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"Observe and Report" tries to make sexual assault funnyIf you watched NBC last night — and why wouldn’t you? — you saw promotions for a movie opening this weekend: Observe and Report. Honestly, I haven’t paid much attention because, well, it stars Seth Rogen. I don’t have anything against Rogen – I mean, he was in Freaks and Geeks so, at some point, he was awesome. These days, though, he’s just not all that appealing IMO. So, I didn’t notice Observe and Report.
But this morning, Melissa Silverstein of Women & Hollywood posted a column on her blog that made me notice — just not in a good way. Silverstein reports that she ran across some posts recently about the movie’s date rape scene, so she watched the trailer to see what all the fuss was about. At this point, I left Silverstein’s blog for a minute and went to Trailer Addict to watch it myself. (I’m sorry, but I’m not even going to link directly to it.) You have to swear you’re over 17 to even watch the “red-band version” of the trailer, which is R-rated. But please, don’t bother. It’s disgusting and disturbing. “Date rape” isn’t an overreaction. Anna Farris, who plays the woman Rogen’s character Ronnie rapes, described it as such in an interview with A.V. Club: …when we were shooting [the film], even the date-rape scene — or as I refer to it, “The Tender Love-Making Scene” — I just thought, “We’ll shoot it, but it’s not gonna be in the movie. I don’t have to worry about that one.” And yet there it is.”
Even a reviewer who liked the movie described the scene this way: Seth Rogen and Anna Faris I encourage you to read Silverstein’s blog and a post about the same subject at Tiger Beatdown. Follow the links; read the reviews; decide what you think. But I say, without qualification: This is not OK. And I am very disappointed in Warner Bros. Pictures for releasing a film that makes rape a joke. Submitted by on April 10, 2009 - 1:00pm. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
I agree...
i think that everything is hilarious, but rape (of any kind) is deplorable! I WAS gonna see tha flick this weekend but you totally changed my mind...
***No, you came out wrong...shut it DOWN!***
idk
Gross.
Was the vomit on the pillow not enough to make Seth Rogen's character realize that she is in no shape to either give consent or to say no? I mean, she did take too many shots of alcohol while he appeared to have taken none, mind you. Obviously when someone is drunk and is vomiting because thay are drunk isn't enough to signify that they are incapable of making a decision...Actually, it is enough. The signs are just ignored by Rogen's character. This is absolutely terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible.
*nods*
I'm with the linster on this one ... this is horrid and I won't be spending my money at the theatre for it.
I honestly think this is the inevitable point we get to when we let all those smaller occasions of misogyny-as-humour in these kinds of films to go unchallenged ... eventually they all have to one-up each other, so while this is horrible, it's unfortunately not that surprising *sigh*
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http://kiwi-grrl.livejournal.com/
I guess I'm in the minority
I guess I'm in the minority here when I honestly didn't get offended. I was actually expecting something much worse and I guess that's why it didn't seem like a big deal to me. I know I'm probably pissing off a lot of people with my comment, but it just didn't offend me.
I get that date rape isn't funny or a joke but the way it was portrayed in the trailer didn't bother me. If Anna's character had been unconscious or was slurring the word "no" then I would have taken offense, but instead it was "why are you stopping mother******" adding to the comedic sense of the movie.
And I also know that she wasn't in the right state of mind, but still. I guess it just takes a lot to offend me. And I doubt that a bunch of guys are going to go date rape girls because Seth Rogen made it look so cool.
Everyone can bash me, hate me, flame me, I don't care. This is just how I feel about the trailer.
totally agree with everything you said
Maybe because I thought it would be worse too, but to me I wouldn't call it "assualt". Appropriate? No. But not assault. I however rarely get offended by things, so maybe it's my own problem (and yours too, LOL). I have no interest whatsoever to see this movie though. It looks extremely dumb even though I love Anna Faris.
looks like she fell asleep mid sex
No, just NO.
