Buddy the Elf: An Entrance Into Benign Violation

Ah, yes. The ever-present Elf. Throughout my experience in public school, this film in particular has consistently been the go-to for any sort of event that involves a movie, whether or not it was anywhere near Christmas. With this film, Will Ferrell has achieved what is arguably the most iconic of his smorgasbord of popular roles. The film remains a massive success in terms of profit and notoriety, and has solidified itself as a staple of both holiday films and family comedies. It is not difficult to see why it struck a chord with so many. The film’s plot is the standard ‘fish out of water’ scenario, which is highlighted in many of the scenes that Ramsden details in her initial article. A wide-eyed, purely innocent Buddy the Elf (played by Ferrell) is shown the realities of living in New York City, chasing after a crotchety businessman who is completely unaware of Buddy’s status as his son. As Buddy is being exposed to these brutal situations in a strange new land, it very well should have caused his psyche to collapse halfway through the film, but his determination and good heart aid him in not only prevailing on getting through to his father, but saving Christmas and earning the heart of a particularly attractive Zooey Deschanel. As Ramsden points out, this film relies heavily on the idea of benign violation: a situation that does something wrong without any of the consequences that would realistically accommodate it. Buddy, in his innocence, breaks or ignores many social cues that any normal human would find to be common knowledge. His tendency to be loud, overly joyful, and awkwardly invasive are delightful to the viewer, who is undoubtedly reveling in the naïvety of this poor soul. Yet we feel an attachment to Buddy because of his good nature and earnest sense of purity. Even as he causes anywhere from awkwardness to mayhem, the audience remains on his side because he does not have to face realistic consequences. Elf is a perfect example of a non-offensive usage of benign violation.