The Deadest of the Pools

Starting out as a cult classic character within the restrictive realms of “true OG” comic nerds, Deadpool has blown up far beyond what anyone had expected into a massive cultural phenomenon. The wise-cracking, ultraviolent anti-hero has been a symbol of geek culture for years, but with the arisal of two full-length films starring Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool’s appearance on the big screen has allowed him to embed himself into the hearts of most families. As Owen states in her writing, I too believe that Deadpool is a beautiful representation of the theory of benign violation, considering how many lines it crosses even just within its general summary. Deadpool is a story about a man named Wade Wilson, a mercenary with a morbid sense of humor. After being diagnosed with cancer, he is subjected to an experiment that leaves him horribly disfigured, but with an accelerated ability to heal. This sets Wilson off on a sweet revenge plot against the corporations and to get his girl back. Already we are treated to cancer, assassinations, facial disfigurement, and forced genetic mutation. In other words, this is not a happy story, and in fact a quite dark one. So why is it so funny? The juxtaposition of the scenarios, usually perilous and brutal, and Wilson’s constant ability to combat not only physically, but verbally through quips and one-liners, creates a divide between the the situations’ realities and fantasies. Another aspect of the film that works in its favor is Deadpool’s tendency to directly address the audience. This breaks the unspoken rule of film, the “fourth wall,” and thus also contributes to the benign parts of the benign violation. Maybe interjecting inappropriate, often childish, humor into a life or death situation is simply Wilson’s method of distancing himself from the realities of his occupation? Or maybe he simply is an anti-leaning anti-hero.