No, that’s not prison lingo for some kind of sex act. There is literally a goat on fire. Notably absent from the episode is Phantasm (who is obviously in love with himself), though Ricky takes a moment to deface a poster of him. Phantasm, it appears, will be a recurring presence, definitely pivotal to the ongoing story of Chozen’s revenge/redemption but not the antagonist of every episode. “Love and Bottlerockets” plays with a lot of racial humor, its satire is successful because it’s a send-up of ignorance rather than a reinforcement. Early in the episode, Chozen, Crisco, and Ricky play a gig for an Asian audience. Their lyrics are shamelessly racist, to say nothing of Jimmy, who stands among them, dressed in a Chinese dragon costume, babbling all kinds of pseudo-Chinese gibberish. My eyes were ready for a good roll, because once again, where other minorities are treated with at least some degree of sensitivity, it was open season on Asian people. You can imagine my delight when the camera was turned on the audience to show that they are horrified, doubly so because they’re not even Chinese; the event is for The Phillippines Family Association. All the while, though, it’s made clear that the boys’ racist actions are coming from a place of immaturity and insensitivity but not hostility; they’re dumb-asses, not hatemongers, and the show is clearly siding with the horrified audience. Bottom line, the success of the comedy is in its intent; we’re meant to be laughing at the ignorance of these guys, not with it. And again, I have to praise the show’s depiction of Chozen’s own sexuality, which flips the script of the traditional male sex fantasy (being an irresistible stud who takes control of the situation, commanding respect and attention) by making men the sex objects rather than women. Chozen catches two white collar closet cases about to get down in a gas station bathroom stall, and not only does he bust in and take the reins, he rocks their worlds so thoroughly that next we see them, they’re running after him in broad daylight, begging him to come back. Later on, we find Hunter, who is willing to bend over backwards (perhaps literally) to get Chozen back in the sack despite how crappily Chozen treats him. Is it a double-standard that I’d be rolling my eyes if women were the targets of Chozen’s narcissism? Absolutely, but that’s exactly why it gets a pass; it would be offensive and sad if it weren’t so refreshing. Except when a flaming goat runs across the screen, bleating its little heart out in terror. Because goats are always funny. Always. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
