Eric Robillard can find any movie to match his mood, but what he can’t tolerate is violence against women as a form of entertainment.
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For years now I have found solace in films. When the day is done with, I sit each night on the couch with two bottles of sparkling water and sweets, and watch a movie. The house is silent, the kids are tucked away in bed, my wife plays a Facebook game or takes on a few chores as she is a night owl, and I disconnect in front of the television. This is how I unwind.
I watch everything, I don’t discriminate in my entertainment. I have a soft spot for horror and indie movies. I can enjoy mainstream Hollywood like I can any Lars Von Trier fare. It’s quite simple: there’s a movie to match any mood I’m in. What I can’t tolerate anymore is violence against women as a form of entertainment.
Anymore being the keyword. I used to be oblivious to the unsettling stalker approach to wooing in romantic comedies. I knew nothing of the Bechdel test, and I refused to admit androcentricism in film, even though most movies I watched were boy adventures, centered around a male hero and his quest for world domination, love, or sex. Of course, when I indulged in a movie directed by a woman with a female-centric plot, I was watching a chick flick.
Today, when I watch mainstream Hollywood I don’t relax much, no matter what genre I try:
- Comedy: 21 & Over. Two blindfolded sorority sisters are awaiting initiation when two male characters stumble upon them. Instead of revealing their identities, they take advantage of the situation and use a cricket bat to hit the women on their behinds.
- Science-Fiction: Star Trek Into Darkness. The character played by Alice Eve (described on IMDB as being first and foremost very attractive, then as a science officer, and lastly as an advanced weaponry specialist as if it’s an afterthought) gratuitously strips down for no good reason before changing into a space suit in front of Kirk.
- Horror: Pick a movie—women are almost, always, the victim.
When I recently complained to a friend about sexism and objectification of women in blockbuster movies, I was told, “What do you expect, mainstream Hollywood is stupid.” Sexual assault and violence against women isn’t stupid: it’s wrong. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann smoking weed in This Is 40 and tripping like teenagers is stupid. Ken Jeong calling women “bitches” in The Hangover franchise is wrong. I don’t have a problem with sophomoric humor being used in movies; I have issues with misogyny as “entertainment”.
If I don’t split my sides watching a female character being ridiculed for being naked and vulnerable, it isn’t because I can’t take a joke, or that I am too serious: it’s because demeaning women for a laugh isn’t funny.
The conundrum I’m faced with is this: do I limit or eliminate my exposure to these films? Or do I continue my habit, willfully participating in an endemic problem within the entertainment industry and within our undeniably male dominated culture? Watching critically is still watching, and what lessons does this pass down to my kids? That this mental, physical, emotional violence towards women is acceptable? Or do I lead by example, sacrificing one of my only simple pleasures for the sake of a clear conscience?
This post originally appeared at A Clown On Fire
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Photo: Provided by Eric Robillard
Violence against women as entertainment is something that needs to be called out time and time again, specifically when the power dynamic is such that the woman is powerless to change her situation (and “walking away” isn’t always a choice), and unfortunately, this usually involves a cisgender male perpetrator and a cisgender female victim. There are instances when it’s male on male and it’s just as disturbing. I cannot watch the rape scene in Pulp Fiction any more than I can watch the rape scene in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. These forms of violence – the powerful sucking… Read more »
The white Knight rides out onto the gender battlefield, past millions of maimed, burned, wounded, dying and dead men to rescue another maiden.
Trey,
I did ride a horse once, it was terrifying.
Eric
For many, movies are just a form of entertainment, designed to play to our emotions and guide our thought processes – to transport us to another place. These horror or so-called ‘slasher’ movies can stretch our sense of control to its limits; make us dig our nails in our partner’s arms or scream in terror. But ultimately the struggle boils down to power – usually man over woman. Horror movies provoke emotional and physical responses in an audience before a rational one. This “recreational terror” represents a struggle for control. Repeated exposure to these standards of the horror movie often… Read more »
Dianne,
I share the same opinion when it comes to entertainment offering more than an escape: the “struggle for control”-and a slew of other issues-are promoted and perpetuated by these movies. undeniably.
Eric
Eric,
You know those pictures that are drawn with a “hidden” object in them, and you have to look at them for a while before you get it? Some people have to look at them a lot longer than others.
Excellent article.
Red
Red,
Looking at the picture is a good place to start.
Thanks for reading.
Eric
Hi Eric
Thank you!
