An Honest Assessment of "Lady Ballers"
Theological Letters
I typically don’t use this platform to weigh in on movies or television. Every now and then, however, I make an exception: for example, Some Thoughts on “Rings of Power” (1 of 2) and Some Thoughts on “Rings of Power” (2 of 2). Today, I make an exception for the Daily Wire movie, “Lady Ballers.”
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“Lady Ballers” is the latest in the Daily Wire’s efforts to wade into film. The movie is meant to be a throwback to comedies like “Dodge Ball” or “Tropic Thunder,” irreverent comedies of the early 2000s that are unlikely to be made today, due to prevailing cultural sensitivities.
The premise is simple. A failed coach realizes that he and his washed up athletes can compete in women’s sports by identifying as women. As a result, they dominate every sport, and they are rewarded for it, receiving fame, sponsorships, and praise from the media for being brave and beautiful. Need I say that the film is a critique of the trans movement?
I admit that I’m not above irreverent or juvenile comedies. I’ve enjoyed my fair share. And the trailer for “Lady Ballers” successfully brands it as within this genre, so I went in with high hopes. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. So I took to the internet to see if I was alone.
The online reactions to the film were stark. From the left came outcry that the movie is transphobic — no surprise. From the right came unfettered praise of this brave and beautiful comedy. What I did not find — with perhaps the exception of The Critical Drinker — was an honest broker, someone unoffended by a film that mocks gender theory while offering a fair assessment of the deficiencies of “Lady Ballers.” So, I have chosen to stand in this gap as an honest broker.1 (SPOILERS ahead.)