Most people like to think of themselves as refined and sophisticated. But somewhere in everyone, there’s still a kid.
I know, I know. You don’t want the braces or horrible haircut back. But to watch “How To Be A Man,” you have to channel and unleash that crude old middle-school self of yours!
Politically incorrect, funny and immature all describe Chadd Harbold’s “How To Be A Man.” But those aren’t necessarily bad qualities.
The main character, Mark McCarthy (Gavin McInnes), has cancer, and before he dies, he wants to make a video for his unborn son on how to be a man.
So how could Harbold make such a funny movie about cancer and death?
The key is McCarthy’s character. He’s hilarious, confident, and immature, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously.
And once McCarthy starts filming his instructional video, hilarity ensues.
First, McCarthy posts an advertisement on Facebook, asking for someone to film him (he doesn’t say what for).
One thing leads to another, until Bryan, a disheveled and seemingly unmotivated teenager who still lives with his mother, accepts the job offer.
The two cover everything from how to pick up girls to how to do drugs.
McCarthy speaks into the camera as if he were talking to his son, while Bryan films.
When McCarthy discusses bullying, he advises, “Once you get the basics of fighting down, all of a sudden bullies aren’t so intimidating. A fight isn’t a big deal. It’s a very uncomfortable six seconds and then it’s done. It’s just like diarrhea.”
Or when McCarthy explains bar etiquette, he says, “You notice I didn’t have a fruity drink. I’m not trying to disguise the fact that we’re eating rotten barley and oats. You understand? This is poison.”
Lighthearted monologues like these are common throughout, and they’re usually funny.
Actually, the whole movie is pretty funny. It’s just hard for me to admit that.
Throughout the movie I felt like my sixth-grade self again. I was laughing at everything: sex jokes, fart jokes and drug jokes. It’s hard for me to elaborate more than that, as this is a student newspaper…
Anyway, deep inside, I knew that I shouldn’t be laughing. I knew that I was grown-up, and I knew that I was above every single raunchy, mindless joke.
But that’s just it. I couldn’t control myself. I was in middle school again, laughing at every penis joke there was.
Harbold creates an escape for adults. It’s a chance to be 13 again, a chance to laugh uncontrollably about farts.
So if you’re up for that, give “How To Be A Man” a shot. In the end, you’ll laugh. You just might feel a bit guilty afterwards.
