Friday I attended the world premiere of Evan Coyne Maloney’s film, Indoctrinate U, before a packed house of 500 at the Kennedy Center. There were many students, and a number of professors as well. I’d seen the film a couple of times at press screenings, but was totally unprepared for the raucous audience reception.
The press screenings were quiet, with the main response being horror at the nightmarish incidents of political correctness chronicled by Maloney. This time, however, the audience roared with laughter through the first two-thirds of the film–to the point where lines were drowned out by the audience roar. The laughter abated toward the end, from sheer exhaustion. The latter part of the film brought a major applause line–when the topic turned to bans on military recruitment and the Supreme Court Solomon Amendment case. One line about half-way through the film–about what really motivates professors who indoctrinate their students–brought the house down.
Yes, this movie tells a series of heart-breaking tales. But the political correctness on display is ludicrous and laughable–and I can assure you that laugh is exactly what this audience did.
Charles Black liked to call laughter “the sovereign prerogative of philosophers.” And, sometimes, of those who watch their antics . . . . Visit the Indoctrinate U. website for more information, an online trailer, and a chance to pre-order a DVD. I’m fortunate enough to have already seen a DVD, and I think it’s worth your time and money. I hope it’s shown on many campuses.