Shame on the studio for allowing this sort of behavior to be used in a mainstream comedy and shame on Seth Rogen for giving every idiot who gets a girl drunk approval to rape her if she passes out.
This is not OK in any way.
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Why I Don't Sleep Much: Dorothy Surrenders. Also, I'm an utter twit.
Thank you
Might lose my liberal card....
but, I didn't think this came off as sexual assault... nor did I think it was funny, not even in the disgusting way it ws supposed to be.
The fact that he stopped when he "realized" she was passed out and apologiezed to her for stopping made him seem like he's the idiot, doing some girl who's vomitting- ick!
Sure, the writters should've had Seth respectfully decline being with his dream girl, even if she was drunkenly all over him and he should've given her his bed, and a big glass of water before settling down on the couch, but then it would be a romantic comedy (made for women) not a comedy (made for men).
Sad but true- also (unfortunately) I've been that girl wasted and putting other people into situations that could be construed as date rape (in some of these alcohol-related cases, things are a little more gray and responsibility a little more shared- imho). Luckily college is only 4 years.
Totally agree with Dorothy.
Totally agree with Dorothy. Rape is never funny and they shouldn't even be joking about it.
http://lesbiandaily.blogspot.com/
i have to say that if i were
I wasn't offended either
Maybe you should actually see the movie before you condemn it to hell?
But if you feel like you need to criminalize Seth Rogen, why don't you do the same to Anna Farris for participating in this terribly "offensive" material?
"You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!"
You women who are ok with this scare me.
Did someone really say, "if she slurred then maybe" it was rape or some crap like that? Maybe if she was unconscious (which, she was, but that's not really the point)? Are you creating the most terrible rape scenarios you can think of because this is not bad enough for you? What the hell? Do you think that if you pretend rape doesn't exist or blame the victim, it won't happen to you? 'Cause I'll tell you right now, that's not gonna work. And, as a person who went to law school, let me enlighten you to the fact that if that scene played out in real life, it sure as hell would be rape in any state. Yes, even when she's drunk. PERIOD.
Seriously, I'm at a loss how anyone can say this is anything otherwise. Especially a woman. Call me humorless, but I'll stand with the survivors, not the rapists, thank you.
I stand by my
I stand by my comments...I'm not offended by this scene. Anna Farris's character was not being assaulted, she wasn't fighting him off or asking him to stop, she was asking him to continue having sex with her. Yeah, she's drunk in the scene, and it can be considered tasteless humor like most movies in this genre, but this article is making the scene out to be horrific and wildly insensitive when it really isn't that bad.
Seriously, GO SEE THE MOVIE BEFORE YOU JUDGE IT.
"You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!"
I have to agree with Hollywood Marie
You folks are nothing more than rape apologists. Date rape as "tasteless humor?" Right. Jeez. No wonder we have such a problem with it.
Date rape isn't "horrific" and "wildly insensitive" do it must not be rape after all, right? *rolls eyes*
Just for your information, "drunk" abrogates consent. Period. Therefore,the fact that she wasn't "fighting him off" means exactly dick.
seriously?
You think it's not rape unless the victim puts up a physical fight? What if instead of her being drunk, someone slips her some rohypnol or just knocks her unconscious with a rock? She won't fight then either, right?
And as far as "go see it before you judge," no thanks, I'm not going to pay $10 on a movie ticket to contribute to the box office success of this hateful mess. I know she's semi-conscious at best and that he prongs her in that condition and that the makers of this film think that's hilarious. That's everything I need to know to make my judgement.
From a legal perspective
I'm just saying it's not
I'm just saying it's not like this was a documentary and we were actually seeing them having actual sex. It's scripted for crying out loud. Just because some people don't take offense it doesn't mean that we automatically condone date rape. Yes it was tasteless humor involving sex, what else is new.
It's not like the movie is called "Date Rape: Let the vomit be your go-ahead" or something like that. I'm not denying that yeah, it probably would have been illegal in real life even though I doubt Anna Faris' character would have called the cops. And I said that I might have been offended if she was saying no or had been unconscious, I didn't say Seth Rogen's character was in the right, as said before it was tasteless humor.
