shows some very sick things to do with sex. From that, it's a short hop to "Cook dragged from Serpentine with Swan stuffed in anus" - at least if you have the beautifully disturbed mind that Morris has.
Credit must be given, too, to the wonderful supporting cast, who nearly all became mainstays of British TV comedy in the following years. Credit to the graphics teams for creating ludicrous pie charts which look just like the real thing. A somewhat dubious form of credit must be given to the well-meaning celebrities roped in to lend their support to clearly fabricated causes, such as Nellie, the elephant with her trunk lodged in her own rectum. They speak with such genuine feeling that you almost - almost - feel sorry that they have been made to fall for such a humiliating trap.
But the show is Chris Morris's baby, his vision, and he likely won't ever top it, nor will anyone else. This is the sort of miracle that only happens once a generation.
Series Brass eye - some overanalysing
The phrase "cult classic" gets bandied around a lot, but if ever a show was deserving of the accolade then this is it. Somehow remaining topical in 2014 despite now being beyond the age of consent in most of Western civilisation, Brass Eye is all too easily devoured in its entirety in one sitting (mercifully for those of you with lives it'll only take an afternoon).
This is a satire without the satire - or rather, it is a satire, but not of the social ills it claims to have its sights set on. Rather, it is the media that Chris Morris is pointing the crosshairs at - at their tendency to spout meaningless buzzwords and, worse, alarming misinformation. This subtle bait-and-switch means that Morris doesn't have to get bogged down in the ethics and principles of notoriously tricky subjects, but rather to present the conflicting opinions these topics attract in a mangled heap, beat them savagely with a stick, and then move on to the next target.
It helps that the topics chosen are mostly evergreen in their controversy. Drugs and sex are always going to be touchy subjects and half a generation later they still, in the eyes of many, stand for the corruption of youth and all that is wrong for society - so Morris just shows some very sick things to do with sex. From that, it's a short hop to "Cook dragged from Serpentine with Swan stuffed in anus" - at least if you have the beautifully disturbed mind that Morris has.
Credit must be given, too, to the wonderful supporting cast, who nearly all became mainstays of British TV comedy in the following years. Credit to the graphics teams for creating ludicrous pie charts which look just like the real thing. A somewhat dubious form of credit must be given to the well-meaning celebrities roped in to lend their support to clearly fabricated causes, such as Nellie, the elephant with her trunk lodged in her own rectum. They speak with such genuine feeling that you almost - almost - feel sorry that they have been made to fall for such a humiliating trap.
But the show is Chris Morris's baby, his vision, and he likely won't ever top it, nor will anyone else. This is the sort of miracle that only happens once a generation.