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No, the Netflix movie Incoming is not the next Superbad.

It’s not that funny (subjective of me, but there aren’t many setups or pieces of unique dialogue) nor is it very well made. I’m not even going to address the filmmakers, because Netflix movies have the tendency to look and feel the same. So, there’s that.

Did it remind me of Can’t Hardly Wait or Project X? Yes. (And some people love those so-so movies.)

And this isn’t about me bashing or questioning the acting of Incoming‘s protagonist Mason Thames or his buddies. They might have futures. I really just want to talk about the constant push for, and strange honoring and borderline endorsement of, alcohol, drugs, and smoking (vapes, cigarettes, and marijuana).

And, at the end, I’m going to congratulate Incoming.

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I personally know some folks who are trying to cut down on or quit certain substances. Every movie or TV show, however, illustrates that we can’t socialize, get along, or romantically date others without having (taking) something.

I recently watched some movies I’d seen before.

Little Big Man (1970). Dustin Hoffman is a 121-year-old smoker. Indigenous human beings smoke the peace pipe. Fine. Whatever.

My Dinner with Andre. Wise, deep conversations over wine/vices? Weird. But that’s just me.

I also read Razor’s Edge. Larry gives into mild peer pressure after being on a similar journey as Andre. Why does he give in? Why isn’t this mentioned as a weakness or hypocrisy?

Don’t do drugs … until you’re older?

Work in a hospital and pass out anti-aging pamphlets about alcohol … to then drink away the weekend?

Show cocaine as a rough time but, also, something that didn’t kill me? It made me stronger?

I don’t know, people. It’s pretty stupid.

I’ve been called an adrenaline junky, okay? And I know that it’s not socially accepted or smart to stab a table between my fingers or wish for a hole in a parachute. The difference is that this concept of chancing death or acting wild is not in movie after movie, TV show after TV show. (Or is it becoming that way? Safe sex has never stuck and now cliff diving and wild car driving seems to be leisure activities in real life. What are the statistics?)

Either way, this bad behavior isn’t advertised. If anything, we make sure on commercials that people aren’t attempting to shoot little pieces of food in their mouths (the tiny white words at the bottom of your screen say not to), but we can show people drinking a beverage that disturbs our natural brain process. Huh?

I’m not a Mormon or anything. I’m not on my high horse or soap box. It’s just so, so damn strange.

Another version of the argument, if you will …

As kids, we don’t have to have candy to get along or get to know someone. A bike? A ball? A common cartoon? Maybe these help, but they are not necessary. As a teen, do we need some type of substance? Not really. It’s uncomfortable and our hormones are wacky, but we manage. We laugh too much. We’re made fun of. We hide our zits. But we don’t just drink or smoke the feelings away.

Or are we starting to do that at a younger age? (I don’t truly care about the statistics. I’m putting it out there.)

Think about it. Videogames, vaping, phones, hoodies, tinted windows, earbuds. They’re there. All the time. Tuning everyone out. You all know this, I know. But, again, super strange!

I mean, I’ve lost track of how many movies push this stuff. The Fall Guy mentions getting drinks and making bad decisions in the trailer. The Fabulous Four trailer has mature women high on edibles. And those are just the previews. Didi and Blink Twice were close to exploring the pitfalls of such behavior but kind of excused, yet again, snorting substances. Leave the World Behind (another Netflix movie that has some decent ideas) practically condones vaping and drinking wine at the most crucial time.

I’m going on and on, I know, but I also know teenagers who have increased their drinking after watching “DAHMER. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” Is that a coincidence?

I kind of like that they brought attention to the cocaine thing in Deadpool & Wolverine. I’m not for censorship, but there’s a point where you … what? … cringe? (What a cringy word.) Travis Bickle (of Taxi Driver) is kind of an anti-hero but also takes pills and says racial slurs. So he’s deeply flawed. We’re not going, “Oh yeah. I want to be just like Travis.” His flaws define his outcome as a person. When we watch occasional coke use or a parent smoking weed with their kid, it’s more, “That’s okay.” See the difference? That’s not okay. Travis being a kind-of racist is not okay or someone to aspire to be.

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Incoming has its moments of glorifying the partying. Endorsing the underage drinking as so many movies have and, now, the love for how smoke looks when coming out of a face. (Idiotic and gross, in my opinion. But I also don’t get cigar bars.)

I think part of the subtext message of Incoming, however, was that there are consequences. It wasn’t preachy. I’m actually being more parenty in this article. But it was there. We go too far sometimes, and it’s not a good thing. This is the only movie I’ve seen do this in … I don’t know how long. Superbad sort of does this but mostly brushes off the terrible mistakes we make as a people. Incoming had less of a blow off. Good for them.

Lastly, and a repeat, can we stop with the leisure activity (and cutaways of) cocaine? It’s getting so common, I’m worried we’re going to become really gross as a society. Sitting around, smoking, gaming, eating hot chips, snorting, and whatever-elsing until we’re extinct.

Or just do it so we die faster. At least admit it and poke the parachute before you jump.

[Note: I’m working on my cynicism. I watched the entire movie of Incoming because my wife was into the idea of watching something fun. It ended up being sort of okay, I guess.]
Dan Jones

Author Dan Jones

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