And what is all this crap about "Do you think that if you pretend rape doesn't exist or blame the victim, that it won't happen to you?". No offense, but you don't know me (or the other people who weren't offended, but I'm going to speak for myself) so don't act like you do and make all these judgments about how I feel about these issues.
You know nothing about me or my life. So just because I didn't get offended over Observe and Report, don't assume that I don't know exactly what rape is and how it can ruin someone's life. I know the seriousness of rape and was close to wanting to type out "How dare you" at your comment for assuming that I don't have the maturity or intelligence to acknowledge such a brutal crime.
Here is an example of how I see movies vs. real life: In Scary Movie 3 (another Faris film) a little boy gets hit by a car that was speeding in reverse (the person driving happened to be his aunt who forgot him and was racing back to get him) and it was hilarious. But if a little boy had been smashed by a car in real life and we saw it on the news, it wouldn't be funny because a child was horrifically killed. Yet in Scary Movie 3, it was still funny (in my opinion it was).
So that is how I see things. I can separate these things because in the movies I know what I'm seeing isn't really happening. But I am also aware that women are raped every day and even as I typed this women were being raped.
I'm basically saying that you should not pass judgment on me or other people who are not easily offended and then accuse them of not knowing what it means to be raped because like I said earlier, you don't know all of us.
It was not as bad as everyone is putting it out to be
...
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OTALIA!! WE. WANT. IT.
what strikes me...
about those commenting that this is not rape, is that so many people (women especially) have swallowed the lies about what defines rape and where the line is drawn.
if we accept that the decision to get behind the wheel of a car when drunk is based on impaired judgement and the inability to think rationally, how then can we turn around and say that having sex while smashed is not? if you are not capable of making a rational decision because your judgement is chemically impaired, and someone else takes advantage of that fact, it's rape.
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OTALIA!! WE. WANT. IT.
I was just wondering, in
I was just wondering, in your opinion, if the roles were reversed and it was the man who was drunk off his ass and the women who was trying to have sex with him, that would still be rape, right? Even if he was asking her keep going, to keep having sex with him?
"You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!"
...
Well, I'm not the person who was asked so excuse me for butting my nosy little arse in while you're trying to make your little point, but I was just wondering what in the hell is really going on in your head when you read these posts... do they scare you because they tell you how you SHOULD be thinking and reacting to the situations going on around you every day? Are you not comfortable shouldering the heavy responsibility that we as women have to share, the burden of being constantly victimized and looked down on and treated as inferior and powerless and stupid? Right now I feel like stupid is shining through- how can any of you turn your heads at something like this? It's not just a movie, it's a thousand movies, it's a cultural perspective and a sick bias that your ignorance is supporting and paving a thousand new excuses for. If a women isn't offended then there's nothing wrong with it right? Oh, she doesn't see the harm (because she was programmed not to) so there IS no harm, right? Please just open your eyes, you are making it so easy to lose a powerful identity struggle you don't even consciously realize you're facing... wake up.
"For, Heaven knows why, just as we have lost faith in human intercourse some random collection of barns and trees or a haystack and a wagon presents us with so perfect a symbol of what is unattainable that we begin the search again."
*commented in the wrong place*
What I fail to Understand
is.. how is this rape, sexual assault or whatever you'd care to call it. Flame me if you like, but at WHICh point, do we as adult women become responsible for our own actions.. If she was on no condition to say no.. who's fault is that?? when does it become our responsibility to make sure we ARE in a condition to say no..
YES, what he did is wrong in the film, but the bottom line is, that the blame lies two places in that scenario.
. He shows an extreme lack of self control, but hers is no worse or no better and part of the blame rests on her as well.
call it what it is folks. a stupid trailer, for a distasteful and inflammatory subject. but setting all the blame on some guy when the female didn't have the good sense not to get so drunk she tossed her cookies all over herself is just a touch on the bigoted side.
