Anna Daniels
When it comes to satire, there is always a risk that the action being critiqued will be taken at face value. Fight Club, unfortunately, was primed to fall victim to this — and did. Ever since it hit theaters, actual fight clubs have sprung into being all over the world. They have existed in Menlo Park, California, Arlington, Texas, and New Jersey, in a particularly grotesque example that involved adults at a daycare getting children to fight each other. Moreover, it’s not just fight clubs being imitated. In 2009, a New York teenager planned to bomb a Starbucks in emulation of Tyler Durden. Sadly, these folks totally miss the point: The movie is criticizing toxic masculinity, not promoting or encouraging it. In other words, Tyler Durden is not a role model.
In comments to the New York Times, Fincher said, “Women maybe get the humor faster,” and noted that Fight Club’s female fans better identify and understand the film’s message. Perfectly riffing off this dynamic, a 2010 viral comedy sketch called “Jane Austen’s Fight Club” highlights the different ways women approach the original story. It’s not Tyler Durden’s bag, but we think he might approve.
Written by: Looper
