From Jim Metrock:
On the day that Channel One told kids to go see "Drillbit Taylor" – March 21 – I went to see it.
I had sent CEO Kent Haehl and Education VP Dr. Paul Folkemer an email urging them to go see it also that day. ( I’m betting they didn’t.)
The movie had drug references and major alcohol references. Kids seeing this movie would see a teen party where many teens are drinking and having a great time.
There’s an abundance of profanity which is standard in a Judd Apatow movie. He also made "Superbad" and "Knocked Up."
There is violence. A lot of violence towards young people. One could say it’s "comedic violence" but it’s way over the top and makes you sick at your stomach. Two school bullies grab two students from the back as they are using the urinal and the kids urinate all over each other. This is a shocking scene. There are two exact scenes like this in this movie. Why didn’t Channel One’s people preview this movie before they encouraged young people to see it?
You can read reviews of this movie, but what I would encourage readers to do is to go to ScreenIt.com. This is a wonderful site for parents and others that simply presents the content of a movie.
You will be greatly disappointed in our two friends Kent Haehl and Dr. Paul Folkemer.
What I find interesting is Dr. Folkemer is on the board of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Why didn’t he stop the advertising of this movie? "Drillbit Taylor" didn’t need to show teens drinking. They could have made the movie without this content. A teen drinking party was not central to the plot.
This movie helped to normalize teen drinking. Channel One not only advertised the movie, they also offered a private screening of this trashy PG13 movie if young people entered a contest sponsored by Channel One.
Here’s a sample of ScreenIt.com’s content review of "Drillbit Taylor"
ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
A driver gives Drillbit some money on the street, but tells him it’s not for marijuana or rye whiskey, repeating it’s "not for pot."
One of Drillbit’s homeless friends holds up a sign that seems to be drug related. Drillbit states he’s going to Canada where the beer is twice as strong.
The term "crack-head" is used, but not for a drug user. Not meaning it literally, Ryan asks Drillbit, "Are you high?"
We see a beer bottle by Wade’s stepdad. Drillbit has wine while in a bathtub.
Wade’s mom is concerned that he’s doing drugs (due to the way he’s been acting about being bullied as well as his training with Drillbit), and his stepdad asks if he’s sure he isn’t high, commenting on the way Wade’s been going at the food as if he has "the munchies."
Drillbit opens wine for Lisa and himself.
About finding their household belongings in disarray, Wade’s stepdad asks if he’s high and if he and his friends had marijuana party.
High school students drink what’s presumably beer and/or other alcohol at a party Filkins is throwing.
Any scene that might sound like it’s a positive message about drugs or alcohol, like the stepdad asking if his stepson is "high" is played for laughs. The parents come off as stupid. There’s nothing "anti-drugs"or "anti-drinking" about an scene in this disgusting movie. When you laugh about teen alcohol or drug use, it helps to make it acceptable. Hollywood doesn’t care about the consequences of its films. It’s all about the box office receipts. Channel One is concerned about advertising revenue. If they were concerned with young people they would not have advertised this movie.
The good people at MADD ought to be MAD as you know what at Dr. Paul Folkemer and the rest of the Channel One News gang.