...
It's "whose."
-.-
"For, Heaven knows why, just as we have lost faith in human intercourse some random collection of barns and trees or a haystack and a wagon presents us with so perfect a symbol of what is unattainable that we begin the search again."
All Hail the Critics..
Its late, I'm tired, and FYI. am also a Master of English.. LOL.
So do you have an opinion or do you just hang out and critique those who do?
Attacking grammar is the
Attacking grammar is the defense of the weak, and the arrogant snobs.
"You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!"
...
I'm sorry but I have about the same amount of patience with bad grammar as I do with stupid women who don't realize how goddamn brainwashed by the male-dominated media they are and so are, in my opinion, either a... ignorant and in need of enlightenment or b...just thick headed traitors who are blindly defending an argument they refuse to see two sides to. If I was weak and arrogant I would have said nothing but since I actually care about you stupid people I can't just let you think that how you submit is the right thing to do. We're all in this together and I hate to say it but your ignorance is the weak link in the fight. If all women knew what their worths are and had the kind of self love and confidence it takes to say "hey, this is wrong, these are my sisters and you can't control my life" then there wouldn't be a thread dedicated to substanceless and offensive man-made movies.
Please excuse my snobbery, but I think you're worth more than a disgusting drunken date-rape situation. Too bad you don't. I won't cry when or if it happens to you. Some people have to learn the hard way. It just depresses me that it's so true.
(And also... Lady M... if you were really a master of English you would also know that the "its" you meant has an apostrophe... -.- )
"For, Heaven knows why, just as we have lost faith in human intercourse some random collection of barns and trees or a haystack and a wagon presents us with so perfect a symbol of what is unattainable that we begin the search again."
Yes, because condescending
Yes, because condescending to people and insulting them is the perfect way to get them to see your side of the argument. Thank you for wishing rape on me. Class act.
"You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!"
...
You're already convinced that you're right so how do you expect me to pound my point into your head when you're just going to go in circles until you feel like you put me in my place? Despite the fact that there's no better teacher than experience, at no point did I even insinuate that I "wished rape on you." (however I take pleasure in the fact that you admit this situation is, in fact, rape.) If I recall correctly I think I said you're worth more than disgusting situations like that, especially if you're just going to defend them and side against the alarming amount of women who are being violated daily.
"For, Heaven knows why, just as we have lost faith in human intercourse some random collection of barns and trees or a haystack and a wagon presents us with so perfect a symbol of what is unattainable that we begin the search again."
I have realized that the
I have realized that the views I expressed earlier are wrong - but it's really damn hard to tell people you feel differently when they're attacking you. Saying that you wouldn't feel bad if I got raped? Yeah, it kind of makes me want to cry, not tell you that I agree with what you're saying.
"You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!"
I have to agree with Daisy
...
I don't know what else to call you. Smart? Enlightened? Beautiful and self-confident and happy and secure? So sure of yourselves that if you were the one covered in vomit and cum you'd wake up fine with it? I'm glad that you're sticking to your guns. I'll stick with mine. If you think date rape's ok, you're stupid.
*shrug*
"For, Heaven knows why, just as we have lost faith in human intercourse some random collection of barns and trees or a haystack and a wagon presents us with so perfect a symbol of what is unattainable that we begin the search again."
I'm sorry, hate to bust your
...
You may not have but Daisy did, and I was directing this towards those of an opposing opinion. You don't have to convince me of anything, if you're not offended then I pity you. I question your perspective. And no, I wouldn't want you on my debate team. You're the one jumping in to defend yourself so I must assume that you are of an opposing opinion. I personally don't care what floats your boat unless it has to do with women and society as a whole. So you're not offended by something offensive. Big fucking deal. What does that mean to me personally? Nothing. We don't know each other as you pointed out. What does mean something to me is the impact that being blind and numb to the every day threats that women face and the impact your indignant opinions have on other easily influenced people or your reactions to every day oppression. And to be honest, your posts went in one ear and out the other. I don't really care about you so much as I care that there are so many others LIKE you. It bothers me. Worse, it discourages me. I'm not going to apologize to you for being how I am. Not my nature. I don't care about hurting feelings at this point because some people
just
don't
get it.
