aaaand another wtf-- Seth Rogan's movie turns date rape into comedy!

Heather R

from a Jezebel article about Rogan's new movie Observe and Report:

In the scene, Brandi has thrown up on herself and appears to be totally unconscious as Ronnie is pumping away on top of her. He stops for a second, and then she murmurs the line that The New York Times says indicates her consent, "Did I tell you to stop, ***?" before passing out again.

People are so disturbed by rape that the fact that Brandi is too out of it to give any kind of consent what makes the scene so hilarious. Anna Faris told New York Magazine, "It's like date rape - that's funny, right?" Seth Rogen agrees in this interview posted by the Washington City Paper. He says:

SETH ROGEN: When we're having sex and she's unconscious like you can literally feel the audience thinking, like, how the are they going to make this okay? Like, what can possibly be said or done that I'm not going to walk out of the movie theater in the next thirty seconds? . . . And then she says, like, the one thing that makes it all okay:
BRANDI: "Why are you stopping, ***?"

Then the article quotes Anna Faris, the actress, who says: It is the most traumatic event that's ever happened to her, which is funny because I always imagined that she's seen a bit of male anatomy and it wouldn't normally scare her.

You can watch the clip on the site here:

https://jezebel.com/5204177/is-date-rape-funny-seth-rogen-explains-it-all-for-you

So it's not "really" rape-- it just "looks like" rape-- and therein lies the comedy?  wtf?  No words!

KGsky

not cool.

jenifairies

Yeah, that's not really funny. At all.

Wassygirl

seth rogan and judd apatow can do no wrong in my book. their brand of comedy is for people with a thicker skin than most.

cchrisler

<shrugs> ehh its a movie. Its like wondering why someone let their kid play that role of Stifler's kid on Role Models.

Heather R

Wassygirl:

seth rogan and judd apatow can do no wrong in my book. their brand of comedy is for people with a thicker skin than most.

Yeah, those rape survivors out there-- they should really just grow some thicker skin.

You just revealed a lot about yourself, Wassygirl.

Wassygirl

Heather R:

Wassygirl:

seth rogan and judd apatow can do no wrong in my book. their brand of comedy is for people with a thicker skin than most.

Yeah, those rape survivors out there-- they should really just grow some thicker skin.

You just revealed a lot about yourself, Wassygirl.

yeah, i guess i revealed that i don't take movies as seriously as you. i wouldn't let my kids watch stuff like that. for me, i know it's a movie.

if it's offensive to you, don't watch it. 

KGsky

I'm all for irreverent humor and "thicker skins," but date rape still has that "tinge" of illegitimacy.  Things like this reinforce the thinking that it *might* be o.k.

IckyThump

Wow. I originally thought this movie was just going to be lame and painfully unfunny. Now I come to find that it's lame, painfully unfunny and offensive. Awesome!

cchrisler

Wassygirl:

seth rogan and judd apatow can do no wrong in my book. their brand of comedy is for people with a thicker skin than most.

My interpretation of this is people who find this funny and watch the MOVIES must have thick skin...I do not interpret this as saying rape victims and the like should thicken their skin.  Come on now...

Smores730

I can't wait to see this movie! I'm with wassygirl in saying these guys can do no wrong. I love offensive comedy; it's a guilty pleasure. I confess!

KGsky

Smores730:

I can't wait to see this movie! I'm with wassygirl in saying these guys can do no wrong. I love offensive comedy; it's a guilty pleasure. I confess!

Offensive comedy is one thing.  Saying "date rape is funny," is another.  Let's take the gloves off for a second, what makes it funny?  The underlying thought that date rape isn't "re-e-e-ally" rape, right?

breezey2323

That scence gives me the creeps. In my younger complete dumbass days I put myself in similar situations on several occasions (19-22 was a rough little period for me), if I was slightly more intoxicated it would have been bad bad, really bad. There are way more men out there that don't know that no means NO (as cliche as it sounds) and this gives the impression that its ok to have sex with someone thats pissy drunk to the point of being passed out. Not ok, not cool, and not funny...

I like Seth Rogan movies for the most part but this is a big ol FAIL!

