Is Beef Supreme the 21st century answer to Harpo Marx? He doesn't speak. He uses expressive facial and bodily expressions to entertain an audience. He has particular props. He is athletic and acrobatic.
In addition, he embodies the part of slapstick that makes it unfunny to me: violence.
This isn't the only slapstick in the film, but I think that Beef Supreme is the only actor in Idiocracy that seems to be functioning in a role of pure physical comedy.
Furthermore, Beef Supreme functions in a way similar to the Marx brothers in that he's participating in a role that provides societal critique. In Duck Soup, Harpo represents a critical view of social norms and motives. His insulting way of dealing with adversaries leads to a critique on war in general, questioning the way wars begin as well as the sacrifices of the individuals involved. Beef Supreme functions as a critique on, among other things, celebrity. When he first appears from the rubble, there is a group of girls swooning a la Beatle-mania. The crowd goes wild at the sound of his name, and they react quite enthusiastically to his charade of hunting down Joe.
Obviously, Beef Supreme is a minor part of Idiocracy, but I can't help but notice the similarities from the genre of comedy we've been watching in class, similarities I wasn't really expecting to see.
It is kinda sad that in the 21st Century of slapstick violence, the comedian is actually attempting harm. Of course, the plot thwarts his intentions and no harm comes to Not Sure. Still, we know that if Beef Supreme were to get his hands on Not Sure, we would not only see violence, but actual harm. I think one of the advantages of classic slapstick is that one of is ever actually injured. Moe might rub his head for awhile, but he hasn't been injured (mysteriously, I might add) by the hatchet to the forehead.
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