John Cusack and Woody Harrelson in '2012.'
Enlarge Columbia Pictures

Hey, 2012, you had a great weekend! Don't look so concerned about the end of the world.

John Cusack and Woody Harrelson in '2012.'
Columbia Pictures

Hey, 2012, you had a great weekend! Don't look so concerned about the end of the world.

In yet another nose-thumbing at critics who suggested that Roland Emmerich's 2012 put the "disaster" in "disaster movie" (and not in the good way), moviegoers worldwide coughed up a massive $225 million to watch things blow up.

Clearly, we love to hurt the ones we love. And hate. And visit on major holidays. Entire states, cast into the sea! Buildings toppled! Clothes closets ransacked! Library card catalogs thrown entirely out of order!

Build it up, knock it down. As it is with Susan Boyle, so it is with our major landmarks. Precious is actually making a lot of money, but clearly, it would make more if it ended with Precious blowing up the Washington Monument.