Smores730

KGsky:

Smores730:

I can't wait to see this movie! I'm with wassygirl in saying these guys can do no wrong. I love offensive comedy; it's a guilty pleasure. I confess!

Offensive comedy is one thing.  Saying "date rape is funny," is another.  Let's take the gloves off for a second, what makes it funny?  The underlying thought that date rape isn't "re-e-e-ally" rape, right?

Teen pregnancy isn't really funny either right. Oh wait, there's Juno.

meggiekins

I am a sexual abuse survivor, and I think that whether this is truly offensive or not is going to boil down to how they actually carry it out in the movie. Yeah, the description sounds bad, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't chuckle picturing Anna Faris saying that.

No, I don't think that Date Rape is funny. I think its a serious problem in our society that is under-addressed and under prosecuted. But without knowing what leads up to the scene, and its context, and the way it plays out, I reserve judgement.

breezey2323

Smores730:

KGsky:

Smores730:

I can't wait to see this movie! I'm with wassygirl in saying these guys can do no wrong. I love offensive comedy; it's a guilty pleasure. I confess!

Offensive comedy is one thing.  Saying "date rape is funny," is another.  Let's take the gloves off for a second, what makes it funny?  The underlying thought that date rape isn't "re-e-e-ally" rape, right?

Teen pregnancy isn't really funny either right. Oh wait, there's Juno.

Teen pregnancy isn't against the law and there is no victim. Its unfortunate, but its something that the people involved have to suck it up and deal with.

Rape is not something that you should have to deal with. Not a good comparison.

littleittybitty

meggiekins:

No, I don't think that Date Rape is funny. I think its a serious problem in our society that is under-addressed and under prosecuted. But without knowing what leads up to the scene, and its context, and the way it plays out, I reserve judgment.

  my thoughts exactly

jenifairies

Smores730:

KGsky:

Smores730:

I can't wait to see this movie! I'm with wassygirl in saying these guys can do no wrong. I love offensive comedy; it's a guilty pleasure. I confess!

Offensive comedy is one thing.  Saying "date rape is funny," is another.  Let's take the gloves off for a second, what makes it funny?  The underlying thought that date rape isn't "re-e-e-ally" rape, right?

Teen pregnancy isn't really funny either right. Oh wait, there's Juno.

I'm with KGsky on this one. The difference is that one is against someone's will. Forced sex is just not funny.

Cytina

Date rape itself is not funny, true.  But comedy is largely based on offensive topics (obviously not all of it) - but comedians and comedic movies are consistently using religion, race, etc. as the brunt of  a joke.  "Taboo" comedy is funny to me and many others.  If it's not funny to you (not you personally, but in general), don't watch it.

Smores730

My point wasn't to compare rape to teen pregnancy. My point was that teen pregnancy, like rape, isn't funny and yet somehow I laughed my _ass off the entire movie. Like someone else who just posted more elequently then I could ever do, it's all in the delivery.

Heather R

I think Juno is a rather faulty comparison to a movie that make light of date rape situations.  That movie showed her embarrassed, lonely,  the target of gossip, struggling to make sense of the situation, and crying after having her baby / giving him up.  A lot of her wittiness is a defense mechanism. 

 

Pacheco825

I think personally that it is wrong. Rape and teenage pregnancy are nothing alike.

calicoast

Comedy thrives in awkward situations.

That movie looks so stupid! oh my gosh, and they are trying to say that the rape scene is contraversial, did they see its also racist? But its a comedy (hardly) and the scene they are talking about looks like he stops and makes sure she is not passed out....but then she gives her "consent".....yeah, its wrong but in peoples minds its okay because she said its okay (and it looks like her "character" would be okay with it because she is a loose girl) ?I bet a guy wrote this sh*t! ?

Date rape is not cool, but i don't think people should give deep analysis on this movie.....its just a stupid movie. Like Juno and teen pregnancy...really? I can go on....?

?

afwells

KGsky:

I'm all for irreverent humor and "thicker skins," but date rape still has that "tinge" of illegitimacy.  Things like this reinforce the thinking that it *might* be o.k.

I agree with this.

I believe part of the problem is the term "date rape" should be eradicated from our language.  Rape is rape.

