Station_10_Life_Stinks

//Station #10: Life Stinks // __CONTEXT __ //Life Stinks //, released in 1991, is a comedy written, directed, and starring comedian Mel Brooks. Brooks remains famous for writing, directing, and starring in parody films. //Life Stinks// represents a //major// departure for Brooks, who wanted to produce an original story, filled with social commentary. It bombed in theatres—ironically because of the economic recession upon which Brooks was commenting.

The United States entered an economic recession in mid-1990. It was mild, compared to other post-war recessions, but was characterized by a slow employment recovery. Unemployment continued to rise through June 1992, even though economic growth had returned the previous year.


 * Play the series of short video clips below. **As you watch and listen, be sure to keep //informal// notes in your pamphlet. What **__statements__**, **__motifs__** (recurring images, dialogue, symbols, or idea), and **__themes__** //immediately// strike you as **__memorable__** or **__exigent__** (emotionally impactful)? As you watch, keep the following questions in mind. (Do not //formally// answer them. Use them as a basis for your note-taking.)

//How does the protagonist’s journey illustrate specific divisions between classes? //

//When and where among the film clips do we have representations of “jobs stripped of their halos”? //

//What does the film suggest needs to happen, on the part of the proletariat, in order to bring about change? //


 * Click [[file:Life Stinks Wiki 1 (ATV).m4v|here]] to watch the first clip. Click [[file:Life Stinks Wiki 2 (ATV).m4v|here]] to watch the second clip. Click [[file:Life Stinks Wiki 3 (ATV).m4v|here]] to watch the third clip. **

Finally, **__engage in a small-group discussion__**. Each member of the group **__must contribute to the process by fulfilling an assigned role__**. Then, in a thoughtful, “MEL-style” short essay response, answer this question:

What **__specific information__** should a Marxist critic consider in an analysis of this text? Using that information as **__evidence__**, what **__meaning__** can //we// make of this text, **__using Marxist tenets as our “lenses”__**?