Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not a prude when it comes to sex in films. However, apparently there’s a scene in Seth Rogen’s newest film Observe and Report and which is featured at the end of the red-band trailer that makes even me a little bit squeamish.
Jezebel.com explains one reaction to the scene the best (and most sarcastically) here:
[Seth] Rogen explains that everyone in the theater then lets out a good long chuckle. See, even though she’s probably blacked out and has no idea what she’s saying, it isn’t rape. (And Brandi’s kind of a dumb slut anyway.)
Now, I know I probably should have commented on this when we posted the trailer last month. To be honest, though, Report‘s not my kind of movie, I normally wouldn’t be seeing it anyway, and I’m definitely not going to see it now.
However, the part that troubles me the most is that casting a scene like this as comedy pushes society’s views on rape further backwards—and it’s even worse when it’s prettied up for drama.
Take a look at this article from The Curvature, and think about the early scenes in The Reader, wherein we are told and shown that a sexual relationship between a 36-year old woman and a 15-year old boy is a good thing.
I really wish filmmakers would really just think a little bit more about what impact they have on the world, don’t you?
UPDATE at 1:59 EST: I’ve been challenged to see this movie to see the scene in context, and I’m going to try and be as objective as I can. Will report back next week.
Related Posts: Trailer Watch: Red band Observe and Report trailer