Variety: Interracial Group Sex Is More Outrageous Than Pedophilia

That Lars von Trier certainly discombobulates people who watch his movies! For instance, there's Peter Debruge, chief international film critic of Variety, who just wrote his review of von Trier's four-hour Nymphomaniac, which includes the following passage:

If "Nymphomaniac" feels somewhat tame by comparison, that is surely a reflection of the compromised edit, considering the controversial elements Jo experiments with in the second half: sadomasochism, pedophilia, homosexuality and, most outrageously, a mixed-race three-way. (Any who doubt whether von Trier wants audiences to laugh at the absurdity of it all need only consider the sight of Jo, looking bewildered in a cheap hotel, framed by two visibly excited black suitors.) And yet, the director still intends to scandalize, serving up such images as labia that "open" to reveal an eye and a metal rod inserted into a woman's genitals.

"Pedophilia ... and, most outrageously, a mixed-race three-way." A heated and meandering discussion arose among the Gawker staff as to whether or not there was any possible way to read this passage as saying something other than what it says, which is that an interracial three-way is more outrageous than pedophilia (or vageyena imagery). Is it ironic? Is "the absurdity" of "two visibly excited black suitors" ironic? Is Variety ever ironic? Is this all some sort of failed, self-indicting Richard Cohen-style straw-man construct about imaginary other people's attitudes about race? Bravo, Lars! We're discombobulated secondhand and we haven't even seen the movie yet.