Tamo Guna Humor

I recently had the great (dis)pleasure of watching the film "Grandma's Boy". It was produced by Adam Sandler and if anyone knows Adam Sandler's repertoire of work, you pretty much know what you're getting into with "Grandma's Boy". I won't go into a lengthy review about the film, but what it did was spark a realization in me about the current trend of comedy films such "Napoleon Dynamite", Ben Stiller movies, Adam Sandler movies, Will Ferrell movies, David Spade movies, etc. The humor in these films is so low consciousness. It's why when after you're done watching one you feel sort of "moded out", as the devotees would say. You feel the sense of density and dullness. Of course there are sometimes funny moments in these kind of films, but the laughs are far and few between and the majority of the time is spent in the awareness of how stupid and ridiculous they are.

Association happens not only on the physical level, but it happens on the subtle level as well. This is also the great "danger" of listening to so-called "karmi music". These sound vibrations create impressions within our consciousness and add fuel to our self-centered, materialistic desires. What we associate with, we become. This is also why the Acaryas stress the importance of sadhu-sanga (if I were a great scholar and pundit I would add some sastric evidence here!). Through the association of more advanced Vaishnavas we develop faith, determination and enthusiasm in devotional service. Our bhakti creeper is fortified and nourished.

So why are these types of low-brow humor comedy movies so popular in today's society? It seems like an indication of the collective consciousness on this planet...which is frightening. There is a pervasive sense of ignorance and passion in the world, which is really nothing new or shocking. Passion and ignorance are the way of the conditioned jivas. These movies are so stimulating to such persons because they are relating to the energy, the consciousness. After all, in reality we are nothing more than spiritual energy. Everything is energy, vibrating and oscillating at various rates.

Anyway, if this were a movie review I'd say don't waste your valuable time watching "Grandma's Boy", but we all know as devotees we're not watching mundane movies anyway, right? Hmm...that just gave me an idea for a future post: honesty in Krishna Consciousness.