This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
During the holidays I made the mistake of accompanying friends to a movie I knew nothing about. We lasted five minutes. Reading about "The Wolf of Wall Street" after my aborted viewing, I learned that it is a non-stop barrage of degenerate sex, insatiable drug use and constant profanity all presented as a hilarious romp.
What does it say about our culture that people are filling the theaters to see it, and that Hollywood is honoring it as one of the best pictures of the year? You would think Hollywood would learn that drug use is not hilarious entertainment, especially after recently losing yet another one of their own to an overdose.
Some of the movie's defenders say it is a brilliant portrayal of excess. I do not doubt that it is an accurate depiction of a grossly degenerate life. But watching the sordid details of one man's debauchery for almost three hours? Now that's excess.
Jan Cameron
Salt Lake City