WTF: And the Cause of Date Rape Is… Seth Rogen?

Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 16, 2009

People are calling for apologies because of the dumbest things nowadays. It no longer takes Michael Richards saying the n-word during a comedy club rant. It no longer takes Don Imus calling a basketball team a bunch of “nappy-headed hoes.” It no longer takes Mike Myers to play a love guru that’s only offensive to snooty self-appointed Hindu leaders. It no longer takes Robert Downey Jr. in blackface telling Tugg Speedman to never go full retard.

Now it takes a box office turd like Observe and Report to have a date rape scene… and people have called for apologies.

I personally hated the film Observe and Report, but it wasn’t just because the hero date raped the drunk, vomit-covered perfume whore that set me off. I hated it because it was a sucky movie, beginning to end. And when the box office numbers came in on Sunday, it was clear that it wasn’t a film that connected with a wide audience.

But feminist groups have weighed in on the film, calling it irresponsible for showing a date rape scene committed by the hero. (I know we’ve heard enough about this lately, especially on this site with comments by Neil Miller and Robert Fure… but bear with me while I throw my hat in the ring.)

Apparently feminists are afraid that the film will send the wrong message. According to the stereotypically homely Courtney from Feministing.com in her “Friday Feminist Fuck You” column from April 10, she thinks that the film will give permission to date rape willy-nilly:

a whole lot of your bromen are confused about what consensual sex is. Is the laugh you get worth making them even more confused? Basically giving them permission from one of the most adored dudes of the moment to not take rape seriously?

What the feminist?

Just because there’s a joke about date rape doesn’t mean that rape isn not taken seriously by society, the authorities and your so-called “bromen.” There’s jokes about murder, child molestation, torture and abuse all over our pop culture scene, but that doesn’t mean that the actual crimes aren’t taken seriously. And since when does something that happens in a movie give permission to its viewers to commit the acts? This reminds me of how do-gooders in the media were blaming films like The Matrix and Basketball Diaries for the shootings at Columbine back in 1999.

Courtney needs to take a word of advice from the original advertisements for Wes Craven’s rape-filled horror flick The Last House on the Left: Keep repeating, It’s only a movie… Only a movie… Only a movie… Only a movie… Only a movie…

Later in her rant, Courtney calls for an apology from Seth Rogen for his “inappropriate humor.” Oddly, she doesn’t demand an apology from writer/director Jody Hill (who is the source of the inappropriate humor, mind you), or from Anna Faris for going along with the joke, or from Warner Bros. who distributed the film.

Yup, it’s all about Seth Rogen. He’s the cause of all date rape now. If only we could get rid of him.

In case you’re wondering exactly what Courtney said, you can see her “Friday Feminist Fuck You” video below:

You know what, Courtney? I’m offended. I’m offended that you think Seth Rogen is solely responsible for perpetrating the date rape problem. I’m offended that you’re not putting the responsibilities on the actual people who commit the rapes.

I think you owe Seth Rogen an apology.

The bottom line is that while you can dislike movies like Observe and Report (which I did hate), there’s nothing wrong with making them, especially since it was obviously rated R and not aiming for a younger crowd.

So consider this your Friday FSR Fuck You. Learn who’s responsible for making movies. And give filmgoers a little more credit. Do you really think that people are going to commit date rape because it was shown in a movie? I suppose it’s okay to shoot people too.

And, going with your logic, it must be okay to engage in illegal street racing if you’ve seen Fast & Furious, steal millions of dollars if you’ve seen the Oceans Eleven series and drug people to make them have wicked shits if you’ve seen Wedding Crashers.


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  • I'd sleep with her, but only if she talks dirty to me, and I mean really dirty.
  • Well, as a feminist,I agree with Courtney (I regularly read Feministing) and she pretty much got that right. It was irresponsible of Rogen and Jody Hill to take date rape so lightly.

    Guess what? Movies, along with music and TV, can have an impact on young people and teach them about a lot of things, whether that's the movie's intention or not. You're probably right that most "bromance" dudes won't think that date rape is funny, but some kids out there will watch the scene and think "oh okay if I take a chick out on a date and get her reallly drunk, then maybe it's ok if I fuck her!"
  • Uhhh... the movie is a hard-R. Kids shouldn't be watching it at all.

    They also take murder, physical assault, flashing, robbery, alcoholism, bipolar disorder and drug abuse lightly... arguably more lightly than date rape. Why is no one complaining about that? Is date rape worse than all of these? Why is it okay to have jokes about those, but not date rape?
  • Obviously I didn't like the movie, but like Carr and other intelligent people, its easy to not enjoy a film but not want those who made it to die horrible deaths or apologize for making it. I'm Robert Fure and I approve Kevin Carr's message.
  • it doesn't stop kids from watching R-rated movies and you know that. While >>I<< am personally NOT offended by the date rape scene, I do think that it sends out a wrong message to youths who are easily influenced by popular culture.

    and yes, many people do complain about excess violence in movies (and videogames), there are even organizations dedicated to censoring violence and rape and abuse in movies and videogames. I am always coming across articles everyday from people decrying rape, mysogyny and violence in hip hop music as well.

    it's just that YOU decided to ignore them while discussing date rape in this article.
  • Kids who see R-rated movies is a parenting problem, not one for the industry. that's why there's a ratings system, flawed as it may be.

    I didn't choose to ignore all these organziations you talked about because I'm making a straw-man argument. I ignored them because they're irrelevant to the discussion of people wanting an apology from Seth Rogen for the scene. I haven't heard any of these groups complain about O&R... just people barking on and on about the date rape scene.

    Again, why is the date rape scene worse than anything else in that movie?
  • So kids would want to imitate someone like Ronnie? This isn't like, say, Manhunt where the main character who commits all the terrible acts is portrayed as the victim or noble. Ronnie is just really pathetic and unlikable, I don't really think anyone who watches the film would want to be like that character.
  • Arou101
    As far as I'm concerned-

    Carr-1
    [feminist]-0

    This commented has been moderated for language. Sorry, you can't use that word.
  • djjeffhall
    Kevin - I kind of got the idea that her film post was also a bit tounge in cheek. Not the message, but the way it was delivered. Do people really use the term "bromen"?

    Maybe I'm wrong?
  • I found a video on the same site complaining about a lack of women performing at SXSW. They don't really seem tongue-in-cheek.
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