There are a lot of reasons to enjoy “The Lego Batman Movie”: the frenetic pace of the humor, Batman’s goofy overconfidence, the immaculate casting of Michael Cera as Robin. One of the biggest reasons, though, is that the film’s excellence is completely untethered to any discussion of President Donald J. Trump.As America has begun to devolve into an autocratic marketing scheme, Trump has become the “Damn, Daniel” of our national culture. Those short Vine (RIP) videos where a squeaky high schooler complimented his friend’s shoes? Of course you do. When those videos broke they were everywhere. There was no logic behind their perseverance. “Damn, Daniel” was so big it didn’t even need your opinion to fuel its existence because it was simply omnipresent. It felt as ubiquitous as the air we breathe. Likewise, Trump doesn’t just dominate political headlines: Everything is now about Trump. A quick Google search for “what ____ means in the age of Trump” can yield results for an absurd range of topics, from sports coverage to makeup to “Rogue One.”
The specter of Trump lingers throughout American culture, and it’s become somewhat exhausting. That’s why films like "The Lego Batman Movie" are so sorely needed. The film’s comedy wasn’t directed at Trump or anything related to current events, but rather stemmed from wit, visual ingenuity and a flurry of pop culture references. "The Lego Batman Movie" follows Gotham’s favorite superhero as he tries to balance thwarting the Joker, caring for an adopted son and overcoming his own emotional insecurities. Just like the first “ Lego Movie,” this film operates at a whirlwind pace, so much so that I’m pretty sure most of the jokes went over the younger audience members’ heads. Amid shots at “Suicide Squad” and a dissection of the tropes of Batman films, this movie feels more like a product of a generation influenced by “Arrested Development” and absurdist YouTube clips than children’s comedy. Incredibly, most of the jokes stuck, although sometimes they came so fast it was hard to fully appreciate each one.
Of course, the burgeoning brilliance of the "Lego" franchise lies in its ability to meld this specialized humor with moments everyone can enjoy. A running gag in which characters vocalize their actions (Batman yells “bang bang bang” as he bangs on a wall), for example, was sufficiently silly and clever for parents and kids alike in the theater to appreciate. I was thankful to find such moments of simple laughter without having to think about immigration bans and deregulation (Also, I fully recognize the hypocrisy of praising this movie for not being about Trump while relating it to Trump, but I wanted to make my point).This is all not to say that resistance to Trump’s highly destructive policies isn’t crucial. The public’s continued vigilance against his platform will be vital for limiting Trump’s ability to impose it. I’m also not contending that art explicitly challenging Trump can’t be productive or important; But sustaining a space for pleasure and creativity outside of commentary on the president’s actions is important, and we should avoid reappropriating all popular narratives to fit Trump’s story.
For one, it’s unfair to the creative aspirations of artists. It also plays into the hands of a man who feeds off attention like a xenophobic Regina George. If we allow Trump to become a monolithic shadow over American culture, it will be that much easier for him to control the popular narrative. For two hours, I sat in a theater and laughed alongside kindergarteners as Batman bragged about his abs and Robin sang about friendship. When I left, I checked Twitter to see if Trump had spread any blatant lies or attacked any federal judges. As the Trump era continues, it will be important to fight back against such destructive action. But it will also be important to have art that allows us to escape all of that and just feel comforted and entertained. Hopefully, inventive works like “The Lego Batman Movie” will continue to provide spaces for that enjoyment. Charles Peckham "Charlie" Day (born February 9, 1976)[1] is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, comedian, and musician.
He is best known for playing Charlie Kelly on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. [2] On film, he is known for his role as Dale in the films Horrible Bosses (2011) and its 2014 sequel, as well as for his roles in Monsters University (2013), Pacific Rim (2013), The Lego Movie (2014) and Fist Fight (2017). Day was born in New York, New York. His mother, Mary (née Peckham), was a piano teacher at The Pennfield School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. His father, Dr. Thomas Charles Day, is a retired professor of music history at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island.[3] His mother has English, Irish, and Welsh ancestry, while his father is of Irish and Italian descent.[4] Day spent most of his childhood in Middletown, Rhode Island. Day attended Pennfield School and graduated from the Portsmouth Abbey School, both in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He starred on the baseball team at the Portsmouth Abbey School, playing shortstop for the Ravens. In 1998, he received a bachelor's degree from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts.
At Merrimack, he was active in the Onstagers, Merrimack's student theater organization. He also played varsity baseball for the Warriors baseball team. During the summers of his college years, he was active in the training programs at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. In 2014, he received an honorary doctorate in performing arts from Merrimack, where he also delivered that year's keynote address. Day at the premiere for Horrible Bosses in August 2011. Besides playing Charlie Kelly on the hit FX television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, he is also one of the show's executive producers and one of its writers, along with Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton. He has also appeared on several other television shows such as Third Watch, Law & Order, and Reno 911!. He appeared in New Line Cinema's Horrible Bosses in July 2011, with Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, and Jamie Foxx.[6] He also had a role in the 2010 film Going the Distance, alongside Justin Long, Jason Sudeikis, and Drew Barrymore.
In 2013, he voiced the character Art in the Pixar animated film Monsters University and appeared in Guillermo del Toro's film Pacific Rim. Day is set to reprise his role for the Pacific Rim sequel. Day has also been a producer for the television shows How to Be a Gentleman and Unsupervised. Day hosted the November 5, 2011 episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL) with Maroon 5 as the musical guest. He was the second cast member from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to host SNL (after Danny DeVito, though DeVito hosted SNL before It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia premiered). DeVito made a special appearance during Day's opening monologue. In September 2014, Day provided his voice for The Sims 4 TV spots. Day has been married to actress Mary Elizabeth Ellis since March 4, 2006.[9] They met in 2001 and were dating in 2004 when they co-starred as incestuous siblings on Reno 911!.[10] Ellis has a recurring role on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as "The Waitress", a coffee shop employee and object of the unreciprocated love and obsession for Day's character.