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“A dream you dream alone is only a dream; a dream you dream together is reality.” — Yoko Ono
Apr
8
Observe and Report: It Gets Worse. Much Worse.
Filed Under assholes, media, misogyny, patriarchy, pop culture, rape and sexual assault, violence against women and girls | Posted by Cara |
Well. Apparently that Seth Rogen Observe and Report movie is way, way, way, way worse than I had already anticipated. It does not only just make plain old “rape jokes,” as in characters joking about rape — it actually includes a scene of rape as a joke.
Check out this full post on Tiger Beatdown (h/t) because I for one cannot bring myself to write any more about this utterly triggering bullshit, and because the post is already totally excellent and I can’t top it.
I can only add that I wish horrible, horrible things on Seth Rogen and writer-director Jody Hill. Bad, horrible things that might just maybe show them what awful, shitty excuses for human beings they are.
And I swear to you now: from this point forward, I will never, ever see a single film that either of them are involved with. I will only suggest that you do the same.
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“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” — Susan B. Anthony
Of course rape is hilarious! BUT, it’s only truly funny if you’re the one with the penis!
DUUH. Silly humorless harpies that we are, we simply cannot comprehend this.
/sarcasm>
I’m glad I never wasted any time or cash on Seth Rogen’s films. Now I never will.
So, wishing death on someone for exercising their freedom of speech.
Why not just out and admit that feminists are for censorship?
The world does not revolve your feminism. Period. It never will. You cannot control what people make, what songs they write, what movies they act in.
If you want feminist movies, make them yourself, but don’t you dare think you have the right to tell other people they aren’t allowed to make what they want.
David is banned, but this comment totally made me LOL. Especially the part about what I shouldn’t dare do.
Oh, and the part where I supposedly wished death on someone.
Seth Rogen should die in a fire.
And I don’t mean that as hyperbole.
Jesus fuck. Thanks for posting (and linking the other post), it really saved me a horrible experience. My boyfriend is really into Seth Rogen (ugh) and I’m sure he would have suggested going out to this twisted piece of trash at some point.
Chai, what do you mean “only if you’re the one with the penis”? Why would we even consider the existence (let alone feelings) of anything that doesn’t have a penis?
…Also, LOL@David!
Isn’t it great that we evil shrieking viragos have righteous menfolk like David to tell us what to do?
Geez, how paternalistic can you get?
And of course, Annie! We non-penis bearers must accept our rightful place as sperm recepticles.
I also missed the part where you advocated banning it rather than shunning it. But I have unmanly eyes and a feminised mind, so maybe I was confused.
@SunlessNick Well, y’know, women are obligated to view and support the products of the patriarchy. When a woman advocates not supporting them, this is a dereliction of duty and thus tantamount to censorship.
@David:
Yes, yes – freedom of speech means we are all REQUIRED to attend Seth Rogen movies! And if we don’t attend them, and we tell people how bad the movies are, we are ZOMG CENSORING Teh Mighty Penis!
Bitchezzzz, what is wrong with us???
” But I have unmanly eyes and a feminised mind”
Wasn’t that a song from Dirty Dancing? Or wait, maybe Elvis. I get so confused.
LMAO at Lauredhel.
Last I went to the movies I was blindsided by a preview for this film. And I really do mean that. I was shocked and disgusted… and so disappointed in the laughs I heard from the audience around me. It seemed obvious to me that the entire premise of this film is that rape = funny.
Don’t you dare think you have the right to tell other people that they don’t have the right to tell other people that they aren’t allowed to make what they want.
Or something.
David obviously needs to learn the difference between “free speech” and “hate speech,” which includes anything that perpetuates/encourages rape.
Also, of the two issues, I find the utilization of rape humor a little more troubling than your supposed censorship of some harmless free speech.
But maybe that’s just my fragile female brain failing to see just how important it is to allow men to keep encouraging this shit. Otherwise, what would entertain them?
I cannot believe that.
Well, I guess I can, since most other films Rogen has been in are often full of sexism. But this is the worst yet.
I’m down with boycotting.
I have seen a few Seth Rogen movies and although I am a fan of dumb stoner humor I must say the majority of the content in his movies disgusts me. A couple years ago I was with a friend of mine at her friend’s house, and they were all guys. We were sitting out front of their apartment when one of them said to me “We’re going to take you in the back room and take turns raping you” then they all (including him) started laughing hysterically. Honestly, it freaked me out and then I was enraged. Why do so many people see nothing wrong with scenes like in “Observe and Report” sending the message to millions of men and boys that this behavior (assault) is okay?
Oddly enough there has always something about Seth Rogen that I just didn’t like, sort of a gut feeling. I literally was just telling my brother a few weeks ago that I’ve never had any desire to see any of his movies, and now I’m just glad I never did. Pepper said it, exactly. “Rape humor” is just another term for “hate speech.”
I agree about avoiding anything involving Rogen or Hill from here on out. It’s unfortunate, because I was kind of interested in Monsters vs Aliens, but I refuse to contribute one more dime toward the continuation of Rogen’s career.
Oh piss, Monsters VS Aliens is Rogen? I was looking forward to that.
Sod it. Onto Demonoid I go.
The most charitable interpretation possible of the scene is that the “humor” derives from the message of “look at this character, he’s such a stupid loser that this is the only way he can get laid!” But although this reading is, superficially, critical of the rapist, it’s still pretty horrifying, because it sends the message that the main reason rape is bad is that assaulting an unconscious woman earns you fewer “cool points” than smooth-talking a conscious one into your bed. (The idea of having sex with a woman who is actually enthusiastic about the prospect isn’t even on these guys’ radar.) The “rape is bad because if you have to do it it means you’re a loser!” idea totally disappears the idea that rape is bad because it violates the rights and autonomy of another thinking, feeling human being.
Rape already is a crime that has the unfortunate effect of sending the message to the victim that her wishes don’t matter, that her body does not belong to her, that she is not a full person. A rape scene that concentrates only on how awful and loserish the rapist is doesn’t subvert this “victims don’t matter” message–it intensifies it.
So, no, I really can’t get behind the idea that the interpretation “the rape scene shows that he’s a bad person and a loser!” makes it OK. It really doesn’t.
I am glad that I’ve never spent a dime on any of the movies produced by Mr. Rogen or Mr. Hill — and now, I will not be watching even a millisecond of any of their movies. All of their movies are pathetic.
And here is my review of Report & Observe:
Seth Rogen and Jody Hill creates the worst piece of shit in cinematic history! This shit is NOT in the least bit funny and it is violent and misogynistic in every sense of the word.
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[...] Observe and Report: It Gets Worse. Much Worse. : The Curvature "Well. Apparently that Seth Rogen Observe and Report movie is way, way, way, way worse than I had already anticipated. It does not only just make plain old 'rape jokes,' as in characters joking about rape — it actually includes a scene of rape as a joke. [...]
[...] of course, I realized that Seth Rogen’s character rapes an unconscious woman for the sake of… what? Nervous laughter? A certain “edginess” I’m just not [...]
[...] of course, I realized that Seth Rogen’s character rapes an unconscious womanfor the sake of… what? Nervous laughter? A certain “edginess” I’m just not hip or daring [...]