mike tyson shuffles the leaderboard

As a 21 year old teeny bopper, I can't claim to understand the intrigue surrounding Mike Tyson. I get that he bit some dude's ear off. I also get that that is pretty gross.

But I got to give the guy kudos for posing a challenge to the established logic behind weekend box office numbers. It's largely thanks to him and his cameo in the R-rated comedy The Hangover (previewed marvelously by the trailer) that the movie landed in the number one spot this weekend -- ahead of Pixar's Up, which had a huge opening weekend and was expected to hold its place at the top of the leader board. In fact, this morning, I was reading and hearing reports placing Up ahead of The Hangover. I thought we had learned our lesson about preemptive action, everyone!

What puzzles me about these results is the fact that Up is an animated, family film which -- theoretically -- would draw bigger audiences due to the fact that children and their parents would be buying tickets. And, to state the obvious: The Hangover is anything but family fare. I imagine it's bunches of bro dudes heading to the theater, pumped for the chance to join Mike Tyson in his freakin' sweet rendition of "In the Air Tonight." Mike, if you were on American Idol, I would totes vote for you.

Perhaps, like me, all those bro dudes are unemployed this summer, and therefore have time to go to the movies together to relish in Mike Tyson's glory? Or perhaps it's just appealing in these tough economic times to laugh at utter ridiculousness? What do you think drove people to the theater this weekend to see The Hangover?