Especially people in other countries. Man, I do not know what it is about Mamma Mia that seems to be resonating all across the globe but it’s been on top of the international box office charts for the last FIVE WEEKS now.

Baffled?  You bet.  I’m having a really hard time pinning down just why this movie is so popular overseas.  Is it the prevalence of Abba tunes lining the soundtrack?  Did Meryl Streep really knock it THAT far out of the park?  Can audiences worldwide just not get enough raging misandry?

I’ve heard dark rumblings involving some kind of audience participation game, in which audiences sing along, and if that’s the case, then this whole thing may make some sense.  Audience participation–which is just what it sounds like, where the audience participates in a movie–is a phenomenon that has been tried in various forms over the years that only occasionally work.  Audience participation is often cited (or blamed, depending on your particular inclination) for the enormous long-term popularity of the Rocky Horror Picture Show musical.  Sure, watching Tim Curry crossdress can be downright entertaining and all, but that really doesn’t account for the long-term popularity of this title.  Seriously, it doesn’t.

If Mamma Mia has managed to find some kind of successful audience participation scheme, then that’s a banner event.  Look for it to be studied and analyzed at length, and ultimately, Mamma Mia will never go away.

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