The vibe of "The Monkees" was always lots more "Help!" than "A Hard Day's Night."

Can any aspect of popular culture remain unpolluted by Barack Obama?

Please look at Anderson's filmography. Humiliation is its leitmotif. "Boogie Nights" is scene after scene of characters being humiliated. "There Will Be Blood" climaxes in the famous "I drink your milkshake" scene, a scene of utter humiliation preceded by scenes of lesser but growing humiliations.

"Punch-Drunk Love" is a horrible movie that wallows in the "comedy" of painful humiliation. A much better "P" romantic comedy is "Private Parts," though a reflexive antipathy toward Howard Stern would preclude a reviewer to acknowledge that it is touching, hilarious, deeply romantic and emotionally satisfying.