"For, Heaven knows why, just as we have lost faith in human intercourse some random collection of barns and trees or a haystack and a wagon presents us with so perfect a symbol of what is unattainable that we begin the search again."
You see that's my point.
You see that's my point. Whatever I say goes in one ear and out the other because you refuse to listen to anyone else's opinion if it differs from your own. And I originally replied to your comment because you were calling people stupid for how they feel and I mentioned that that's not really the best way to get your point across. Flaming can make people go on the defensive so yeah, I felt the need to post whether you cared or not.
I disagree with you on many issues, but I'm not calling you dumb/stupid for it because it's your own opinion. I'm not expecting an apology, I don't see where one is needed. You said it was in your nature to be the way you are being and I've accepted that.
You take things deeply to heart, while I don't really care about the scene in the movie. You can pity me for it (which is strange since you said you could care less), you can flame me for it, you can call me stupid, but that won't change how I feel. 'Cause it's me.
Feel free to let this float right through your ears.
...
You know... on good days I'm much more receptive and empathetic, but something about reading about people who simply refuse to acknowledge the fact that every woman is a victim despite the fact that they too are women... it is just starting to crawl under my skin.
You're absolutely right, I take things deeply to heart, especially when it concerns the gender that I happen to be the most fond of, and it baffles me when someone, anyone, is nonchalant about the stresses and terrors that we are all vulnerable to just by being born a certain gender.
OK, so you're not offended by some stupid movie. That's all it is to you. You're not dissecting it to be any more even though to me it represents everything that's wrong with a society that oppresses our gender to such an extreme that American hasn't ever had a female president and we're constantly objectified and made vulnerable to things like rape and incest and inequality, being underpaid and under-respected and walked all over, being portrayed by the media as stupid horny sex-objects and eager to please. It is wrong and I don't get how people, ESPECIALLY women, can sit around nonchalantly and find the same humor in it that the target audience of misogynists-in-training do.
"For, Heaven knows why, just as we have lost faith in human intercourse some random collection of barns and trees or a haystack and a wagon presents us with so perfect a symbol of what is unattainable that we begin the search again."
You're right, I'm not
You're right, I'm not dissecting it because I'm choosing not to. If we looked into every single little thing as something to "bring down women" then what else to life would there be?
This has moved on into further territory that I honestly hold no interest in. You've tied the "date-rape scene" into everything having to do with women (rightly so I might add), but there's only so far that you can take it before it just consumes every bit of thought.
I'm not explaining myself very well. But you are much more invested in women's rights as you've brought up female presidency and many other things, and I am not as invested.
And I see why that bothers you. Me, being of the same gender that your trying to fight for, not caring as deeply about the issues that to you are important. I see why you are upset about it.
But I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on the subject.
I am not a victim.
I am not a victim just because I'm a woman, and I'm offended by this insinuation. Way to enforce the stereotype of the weak woman who must be protected. I am strong, I am educated, and I get paid as much as my male peers. I am able to defend myself mentally and physically. By claiming that being born a woman immediately makes me a victim, you are basically claiming that women are inferior, although I am sure that is not what you are trying to say. Both sexes experience many problems in this world, and many of them overlap. By seperating us the way you are, you only enforce the policies in this world that push us down, make us the other.
I agreed with your original point but you've since lost me. I am never going to be a victim, thanks.
It's not rocket science..
When there's a lack of consent, it is RAPE! When you're drunk, you cannot consent, period. What part of that is so hard to understand? And since he didn't have that much to drink, he was clearly in a position to understand what he was doing. And your tired-ass little comment about "at WHICh point, do we as adult women become responsible for our own actions" needs to be shot down as well. If she was stoned ass drunk, lying naked in the street, that doesn't give ANYONE the right to do anything with her.
