Yesterday was atypical as far as summer days in Austin go. Not only did it rain, but I found myself seeing Seth Rogan’s “Sausage Party”. What I was expecting out of this experience, I am not entirely sure. However, I can confirm Rogan’s comedy remains as unimpressive to me now as it ever was. Sausage Party is an unabashed, hedonistic voyage into man-child humor wrapped in a poor commentary on religion.
Frank is a hot-dog living in a supermarket. He shares this space a host of offensive characters, including a Native American liquor bottle regrettably named “Firewater”, a highly pious and intolerant lavash, and a Jewish bagel with a big nose. Every morning all of the anthropomorphic foods start the day in a chorus of religious praise. Humans are gods to the food, and to be purchased by a human equates to going to heaven, or “the great beyond”. The reality is that purchased foods are destined to be eaten. With the fourth of July upcoming, Frank and his girlfriend Brenda hope to finally be chosen that they can consummate their relationship (queue the onslaught of sex humor). Frank’s beliefs are shaken, however, when a jar of honey mustard recounts his experience of the great beyond. He sets out on a quest to enlighten the food about their true situation.
The movie’s humor plays well into the tropes Rogan has found his niche within. Sexual innuendo and downright profanity intermingle in a way I found unpalatable (no “bun” intended). The climax of the movie is a literal food orgy, which completes western hyper-sexualization by extending it to food. For two minutes audiences are subjected items of food committing the entire gamut of sexual acts accompanied by exaggerated moaning and groaning. It was nothing more than cheap shock value, only made effective by turning up the voltage to pornographic heights.
The movie is pandering at best. A recognizably catholic taco shell is tortured by her sexual desire for Brenda the bun but must remain pure, while the bagel and the lavash argue over who can rightfully claim the isle they share. The movie talks without saying anything; Rogan may be trying to demonstrate the spectrum of religious experience but he instead seems to be mocking it all. His take on religion is very shallow and doesn’t paint a full picture. Yes, Religious dogma causes people (and food) do hateful things. Most religions also strive to promote our greatest virtues: love, patience, self-control, peace, etc.
In the end I left the theater twenty dollars down, queasy from the popcorn, and lacking a single laugh. Sausage Party tried to be a raunchy comedy masking a deeper message, but ended up being about as childish as one would expect of an animated movie about the secret life of food.
