The Case for Cocaine Bears
Maybe a deadly beast hopped up on nose candy is exactly what the environmental movement needs. The film "Cocaine Bear" has been marketed as a comedy about a bear that ingests cocaine and goes on a rampage in Georgia. However, the film also has an underlying ecological message that challenges traditional environmental messaging. The film's director, Elizabeth Banks, argues that the movie is about humanity's hubristic desire to dominate its environment, and she insists that "if you f ck with nature, nature will f ck with you." This ecological angle of "Cocaine Bear" is unexpected because most environmental discourse in America is solemn, accompanied by a minor soundtrack, and characterized by piety and a dash of mournfulness. Above all, environmentalist content, whether a feature film or a World Wildlife Fund commercial, is invariably didactic. It would have us learn something, and through that education, inspire us to act. Almost all environmental...