Chicken-chucking, screaming teens just might save Hollywood



Upon its release earlier this month, “A Minecraft Movie” exploded onto the scene in more ways than one. On a positive note, the film has drawn large audiences to once-empty cinemas and is on track to earn more than $1 billion globally — a welcome vital sign for the American film industry after its decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, “Minecraft” has also sparked literal explosions of chaos in theaters. Fans, overcome with excitement at scenes like a baby zombie riding a chicken or the introduction of Jack Black’s character, Steve, have reportedly screamed, hurled popcorn and toilet paper, and even tossed live chickens at the screen — leaving staff with colossal messes to clean up afterward.

For most Zoomers, passionate moments of shared interest and fun are virtually nonexistent.

According to my high school students who watched the movie and could explain this bizarre behavior, these outbursts came from people who actually liked the movie. Reading through the mediocre movie reviews, I assumed that fans were disappointed and consequently engaged in shameless hooliganism. Quite the opposite. They were expressing their excitement at the movie’s many references and Easter eggs to the beloved video game.

Reckless or simply fun?

Of course, causing a public ruckus raises concerns about today’s youths who react so strongly to an otherwise silly movie. Such outbursts suggest that the younger Zoomers have pent-up rage, lacking healthy outlets for their aggression. The recent TV series “Adolescence,” which controversially portrayed radicalized youth engaging in violent acts, may have struck closer to the truth than we’d like to admit.

Then again, there might be a good reason to see these rampant outbursts as a salutary development. Not only are young people going to movie theaters and thereby reviving a moribund entertainment industry, but they are also charging a previously stagnant environment with some much-needed energy. This isn’t the glassy-eyed, TikTok-scrolling crowd we’ve come to expect. These lively crowds of young people are sharing an intense moment with a piece of entertainment they all love — not Beatlemania, but “Minecraft mania.”

Dwindling social outlets

Older generations, which have their own experience with various social crazes that brought them and their peers together in effusive exuberance, may not understand just how special this is for young people today.

Previous generations enjoyed countless concerts, movies, video games, and even books that routinely brought together fan communities that frequently became rowdy and occasionally chaotic — and hardly any of it, even for Millennials, was coordinated through online social media.

As a Millennial myself who’s about to turn 40, I remember the insanity at the cinema when the original “Star Wars” trilogy was re-released in anticipation of the prequels. People gasped and cried when they saw a remastered Han Solo or Luke Skywalker. I can also recall driving by bookstores — before Amazon put most of them out of business — observing the long lines of “Harry Potter” devotees decked in their Hogwarts uniforms, eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. More recently, similar fan frenzies were seen with the latest Taylor Swift concert or “Avengers” movies.

At the time, I pitied these nerds who, for all appearances, lost their minds over something seemingly insubstantial. Now, I envy them and yearn for a return to this kind of enthusiasm.

These days, pop culture has become hyper-individualized and mediated through online streaming and social media platforms. Algorithms, not authenticity, inform everyone’s taste. Nothing about it is natural or real. For most Zoomers, passionate moments of shared interest and fun are virtually nonexistent.

Zoomers don’t realize that physically gathering with fellow fans is normal and that such events add up to more than the sum of their parts. They represent rare moments of authentic public celebration. Yes, they usually center around some shallow piece of pop-culture fluff, but they generate a collective spirit that only happens when fans are allowed to “nerd out” and let go with one another for a little while.

Welcome ‘Minecraft mania’

The “Minecraft” chicken jockey mania continues this tradition. One of my students told me that watching “Minecraft” in the theater was the most fun he’s ever had at the cinema. He conceded that the movie is mostly Hollywood slop, but the audience’s reactions made it worth the annoyingly high price of admission.

He and his peers should understand the value of sharing experiences with friends and fellow fans. Active participation beats passive consumption on the couch every time.

Let the next cultural craze bring the same energy and excitement — minus the chicken feathers.

Not Even Taylor Swift Wants To Be A Childless Cat Lady

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-25-at-4.06.42 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-25-at-4.06.42%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]Behind Taylor Swift's snarky, election-year Instagram post is a 34-year-old woman who's long dreamed of getting married and having babies.

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3 takeaways from JD Vance’s RNC speech



JD Vance was certainly not a household name when Donald Trump formally declared the Ohio senator his running mate.

“He's pretty new on the scene to most of America,” says Stu Burguiere, noting that Vance has only “been in office for two years” and “doesn't have an awful lot of political experience.”

