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Matinee: 'The Simple Joys of the Dull Men's Club'
1 July 2017
Saturday matinees long ago let us escape from the ordinary world to the island of the Swiss Family Robinson or the mutinous decks of the Bounty. Why not, we thought, escape the usual fare here with Saturday matinees of our favorite photography films?
So we're pleased to present the 194th in our series of Saturday matinees today: The Simple Joys of the Dull Men's Club.
As we like to point out from time to time, we reserve the right to be silly once in a while here. It keeps the blood flowing so it can coagulate when necessary. The best medicine, some have argued.
But we're not sure this matinee qualifies as a bone fide (to use a legal term) silly one. At first we did indeed wonder if it wasn't anything more than a spoof. That despite the overwhelming evidence that there are indeed dull men.
Come to think of it, in fact, there are mostly dull men. Beings easily amused by professional sports, say. Or barbecue grills. Or bright shiny vehicles. Things, in short.
With such potential, the Dull Men's Club could hardly be the spoof it seems at first. And in fact, there really is a Dull Men's Club. And it's international. Only until Elon Musk gets to Mars anyway.
Who are these people? The About Us page explains:
The Dull Men's Club is a place where dull men share thoughts and experiences, free from gliz and glam, free from pressures to be in and trendy -- free instead to enjoy simple ordinary things.
Simple ordinary things, like we said. Well, wait, isn't that what photographers chase after? Sunsets, babies, nudes? And, in their best moments, only in black and white? Can it be any simpler than that?
This short clip just over three minutes long (you may want to fast forward through it) provides conclusive proof that photographers are, indeed, dull. It profiles four members, two of which are photographers and one of which is a model (and, in the non-denominational spirit of the times, a woman).
There is first the collector of milk bottles (who dislikes milk). Is that Styrofoam he uses to simulate milk so you can read the logos on the bottles? He is no photographer, though. He's just the opening act.
Then there is the woman who follows those roadside historical signs (which are brown worldwide, apparently). She's the model, posing by the signs before she sets off in the direction they point. The photographer gets no credit.
But after that, things get seriously silly.
First there's Kevin, the guy who is infatuated with roundabouts. Actually his photographs (taken with a Fujifilm camera) of these advanced intersections are rather charming, even sophisticated, but ultimately, yes, dull.
And then there's Mark, the guy who somehow takes selfies of himself at grave sites. He calls himself a tomb traveler. The host of this video makes an unfortunate pun about him. We recommend you pause the video and briefly groan to relieve the pain before continuing.
Finally there is Dick, the guy who takes photographs of village water pumps with his smartphone. His infatuation seems to have more to do with separation anxiety than any primordial urge. He just loves the things.
Club founder Grover Click insists there's an art to being dull. But that's exactly what you'd expect him to say.
For the real scoop, just visit the Web site. Click on any menu item. The same home page reloads. There are, certainly, lots of options, but just the one page. You may think of that as artful if you wish.
But we find it rather dull.