It is depressing to read the comments to your article.
My memory is not good , but I mean Scandinavian newspapers wrote about this issue this month and something is happening in Sweden.
So you are not the only one that think in these lines .
I am so glad men like you exist.
A warm hug from me.
Iben,
Thanks for the support. Would you be referring to the movie rating Sweden has launched?
Feminist Movie Rating: Sweden Launches ‘Gender Bias’ Grade For Films
Eric
To be honest, you can’t talk about violence against women in the media as a particular “problem” without completely disregarding the ratio of male victims to female victims. 200 guys can be shot, castrated, tortured, humiliated, burned, and dismembered. But the moment a woman gets slapped, NOOOW it’s controversial. What I get sick of is EXACTLY as you described in Star Trek, and pointed out in Honest Trailers: “BEWBS” I get sick of these female characters who lack depth. Not only that, but the incessant “women can do no wrong” recurrence. If a female is ever an antagonist, she is… Read more »
“Gender Matrix” I do much the same thing. You would be shocked at what I only notice after switching genders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ61yFJOH7s For example. Listen I am not excusing sexism with the tired argument of “men have it just as bad so shut up”. But you can’t bring up the shit movie 21 and over talking about how sexist it is for women on a men’s site and just ignore the other important crap. Did you not watch the movie or did you really not think the men getting branded with red hot iron was worth bringing up? Also that movie… Read more »
Anonguy,
I did watch the complete movie, and can’t say I was amused by anything in it, misogynist and misandric overtones combined.
Eric
I must say that you are bearing the brunt of me witnessing one too many Female centric pieces on a site whose mission statement reads: “We are a community of 21st Century thought leaders around the issue of men’s roles in modern life.” and “Guys today are neither the mindless, sex-obsessed buffoons nor the stoic automatons our culture so often makes them out to be.” I agree that violence against women in all forms of media is prolific and intolerable in our society. I also believe the violent and juvenile portrayal of men is a corresponding epidemic in our media,… Read more »
I love the comments on this site particularly from men. I applaud you for being vocal to get focus back to the menfolk. There is a lot of don’ts to men but enough do’s and not enough praise where men do “right” towards being good men. @Eric Gaby to give up movie watching or not? Difficult choice. They say business only change if it affects their pockets right so one would argue don’t watch. But if you don’t watch then you won’t be able to write articles like this where you point out scenes that the businesses should effect the… Read more »
Ali,
Thanks for your comment. To play the ostrich isn’t an option, I agree with you. This isn’t perfect, but it’s on the right track:
Feminist Movie Rating: Sweden Launches ‘Gender Bias’ Grade For Films
Education is paramount, this is where we will be putting our efforts at home with our kids.
Eric
My point is: why wasn’t your article about being deeply offended that the movie industry perpetuates this negative male stereotype that men in movies must act like juveniles…and that movies targeted at male demographics include gratuitous violence, sex and misogynistic overtones? Couldn’t the damage that is doing to the male psyche be considered violence toward men?
compressor, it sounds like you need to write an article of your own, and then see how it feels when you’ve tried to be concise and someone you’ve never met comes along and asks “hey, why didn’t you write about MY pet peeve?”
I think there are many ways to approach a subject. Your perspective doesn’t invalidate everyone else’s. There are ways to offer your perspective without wondering out loud why everyone doesn’t already share it.
That said, I think it’s incumbent on men, along with women, to advocate for women. We should all advocate for each other.