What you fail to understand is what the true definition of responsibilty is, obviously. Another rape apologist. It's really sad when even women make these kinds of asinine remarks.
not rape
I agree...This may be offensive in that its bad humor...but besides that..
I mean, be real, I guess I cant speak for everyone , but I think alot of us have been that person...I could be, (and have been) that drunk, that doesn't cloud my judgment on what I want. Even the next day, if im like, shiit, why did I do that, I would never blame the other person for having sex with me. Thats ridiculous. In my most drunken of states (and ive been VERY drunk) I am able to make clear what I want. And if I am receiving attention I don't want I make that clear..
I certainly dont say, why are you stoping motherfucker..
this is why the rape issue is the way it is. because there are people saying that having sex when you're sloppy drunk is somewhow rape. it is not.
also
Actually once, I was really drunk and trying to make out with my guy friend and he said "no, I wouldn't feel right you're drunk". I was fucking pissed. Him assuming I couldn't make decisions for myself..
And the next day, sober..I was still pissed.
It is rape
Good Point I agree in part with your comments.
"we accept that the decision to get behind the wheel of a car when drunk is based on impaired judgement"
Then we must also accept that the person who becomes drunk, had the choice to NOT drink and the responsibility to NOT drive. In fact the person who impaired their own judgement usually takes the punishment..
as an intelligent women, I don't swallow anyones lies, but neither am I going to be brainwashed into believing that her actions in the situation leave her blameless and that if I drink myself into oblivion and someone injures me in the process, gosh its just not my fault.. Bvllsh!t.
Why not use a little thing we big people call self control.
So now you're...
equating rape with "punishment?"
You're a guy, really, right?
"as an intelligent women," lol Funnily ironic wording there.
Seth Rogen
Come on if you know the guy,you know the kind of movies he does!. Rape cant be offensive as I am sure it wasnt mean to be in any such way!. People, you have to see the humor in it!. I know Rape is not right but it is not like they are screaming it to be right either you know? is sort of an oxymoron.
I havent failed to notice though, that dudes lost weight, I hope he keeps it off for his healths sake!.
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Let it Rock,Let it roll
I chose not to watch the
I chose not to watch the trailer.
I would say "whatevs its humor" if there wasn't a chance that some 17-year-old boy out there is going to watch this movie and think it's okay. I'm more disappointed in Anna Farris as a female for advocating the scene than I am at WB.
Damn straight Kate!
WTF! Anna Ferris is so unbelieveably cheap and cheesy that she shoots a scene obviously knowing it to be depicting rape and therefore likely to be deemed so offensive that it would be left on the cutting room floor - yet instead of having any kind of integrity she agrees to shoot it anyway and collects the pay cheque!
I do think that had the gender roles been reversed it would still have been rape. I sincerely hope if I ever find myself that senseless I will find myself in better company. What if it had been another drug other than alcohol that was responsible for her senseless state? Would that have been ok then? I think one of the things that excuses this lowdown, creepy and criminal behaviour is that society still doesn't really view alcohol as a drug like any other. Its in its own little bubble of protection.
Just like any other drug, it wreaks havock on your system and, as many others have pointed out, can leave you in no condition to make a rational decision. That may be by your own hand or it may not. I think that the fact that this "humour" can slip by without a blip for some is an indication of how low our expectations for civilized behaviour and respect for others has become.
What a f*cking lowlife ass to do that to someone! No real man would do that and that is one of the biggest problems... a lack of real men in the world with adult values and a strong sense of personal pride and responsibility for their actions. I look around and see far too many overgrown boys with no sense of self control or strength of character. Seth is a poster boy for these losers who are most likely still living at home being supported by their moms. Its time for them to grow up.
This is just one more example of the way women are still seen by some as meat. Equality of the sexes... thats the joke here.