Beef In Balloonland

So, I had no idea this existed, but apparently there’s a butt-load of people who’ve devoted their lives to making crap out of balloons–not just your standard wiener dog, but chairs, pirates, outfits, whatever you can think of. Problem is, the “gospel [balloon] twisters” and the “adult twisters” don’t get along.

As The New York Times reports, a new documentary now available in limited release “Twisted: A Balloonamentary” highlights the rift between the rival balloon-twister camps. Apparently, the “gospel twisters” use their art for religious purposes, making balloon crosses and such, while the “adult twisters” choose to portray more risqué subject matters.

Check out the “Twisted” trailer after the jump!

From the article:

“I refused to see the movie” when it first played, said Ralph Dewey, a prominent gospel twister from Deer Park, Tex. “There’s just too much unclean stuff in there.” He and several other like-minded twisters boycotted a screening of “Twisted” at a balloon convention in Texas last year.

The scenes that might make Mr. Dewey squirm take place at a gay men’s party in Las Vegas, where balloons are fashioned into parts of the male anatomy that are most logically suited for this purpose.

According to the twisters themselves, the two factions have long co-existed, however uncomfortably, at conventions and other gatherings, but the film is bringing simmering resentments to the surface. The religious twisters say they are concerned that the film and its racy moments could become the public face of their field, and that parents might assume the film, which is unrated, is appropriate for children.

I’m not sure how someone can get too pissed about a balloon looking like a wang. I mean, that’s just their natural shape. But then again, I’m not sure how anyone could devote their life to making stupid crap out of balloons either, so I’m probably not the best person to ask.

[Props to BoingBoing.net for pointing this one out.]