That said, Vance’s RNC speech was an opportunity to essentially introduce himself to America at large.

Here are Stu’s three biggest takeaways from Vance’s debut speech:

Communication

According to Stu, Vance is “a good communicator” and “a clean speaker ... very, very much like Vivek Ramaswamy, who never really has any stumbles.”

He “was able to hold the audience pretty well” — especially when “he was talking about his life.”

“He told a couple of great stories” about his fiery grandmother and his mother’s “ten years of sobriety,” which Stu says was “maybe the best moment of the speech."

Authenticity

Nikki Haley and Tim Scott’s speeches take on “that stilted politician tone,” says Stu, but “JD Vance does not have that problem.”

He gave “a very natural speech” and “it didn’t feel forced” or “politician-y,” and yet it was clear that “he knows policy."

Debates

In the event Vance finds himself in a debate, Stu has faith that his ability to parley with opponents will be “one of his strengths.”

“I’m really confident JD Vance is going to smoke Kamala Harris,” he says, which just might happen if Biden remains the Democratic nominee.

To hear more of Stu’s analysis, watch the clip below.

JD Vance's RNC Debut: Stu Burguiere's Live Analysiswww.youtube.com

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Rally attendee gives HEART-STOPPING account of PA Trump attack



Butler, Pennsylvania, may be a quiet town with just over 13,000 residents — but it’s now forever enshrined in our nation’s memory.

The small town hosted the last Trump rally where the former president just barely escaped a bullet that was meant to kill him, and one of its residents who was in attendance is sharing his side of the story.

“It’s funny, I immediately thought back to like September 11th,” Jessie, the resident, tells Stu Burguiere. “I’ve heard a lot of people say ‘Oh, it was such a beautiful day,’ and that’s exactly what it was here.”

Jessie recalls it taking around two-and-a-half hours to get through security, where no one checked IDs or tickets.

“It was just very, very unorganized,” he tells Stu. “There was a visible difference of less Secret Service,” he continues, explaining that he’s been to three other Trump rallies in the past.

While there were around 40,000 people in attendance, there were only two snipers Jessie could see on the surrounding rooftops.

“I only heard three shots initially, and then I heard multiple shots after that, which I would assume would be Secret Service snipers' engagement, and the Secret Service tackled him so hard that Trump’s shoes fell off,” he explains, noting that the agents holding him down were repeating, “Hawkeye is here.”

While Jessie couldn’t see Trump’s face as he was seated behind him, he could make out his hand, which he tells Stu “had blood on it.”

“Then I saw him stop and put his fist up,” he says, adding, “Then everybody started chanting 'USA' and cheering.”

Jessie was in the center set of bleachers behind the podium, while the far end of the bleachers to the right and the left are where attendees were hit — and tragically one lost his life.

“How crazy is it to you that there wasn’t Secret Service presence or police presence on the building where the shooter actually wound up?” Stu asks.

“Oh my goodness, that’s totally insane,” Jessie answers. “It doesn’t make sense to me at all.”


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Democrats STILL delusional after Biden’s deranged debate disaster



For the last four years, Democrats have championed President Joe Biden as the best president and the antidote to Trump.

But after Biden’s horrific debate, a few of them are openly backtracking on their very recent support of a candidate faced with declining health.

The New York Times editorial board is one of them, having just published an article titled “To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race.”

“That’s a pretty big step,” Stu Burgiere of “Stu Does America” comments. “Of course, the op-ed is terrible, as you might imagine. It’s basically, ‘Donald Trump is really, really bad. Joe Biden has been the best president ever, but you know, he looked a little old in the debate, so maybe he should step down.’”

Other Democrats are less honest.

Despite the clear mental decline Biden’s experienced, Keith Olbermann posted on X, “Today’s YouGov/CBS poll: Should Biden stay in the race? YES, 55% -45%.”

“Should TRUMP stay in the race? NO, 54%-46%,” Olbermann continued, adding, “That says it all. Any effing questions?”

But that poll doesn’t actually say what Olbermann wants it to say.

“The fact that Biden barely beats Trump among Democratic voters as compared to registered voters, that is a massive catastrophe,” Stu says.

In the same poll, 46% of Democratic voters answered that Biden should not be running for president. 45% of Democratic voters also answered that Biden should step aside and let someone else be the nominee.

“Basically half of your own voters are telling you not to run. This is not normal, boys and girls,” Stu adds.


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