The Humor of Superiority in The Big Lebowski

Critchley’s On Humor outlines three theories of humor. The longest-standing one is based upon the idea of superiority, where the audience feels themselves better than the characters being portrayed. This is the idea behind racial and sexist humor. Basically it is a humor that capitalizes on stereotypes and makes caricatures out of its characters. There appear to be several different studies of this superiority theory within the movie.

            The Dude is our protagonist, and the narrator speaks truthfully of him. He calls him the laziest man in Los Angeles, but also describes him as someone completely right for his time and place. He speaks of him as if he is a legend. And on the two instances the narrator and the Dude encounter each other the narrator treats him as an equal, or even as someone to be admired. So, the Dude is presented to the audience as an equal.

            Yet, within the movie, it is clear that the majority of the characters see the Dude as a complete loser. This is one of the functions of the Big Lebowski. When the two are introduced, Mr. Lebowski describes the Dude as society must see him. He is unemployed, not seeking employment, and is, as he puts it, “asking for a handout.” The chief of police in Malibu is our figure of societal authority and he makes his opinion of the Dude abundantly clear. He empties the pitiful contents of the Dude’s wallet and discovers his only form of identification is a Ralph’s frequent shopper card. The police chief then insults him and assaults him. In the next scene the cab driver throws the Dude out of his cab because he does not like the Eagles. The driver perceived himself as superior both in authority and music taste. A short while later we see a policeman laughing with superiority in the auto pound scene. Here the policeman, again an authority figure and our societal representative is demonstrating audience superiority.

            Walter’s character is very interesting because he is the character whose inane actions grant the audience a sense of superiority and elicit most of the movie’s laughs. But he is also the embodiment of audience superiority. At every turn, he is declaring himself better than those around him. He constantly cites ‘Nam as evidence of this. He believes he can both outsmart and physically overpower all of his adversaries. His perceived superiority appears ridiculous. In the words of the Dude, “I love ya, but sooner or later you’re gonna have to face the fact that you’re a goddamn moron.” He seems to be speaking for the entire audience here. The audience gets quite a few laughs from Walter’s belief in his superiority, but it is a parallel feeling of supremacy that prompts amusement.

            Interestingly, by the end of the movie Walter makes good on his claims. When the German nihlists return to demand payment, Walter overpowers the three of them singlehandedly. It’s clear that his original plan to grab one of them at the handoff and beat information out of them would have worked even though it seemed insane.

            The representations of the superiority theory in The Big Lebowski are designed to reveal the falsity of superiority. What is really funny about The Big Lebowski is the absurdity of superiority. Those characters who appear to us as believing themselves to be superior really just seem crazy. Walter is our overarching example whose function is to turn the idea of superiority inside out and then to do it again. There are also other smaller examples, one being Jesus. The bowler wears tight monochromatic bowling suits, lots of rings and a hairnet. His appearance is ridiculous and his bowling routine disturbing, and yet it is clear from his mannerisms and trash talking that he is confident in his supremacy. Walter’s dismissal of the man as a pervert is comical because it proves him a freak and establishes the audience’s superiority; it also reinforces Walter’s role as surrogate audience. In the same way, Mr. Lebowski is not the self-made millionaire he proclaims himself to be. In reality, he is an old cripple on allowance from his daughter. His claim to superiority is just as false as everyone else’s. 

            The Dude is the only character that never claims superiority, and in the end he is the most respectable character. The Big Lebowski utilizes the humor of superiority, but in doing so it highlight’s the construction of this kind of humor and thus holds a mirror to us, the audience and in the end forces us to laugh at ourselves.