Zoolander 2: A platform too large for small jokes

It's easy to make fun of social media. In the first 30 seconds of the new Zoolander movie, Justin Bieber is shot repeatedly for about 15 seconds, but holds on for another few moments to post a selfie on Instagram. (He's kind of hot????) He, along with countless other celebrities, all die, but not before uploading a nice pic to the web. This sort of social commentary is fun, light, and for the most part, absolutely harmless.

However Zoolander 2 does run into issues in its quest to satirize. The sequel makes light of a lot of potentially vexing topics, as it covers the aforementioned abundant murders, but also things as simple as waning self-confidence and the more serious subject of absent fathers. But most of these topics are part of the larger satirization of action movies, which are so often riddled with dramatic de-humanizing deaths and overly simplistic conflict resolutions. They are not the problem. The problem lies in the stabs at the transgender community.

(Benedict Cumberbatch playing All, a transgender model-Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly)

At just a little over the 20 minute mark, the audience and Derek Zoolander are introduced to a character named "All", played by a nearly unrecognizable Benedict Cumberbatch. In a cartoonish depiction of a trans person, All is mysterious and cryptic with their words, acting like a sort of outré alien. Derek Zoolander, and his sidekick Hansel, are not shy to ask questions like "..do you have a bun or hot dog" when trying to find out their sex. The discussion continues with questions about All marrying one of the models' children followed by an unenthusiastic and attempted comically ingenuine yes from Zoolander. And all of this disrespect happens within a two minute conversation.

However writer Justin Theroux said the scene's intent was a how-to on what-not-to-do. But it's not clear that the satirization is placed on Zoolander or Hansel. Derek Zoolander is the same man who lit a cigarette while pumping gas into his car in 2001, and the same character who built a school for children made out of the materials of its miniature model (IE rubber cement and popsicle sticks) in 2016. So is there an argument that Zoolander's insensitive comments are a thoughtful showing of a bad example? But is it obvious enough that Zoolander's the subject of the parody?

(Scene from the first Zoolander--Courtesy of MTV)

While Zoolander is dumb, he's still the protaganist we're really rooting for. His ignorant comments are usually endearing and ill-informed, but not problematic. Would the average viewer really understand that these sort of questions aren't funny to the transgender community? I'm not sure it's obvious enough.

And aside from just the conversation with Zoolander, the portrayal is offensive. It suggests that trans people are an alternate life form unable to fully relate and communicate properly with the average person without seeming distant.

The scene only festered in its untimeliness. More transgender people were killed in 2015 than any other recorded year to date. Now is not the time to push boundaries in regards to this community. Instead this is a time to create respectful baselines of how to support, respect, love and simply integrate. Mindless jokes mobilized by one of the biggest sequels in years (had to modify a little here because Star Wars) are not going to do that. The platform is far too large for jokes that are not worth it.

Satirization is a thin line. The best comedy is the best social commentary. The worst comedy is the worst social commentary.