Mainstreaming Necrophilia with the Corpse Bride

Tim Burton’s new film version of Roald Dahl’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY begins with a wonderful computer-generated sequence of mechanical devices creating Wonka chocolate bars, but I feel as if I missed most of it, because my brain was still buzzing from the coming attractions trailer that preceded the movie: a preview of Tim Burton’s CORPSE BRIDE.

The breif glimpse of this animated tale (about a man who finds himself inadvertently betrothed to the title character) looks like an absolute delight — another masterpiece along the lines of Burton’s A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. The colors and character designs look beautiful in a Gothic, ghoulish way, but the most striking thing is how sexy the title character looks (beyond even Sally, Jack Skellington’s love interest in NIGHTMARE).

Now keep in mind: she’s a corpse. And the film is basically a love story between her and a living man. Is it just me, or does it seem like Burton, under the guise of crafting a family-film for children, is actually mainstreaming necrophilia for the masses? Doesn’t this go well beyond being mildly demented and reach into the realm of being radically subversive? Can white, American, Christian family values stand up to such an onslaught, or will our culture become hopelessly eroded? How can we possibly hope to defeat terrorism and bring peace and prosperity to the world, when our own society has this sickness rotting away at the core?

I can’t wait until the rightwing guardians of public morals get ahold of this one.

5 Comments.

Posted by Maggie:
And I can’t wait to see it when it comes out, hahahaha.
Wednesday, August 31st 2005 @ 11:52 AM

Posted by miruvor:
:(Dude, he doesn’t love her and he doesn’t have sex with her- he is actually in love with Victoria, who is ALIVE. Therefore there is no necrophilia in this film. ‘an onslaught’? It’s just a movie, so stop getting so worked up. Actually, if you want to know why society is ‘rotting away at the core’ then take a look at what Bush is doing right now. Why don’t you start a campaign against what he’s doing wrong instead of trying to degrade a movie that hasn’t even come out yet? Oh, yeah, and what’s this about ‘white, American, Christian’ – are you saying that if a christian happens to be black or from Nigeria then they can’t possibly have any morals? Amazingly, white American christians aren’t the only ones with morals:o.
Sunday, September 18th 2005 @ 3:43 AM

Posted by djLee:
The term White, American, Christian family values can just be thought of as a term to describe conservative middle class middle America. It is not that the people or should I say the family’s that fit this title are all white. In fact this term could be used to describe the culture of Reagan Country and anyone who’s been to Orange County in recent years could tell you that the OC is a large mixture of different races and groups. From what I have read this description was just a generic term that was best fitting for the perception that most have of this conservative group. Think of a black and white family sitcom such as Leave it to Beaver and maybe you can see one of the reasons how this perception may have been created.
Friday, September 23rd 2005 @ 11:29 AM

Posted by Megan:
First off, this isn’t a love story between a corpse and a living man. The couple who fall in love are both living. And saying a movie is going to rot the values of “white, American Christian values” certainly makes those values look weak to begin with.

Instead of attacking a movie you admit you haven’t even seen yet, perhaps you should be pondering how a country with rotting, easily destroyed values (as you obviously consider them) in need of such defense can possibly hope to end something as wide spread as terrorism.

It sounds like you are condoning censure, by the way, which is as naive as your other comments.
Wednesday, February 1st 2006 @ 1:15 PM

Posted by hollywoodgothique:
I guess it’s time for me to come out of the closet and admit that this post was written — with tongue firmly in cheek — as a parody of wingnut thinking. In a way, I guess I was fanning the flames, hoping a genuine controversery would arise, because I thought it would be funny to see the usual self-appointed guardians of public morality objecting to this movie.
Wednesday, February 1st 2006 @ 2:23 PM