Wassygirl

cchrisler:

Wassygirl:

seth rogan and judd apatow can do no wrong in my book. their brand of comedy is for people with a thicker skin than most.

My interpretation of this is people who find this funny and watch the MOVIES must have thick skin...I do not interpret this as saying rape victims and the like should thicken their skin.  Come on now...

thank you! i think heather was just looking to stir up controversy in what i was saying.

Wassygirl

Heather R:

I think Juno is a rather faulty comparison to a movie that make light of date rape situations.  That movie showed her embarrassed, lonely,  the target of gossip, struggling to make sense of the situation, and crying after having her baby / giving him up.  A lot of her wittiness is a defense mechanism. 

 

wow. you really do take movies seriously. 

k8elee03

afwells:

KGsky:

I'm all for irreverent humor and "thicker skins," but date rape still has that "tinge" of illegitimacy.  Things like this reinforce the thinking that it *might* be o.k.

I agree with this.

I believe part of the problem is the term "date rape" should be eradicated from our language.  Rape is rape.

ITA. Rape is rape. And making comedy about it not only shows its intended audience that this is not only OK, it's pretty frickin funny. Like, ha ha, remember the time I banged the drunk girl and she didn't even know it ha ha ha. This is seriously disgusting.

mrszimm

Wassygirl:

Heather R:

Wassygirl:

seth rogan and judd apatow can do no wrong in my book. their brand of comedy is for people with a thicker skin than most.

Yeah, those rape survivors out there-- they should really just grow some thicker skin.

You just revealed a lot about yourself, Wassygirl.

yeah, i guess i revealed that i don't take movies as seriously as you. i wouldn't let my kids watch stuff like that. for me, i know it's a movie.

if it's offensive to you, don't watch it. 

The sad thing is: people do let their kids watch crap like that. Unfortunately, there are a lot of impressionable young people and a lot of parents who don't give a flying fuuck. I love the message this movie will be sending out.

Heather R

Wassygirl:

cchrisler:

Wassygirl:

seth rogan and judd apatow can do no wrong in my book. their brand of comedy is for people with a thicker skin than most.

My interpretation of this is people who find this funny and watch the MOVIES must have thick skin...I do not interpret this as saying rape victims and the like should thicken their skin.  Come on now...

thank you! i think heather was just looking to stir up controversy in what i was saying.

No, that's how I interpreted it.  In case you can't tell-- although you clearly can based on your next post, I read into things.  it's what I do for a living.  I place interpretations on things and teach students how to do the same.  I don't differentiate between a literary text and a movie, and I don't take anything at face value.  I also don't apologize for it.

IckyThump

k8elee03:

ITA. Rape is rape. And making comedy about it not only shows its intended audience that this is not only OK, it's pretty frickin funny. Like, ha ha, remember the time I banged the drunk girl and she didn't even know it ha ha ha. This is seriously disgusting.

I agree. I mean, come on. Clearly the intended audience for this movie is teenage and college aged boys. I'm really not comfortable with passing on the message that banging a girl while she's passed out drunk or high on whatever after her giving questionable consent is cool.

brandonsfuturewife07

heather, i love ya, but i love seth rogan & judd apatow too

i think this movie looks stupid & didn't plan on seeing it.  but i think i would have just rolled my eyes at that one.  anna faris is pretty stupid.

Wassygirl

Heather R:

No, that's how I interpreted it.  In case you can't tell-- although you clearly can based on your next post, I read into things.  it's what I do for a living.  I place interpretations on things and teach students how to do the same.  I don't differentiate between a literary text and a movie, and I don't take anything at face value.  I also don't apologize for it.

nobody asked you to apologize. any reason you seem so angry?

Heather R

Wassy, I seem angry, but I'm not.  I just don't mince words, but I can see how it would be construed as angry.  I'm not.

BW-- lol at your Jerk Store.  I love that episode so much. 

brandonsfuturewife07

Heather R:

Wassy, I seem angry, but I'm not.  I just don't mince words, but I can see how it would be construed as angry.  I'm not.

BW-- lol at your Jerk Store.  I love that episode so much. 

"that's okay because you're their alltime bestseller!"