Adam McKay’s
comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron
Burgundy (2004) takes a satirical look at the American news world of the
1970s to laugh at puff pieces, sexism in the workplace, and the mistakes
anchors can make on live TV. The sad fact is today the sexism is still there,
if only slightly more hidden (FOX News), and the news on TV sometimes looks
more and more ridiculous. Part of what makes Anchorman so funny is that unlike today most of its characters have
no idea they are being ridiculous since in their world the term “diversity” is
to be confused with the name of a sunken ship.
Having worked as
a reporter for three years, I can guarantee you that Anchorman is a lot funnier if you have actually worked in the
media. When I first saw the movie while it was playing on a movie channel I
thought it was one of Will Ferrell’s better comedies, but it took a new meaning
when I joined the Journalism – New Media program at Sheridan College in
Oakville, Ontario. We had to learn how to use cameras, edit footage, write articles,
perform interviews, and also read from a teleprompter for a television news
show. It turns out that yes, sometimes you will read every single word on the
screen, even if those words are “I am Ron Burgundy?” or even worse, “Go fuck
yourself, San Diego!”
Ron Burgundy,
played by Will Ferrell with a lot of machismo and a superb moustache, is a king
of TV news in 1974 San Diego. His colleagues include field reporter Brian
Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports caster Champ Kind (David Koechner), and meteorologist
Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) who is probably mentally disabled, but nobody
notices because of the times. This manly wolfpack gets the station high ratings
and they believe they can do no wrong. However the times they are a-changing
and the boys’ station director (Fred Willard) informs them he has had to hire,
of all things, a woman.
Poor Veronica
Corningstone (Christina Applegate) is hardworking, driven, and very good at her
job, but because she is also a beautiful blonde, Ron only sees her as another
notch to add to his belt. Somehow he does manage to develop a romantic
relationship with her, despite the fact he takes her on a date where he tells
her San Diego is Spanish for “a whale’s vagina.” The relationship takes a steep
nosedive when a car accident involving an angry biker (Jack Black, in a brief
cameo) delays Ron to the station, giving Veronica the chance to fill in for him
on air and become co-anchor. Having a woman in the workplace is one thing, but
to have one sit next to his throne is one step too far for Ron. This means war.
Sexism in the
workplace and journalism are serious subjects, but the greatest comedians can
make fun of anything. Part of the reason why co-writers Ferrell and McKay can
get away with tackling with tackling those subjects, even if Ron and his
buddies are sometimes mean-spirited towards Veronica, is because the gags
rarely stop and are often over the top. They don’t all work, but a definite
standout is the battle of the news teams. What starts out as a an insult match
between Ron’s main competitor Wes Mantooth (Vince Vaughn) turns into a physical
altercation between all of San Diego’s news teams involving swords, tridents, and
hatchets.
Naturally, Ron
saying “Boy, that escalated quickly” after the bloody fight has become a
popular meme over the years. Another proof of the film’s lasting impact is that
every now and then you will see blooper reels from local news stations in which
anchors are described as having a Ron Burgundy moment.
For people who
just watch the news seeing a reporter make a mistake on air it is of course hilarious,
but anyone who has ever worked in a newsroom will feel a bit of sympathy for
the poor guy (or woman). Anchorman is
a very funny movie with a great cast of comedians at the top of their game, and
for people in the media it is also somewhat of a cautionary tale.
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