Are Powerful Women Funny?
3posted 30th November, 2011 under Food for Thought,The Bottom Drawer.
Having been generously given a bucket load of DVD’s from Thailand (need I say more) filled to the brim with the type of trash relegated for lazy Sunday evenings, my boyfriend and I slipped on “Horrible Bosses”.
What was an initially somewhat funny, became downright ludicrous as we cringed and shrunk in our seats every time scenes between female boss (Jennifer Anniston) and her colleague/mignon (Charlie Day) came onto the screen. Good comedy is funny because it is based or steeped in elements of truth. Not only was this a stupendously unrealistic situation, which negates the whole point of a good comedy, but in my humble opinion it was downright rude and offensive.
Look, I appreciate that this was a trivial Hollywood film meant for apparently trivial minds, but comedy shouldn’t stoop so low as to suggest that an abusive relationship is something someone has to just deal with. Apparently switching the ‘traditional’ roles of female and male power paradigms made this acceptable. That is, by having Jennifer Aniston’s character function as the obnoxious, sexually explicit boss this whole scenario was meant to be P.C?
On another level does the fact that this even made it onto page and then filmed with millions of dollars behind it suggest that this scenario was just funny because women don’t have any sexual power and therefore can’t hurt a man? Does it also reinforce that men, contrary to women, are not tainted by negative sexual encounters? Apparently so.
So perhaps, I am being a masculinist (opposite of feminist!?) , but I think that displaying any form of O.T.T abusive relationship in the name of comedy will just be never funny, regardless of the sex of the people involved and the nature of their relationship.
What do you think? Has anyone else seen this film? Equally shocked as I was? Or am I being a prude?
01 December 2011
I haven’t seen the movie, and I think I understand the point you’re trying to make, but I was upset by your line
“I am being a masculinist (opposite of feminist!?) , but I think that displaying any form of O.T.T abusive relationship in the name of comedy will just be never funny, regardless of the sex of the people involved and the nature of their relationship.”
You seem to imply that feminists want to see comedy where men are subjected to abuse. Feminists are not about mysandry (hatred of men) but about the study and correction of power structures with a view to eradicating inequality between the sexes.
Just a thought
05 December 2011
Hey Melissa,
Thanks for your thoughts!
I definitely didn’t mean to offend. On the contrary though, I think we are in the same boat. I think this movie was a little mysandric and I was trying to suggest that simply reversing roles and creating a loathful character who patronises men did little to empower women.
I’d think you would agree?
Cheers
Holly
20 April 2012
Thank you for this post. It was heartening to hear some one reiterate my own thoughts virtually word for word. Sometimes I feel quite isolated in my perception of what is not just offensive to women, but offensive to human decency. Every aspect of what you said resonated.
I was so offended by this film and the scenes you are referring to that I turned it off with disgust. Disgust that it ever made if past the drawing board and even more horrified that Jennifer Anniston (whom I’d previously admired) took on the role.