After watching the trailer, LIBERAL ME was fraught with questions. The documentarians wisely anticipated them and provided answers right away -- but not directly: a lot of participants had the same questions as I.
I went through an entire gamut of emotion watching this: mental challenges and torture. BOYS STATE rather easily won me over for its observation, balance and unbelieveable coherence amid the chaos of chronicling 1100 teen males playing politics for one week in Texas. I don't know how many subjects were followed before whittling down to the featured voices in this documentary, but they hit the jackpot.
Plenty of whooping and push-ups, the testosterone overdose is unavoidable - even down to one candidate proclaiming "Our masculinity will not be compromised." The lack of females was infuriating -- Boys Town absolutely felt like a training ground where males do not consider female voices or concerns.
There are subjects who are already informed, dignified and striving for social improvement; which I found heartening. There are also those who have picked up tactics of crowd motivation, manipulation and the mechanics of smear, and that's chilling.
Girls have a similar program conducted separately. That was my main issue. Run by the American Legion, the organization of mostly right-wing veterans hasn't seen fit to integrate the two. In BOYS STATE, teenage males are spouting misinformation about abortion and they aren't countered because of the overwhelmingly conservative leaning of the Texas teens - including one who admits he is pro-choice, but closeted about it.
There are speeches; but if there are debates, they aren't shown. I'm guessing there are not, because of the 12th hour lies that were told.
BOYS STATE is an astonishing look into one particular event and its participants. Although I was curious about the Left/Right leanings of past election winners, the makers of this doc kept it lean, pertinent and well-paced.
Past Boys State participants include Samuel Alito and Cory Booker. Watching this almost felt like seeing a future Obama or Beto O'Rourke who hopes for unity and consensus, and a future Karl Rove or Mitch McConnell who eagerly sacrifices principle for victory.
I went through an entire gamut of emotion watching this: mental challenges and torture. BOYS STATE rather easily won me over for its observation, balance and unbelieveable coherence amid the chaos of chronicling 1100 teen males playing politics for one week in Texas. I don't know how many subjects were followed before whittling down to the featured voices in this documentary, but they hit the jackpot.
Plenty of whooping and push-ups, the testosterone overdose is unavoidable - even down to one candidate proclaiming "Our masculinity will not be compromised." The lack of females was infuriating -- Boys Town absolutely felt like a training ground where males do not consider female voices or concerns.
There are subjects who are already informed, dignified and striving for social improvement; which I found heartening. There are also those who have picked up tactics of crowd motivation, manipulation and the mechanics of smear, and that's chilling.
Girls have a similar program conducted separately. That was my main issue. Run by the American Legion, the organization of mostly right-wing veterans hasn't seen fit to integrate the two. In BOYS STATE, teenage males are spouting misinformation about abortion and they aren't countered because of the overwhelmingly conservative leaning of the Texas teens - including one who admits he is pro-choice, but closeted about it.
There are speeches; but if there are debates, they aren't shown. I'm guessing there are not, because of the 12th hour lies that were told.
BOYS STATE is an astonishing look into one particular event and its participants. Although I was curious about the Left/Right leanings of past election winners, the makers of this doc kept it lean, pertinent and well-paced.
Past Boys State participants include Samuel Alito and Cory Booker. Watching this almost felt like seeing a future Obama or Beto O'Rourke who hopes for unity and consensus, and a future Karl Rove or Mitch McConnell who eagerly sacrifices principle for victory.