Because I haven’t felt much like laughing since September 11th, Zoolander was just what the doctor ordered. Watching Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson compete for the title of Male Model of the Year did the trick for me. I couldn’t stop chuckling at their VERY serious, yet ridiculous, performances --- even during scenes notable mainly for their silliness.

How silly, you ask? Let’s start with two grown men attempting to project the world’s most fashionable "look." Stiller (Meet the Parents), as Derek Zoolander, wows his fans with "Blue Steel," a wide-eyed pouty glare, while Wilson’s (Shanghai Noon) Hansel seduces groupies with a laid back, surfer aura. Next, these two engage in a wild modeling "walk-off" challenge that includes everything from break-dancing to losing one’s shorts. Funny bits like these help make Zoolander one of the most amusing satires of the year.

The fashion industry today seems ripe for this kind of skewering. I enjoyed seeing its pretentiousness and child labor exploitation highlighted when Stiller’s dim, naïve character becomes involved in an assassination plot against the President of Malaysia. It’s The Manchurian Candidate meets In Style Magazine --- an outrageous combination of brainwashing, post-hypnotic suggestion, and flashy outfits.

Does nepotism ever worry Hollywood? I think not. Stiller’s wife and parents all have roles in Zoolander. He’s the writer, producer, and director as well as the film’s star, so who’s left to say no? In the case of Christine Taylor (The Brady Bunch Movie), her husband made a wise decision. She gives the film a sense of reality as a hotshot Time Magazine reporter who falls for the narcissistic, naive Zoolander. Too bad Stiller’s father (Jerry Stiller from television’s Seinfeld) hams up most of his scenes as Zoolander’s troubled agent. Anne Meara, the mom, appears in only one shot. She’s a convincing angry protestor against child labor. Don’t blink or you’ll miss her.

Evil rears its gaudy head here in the form of Will Ferrell (Saturday Night Live) as the fiendish Mugatu, a greedy fashion mogul. With his outlandish costumes and platinum blonde hair, he looks like Gary Oldman’s Dracula playing Cruella De Vil. Yes, Ferrell goes too far over the top in a couple of scenes, as usual. Still, his Busby Berkley routines in Mugatu’s brainwashing video gave me more than a few laughs. Milla Jovovich (The Messenger), portraying Mogatu’s snobbish assistant, proves she can camp up a role with the best of them. "She’s a unique type of intolerant villain," says Jovovich, explaining her character. "Snobbery doesn’t begin to describe her attitude towards discount retail fashion."

Oops! Almost forgot to mention that my "Derek Zoolander Calendar" arrived in the mail today. And I love it. Here are my favorite captions accompanying three of Derek’s fabulous supermodel poses:

"The other day, I was thinking about volunteering to help underprivileged children learn how to read . . . and just thinking about it was the most re-warding experience of my life."

"If I have a day off I’ll spend four to nine hours in front of a mirror, trying just a tilt of the head or a furrow of my brow. I mean my body, my face are my tools."

"I’m pretty sure there’s more to life than being really, really good looking, and I plan on finding out what that is."

(Released by Paramount Pictures and rated "PG-13" for sexual content and drug references.)