With philistine politics and toxic tweets trashing civilization as we know it, the time has come for Assholes: A Theory — a tonic-n-timely new doc from acclaimed director John Walker.
Warning: Language (frequent use of the word “asshole” and other profanity and gay slurs); mentions of alcohol and drugs, sexism, sexual abuse, suicide, gun violence.
Brief “lesson launcher type” activity or a series of inquiry questions with a bit of context.
Documentary exploring the question of who is an “asshole” in various professions, politics, media and the world at large. What traits are universally designated as “asshole” traits across all professions? From a child-development standpoint, what can adults do to discourage the emergence of such traits in children? The documentary proposes several ways that organizations should work to discourage “assholes” from coming into power. Which strategies would be the most effective for specific industries? Why might they work in some and not others? How does having “asshole” leaders in politics affect the well-being and development of countries? Does the influence of “asshole” leaders extend to the greater public? What examples might we have of this in our current climate?