What if they'd won?

On Friday, we took a very atypical approach to celebrating St. Patrick's Day, foregoing the green beer and corned beef. Instead, Jay trekked up from Ithaca and Aviva made us some delicious fish and chips. We finished off the decadent meal with cream puffs, lemon sorbet, vanilla ice cream, and fresh raspberries. After dinner, we went to The Little theatre to see CSA: The Confederate States of America. Not for the feint of heart, the film is what New York Times reviewer Manohla Dargis calls "satire with a sledgehammer." Mimicking the form of a British Broadcasting Corporation (here renamed the BBS) documentary, the film imagines what America would look like today had the South won the civil war and the institution of slavery been preserved. As one might expect, the results are horrifying. Director Kevin Willmott uses academic talking heads to explain the twisted history, incorporating real and phony statements, documents and footage. He breaks up the "history lesson" with fictional commercials for astoundingly offensive products that, in many cases, once appeared on American store shelves. Perhaps most disturbing were the fake commercials for things like the "slave shopping network" or a reality show called "Runaways," which bore a disturbing resemblance to "Cops." Although the film was certainly thought-provoking, I can't say I enjoyed it. In fact, it's a narrative I was only too happy to see come to an end.