Top 10 Most Politically Incorrect Movies

Lars von Trier breeds controversy. From “Antichrist” to “Nymphomaniac” to his comments at the Cannes Film Festival, this director has been shocking viewers for decades - and “The Idiots” is no exception. This Danish comedy-drama concerns a group of adults pretending they are developmentally disabled. Considering the actors are not disabled, and appear to be mocking those who are, the film drew many questions about decency upon release. Combine that with graphic scenes of un-simulated sex and you have one of the most objectionable movies ever made.

The “South Park” movie is an extension of the crudeness of the show. Pulling no punches and covering all ground, its targets are varied and its subject matter even more so. Featuring “cameos” from Satan, Bill Clinton, Saddam Hussein, and even the Baldwin brothers, the animated musical comedy presents audiences with multiple facets of humanity and then systematically destroys them. And as a spoof of censorship as a whole, it delves into meta territory as it incorporates its real struggle with the censors into the plot. Offensiveness abounds, but Matt Stone and Trey Parker mean it to improve society rather than hinder it.

Condemned for being a horrible movie with horrible performances, it is Mike Myers’ performance in “The Love Guru” that really brings the bad acting into sacrilegious territory. As Myers plays a spiritual advisor of the Hindu faith, many viewers objected to the unflattering and outrageous portrayal of the religion and its figures, including some high-ranking Hindu leaders. This is because “The Love Guru” relies on tired clichés and stereotypes to entertain audiences, instead of acute and educational observations. And creative laziness can often be mistaken for disparagement.

Early James Bond movies are rife with questionable subject matter, and “You Only Live Twice” deserves top billing in that category. The main contention with this film is that 007 disguises himself as a Japanese man at one point, and it is an incredibly offensive portrayal. Artificial eyelids were affixed to Sean Connery, as well as a jet-black toupee and bushy eyebrows. In addition to this transformation, almost every Asian stereotype is exploited in the movie, including ninjas, kimonos, and inexplicably provocative women.

Dressing in blackface is one of the most heinous cultural taboos—so imagine an entire movie dedicated to it. Behold “Soul Man,” which is about a white man who darkens his skin to receive a black-only scholarship at Harvard. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of this film is that it was released in the ‘80s, a supposedly enlightened decade, where one does not expect to find Al Jolson-like performances. Inappropriate in the ‘20s, inappropriate in the ‘80s, and inappropriate now - just as the reverse i.e. whiteface is as well.

Everyone knows the song - but most don’t know that the character who sings it is a former slave in a Disney film so embarrassing it’s been kept out of the public eye. Uncle Remus is his name, and he is a classic Uncle-Tom-type character: happy to be subservient to his white superiors. The film has never been released on video in America due its allegedly racist views, but its legend lives on in infamy as one of Disney’s biggest cinematic mistakes.

Along with being one of the greatest comedies in history, “Blazing Saddles” has been cited, time and time again, as a movie that could not be made today. The reason couldn’t be clearer: it is an unflinching parody of life in the Old West—complete with n-words, cultural stereotypes, and offensive characters. In today’s politically correct age, the very mention of such words and subjects draws the ire of social justice warriors everywhere, and even in the context of a satirical comedy, the reputational fallout would be devastating.

With its official title being “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” the movie’s title is as long as the list of people it offends. “Borat” comes from the mind of Sacha Baron Cohen, who created the substantially offensive films “Bruno” and “The Dictator,” but this one beats both and leaves nothing sacred. As he travels through America, the Kazakh reporter Borat—played by Cohen—fraternizes with people from all races and creeds, and it is his feigned ignorance and unfamiliarity with the west that produce hilarious and disastrous results. Though Jewish and gay people get their fair share of abuse, no one gets it worse than the Kazakhs, whose government stopped the film from being released in the country.

The “South Park” guys are truly the Messiahs of offensive content. Trey Parker and Matt Stone followed “Bigger, Longer, & Uncut” with this marionette-wielding amalgam of bad taste. As gratuitous and vulgar as a movie can be, “Team America” lampoons American politics, national security, and celebrity culture in extremely unsubtle ways, including a now-infamous sex scene that defies description. This helped earn the film an NC-17 rating for its first nine cuts before it was finally changed to an R. Simply and aptly put, “Team America” flashes a middle finger towards proper society.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable, or in this case, dishonorable mentions:
“Shallow Hal” (2001)
“The Lone Ranger” (2013)
“The Ringer” (2005)

When the KKK is considered heroic in a movie, you know you’re in for a shock. That is the crux of this silent-era epic; the country is saved from villainous African-Americans by the benevolent Ku Klux Klan. It makes for an unsettling viewing experience, and an abhorrent foray into the cultural mindset of the early 1900s. Despite its problematic themes, D. W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation” is considered groundbreaking for its technical achievements and cinematic grandeur, and is regarded as one of the most important movies ever made. Appreciate the art - but not the ideals.

Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the most politically incorrect movie? For more controversial Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.