Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Louis Theroux Documentaries

As a pacifist, a philosophical thinker, & an artist, it is my nature to try to find some beauty in this prison we call Reality. However, I am also definitely not a blind idealist. I've seen enough unspeakably awful things and truly horrible people to know that the world is (and always will be) full of hellish circumstances. People who dream of a future when the entire human race "evolves" into a purely peaceful existence are well-meaning, but naive.

I came across a link on iambored.com to a collection of fascinating clips from documentaries by BBC journalist Louis Theroux, whose mission seems to be investigating the world's craziest people.

Watching the psychos in some of these clips will certainly destroy any optimism about the human race someone may feel. He somehow coolly confronts everything from Neo-nazis to murderers to Black Israelites to pro wrestlers to the twisted "God Hates Fags" Phelps family.

After watching all the clips on that page, I've started searching for more of his videos online, starting with the missing one of his visit to San Quentin prison. They are all AWESOME.



All I have to say is that this guy has balls of steel & is a new hero of mine. The situations he puts himself into and the variety of people he interviews are just astounding.

I just watched videos from Louis's visit to a brothel, and also his investigation into the use of psychological tricks to get girls' numbers & gain self confidence.



That particular one gave me a bit of a flashback because it mentioned hypno-huckster Marshall Sylver, who apparently has morphed from Clark Kent into Lex Luthor. Back when I was in high school, Marshall Sylver's "Passion Profit & Power" infomercial & super-douchey personality was a favorite source of amusement for me & my friends.

Anyway, besides his tremendous courage and unflappability, Louis has a wicked sense of subversive humor that is great:



I'd recommend searching Youtube & watching as many of his segments as possible...

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