“compressor, it sounds like you need to write an article of your own, and then see how it feels when you’ve tried to be concise and someone you’ve never met comes along and asks “hey, why didn’t you write about MY pet peeve?” Because damn anyone in the audience [intended target of author] for wanting to participate in the discussion. No, it’s a very pertinent question: the article was, more or less, the generic ‘harming women is bad’ kind of trope that we see continually expressed everywhere in society. Not that this is a bad thing, but the question needs… Read more »
N-W, I never damn anyone for want to participate in the discussion. To the contrary, I love discussion. But why start with antagonism? Nothing compressor is saying *negates* the point of the article, it just adds to it. So add to it! If you have to tear someone else down to build yourself up, you’re doing it wrong, and that’s a problem common to most comments sections. Sure, when someone’s dead wrong, call them on it. But, when someone’s right, but you feel you can add to the discussion, it doesn’t add to your credibility if you’re a dick while… Read more »
“But why start with antagonism?” I didn’t start it; you did. You are the one who framed the previous poster’s comment as being confrontational rather than participatory, to which I then made my comment pointing out how that poster was just trying to take part in the conversation. They were attempting to argue that they see the same situation from a different perspective, and while i agree that we need to be careful with our language when expressing our opinions so as to not assert things we cannot or put down others for having positions different than our own, I… Read more »
David, I nearly have an article written in these comments. I agree 100% with you that any public artistic or intellectual endeavor is an excercise in courage. My intention was not to attack or invalidate Eric’s integrity or ideas in this article, and I explain that in a later comment. I am on the other hand using it as example of how his basic premise could have been utilized toward becoming a better man. I think that there is an abundance of dialog and outcry on the subject of male violence upon women, but where is the dialog on why… Read more »
Compressor5, We share different views on this: you see an opportunity to cover more than misogyny in movies, and so be it, write it. This is the article I wrote and the angle I chose. And at a later time, I might choose to write another one, from a different angle. There isn’t shame in this article: I have stated clear examples that exist in the movies I have watched, and I watch a shitload of them. Unfortunately, more so than not, women are the butt of the joke. Does it make it a misandric article? Does it mean all… Read more »
Bingo. You’ve nailed it.
We’re too busy attacking men instead of understanding the society that *creates* them. Everything is ‘men’s fault’ because letting the blame fall to any other part of society [women, children, ‘minorities’, old people, etc] seems like a ‘bad thing’. But it’s this very background of ‘it’s worse to blame them than to blame men’ *reinforces* the social tendency to blame men instead of looking for deeper meaning behind the problems underlying gender relations in general.
Society blames men precisely because it is unwilling to find a comprehensive analysis of the problem.
Your focus is on violence toward women when you had such a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate why there are no positive masculine role models in this particular sector of media. Is it any less demeaning to men that we perpetuate a male stereotype of violence upon women as a part of the natural disposition of the male condition? Are you doing any favors to men by shaming them with what is perpetrated on women by the movie industry on behalf of men? Why is your focus on women? You don’t think they can advocate for themselves? Do you not get… Read more »
Compressor5,
By that logic, I am also homophobic for supporting gay rights, and racist for defending the rights of people of colour.
Eric
What you aren’t saying [or rather, replying to] says a lot more than you’d like it to.
I’m with you. In the modern era, you can at least seek out female directors, but they pretty much didn’t exist in vintage films (where misogyny is downright acceptable). Raising two boys, it’s difficult to find the things you don’t have to “explain” or contextualize. For testosterone-fueled movies, High Noon can’t be beat…Katy Jurado’s character is a real standout. George Cukor was respected more by his female stars than the males, so he’s a good one to seek out. And just about anything with Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, or Ida Lupino are worth seeking out.
David,
I really appreciate these recommendations. I will make a point to make them part of my repertoire.
Eric
Being a good man has very little to do with women. Men being defined with respect to women over the past 40 years has been detrimental to the masculine role in society. Why don’t you stop writing articles that confuse what it means to be a man with what appears to me to be a site arguing against patriarchy? They are two distinctly different objectives. You are confusing an already confused audience.
Compressor5,
I think I’m missing your point. Could you please explain to me how your comment relates to misogyny in entertainment?
Eric
It’s pretty apparent, isn’t he? He states it directly: being a man is a thing different from being a ‘decent human being in general,’ and that equating the two is tantamount to gender shaming, analogous to slut-shaming; an attempt to coerce or urge behavior out of an individual or group via social pressures to conform to an external definition of ‘self.’
Like i said: pretty damn clear, isn’t it?
Yes 21 & Over is a awful sexist movie, but just out of curiosity did you watch the whole movie? The two kidnapped fully naked men spanked and forced to make out under threat of being burned with a red hot brand?
It was an awful awful movie and very sexist… but in pretty much every comedy, horror movie, and Science-Fiction movie… I would rather be a women then a man.
Anonguy,
I’m sure there are many women who would also be eager to trade places.
Eric
I am sure. And I want that world were it hardly matters.
Actually, the horror genre can be more kind to women than you think. The whole “survivor girl” conceit is about how the last remaining victim in a horror movie is often a woman, a plucky heroine who escapes one brush with death after another and finally thwarts the villain (who will rise from the dead for the obligatory sequel).
Christian,
The horror genre when is “kind” is kind to one type of woman: the fetishised archetype of Caucasian, young, thin, cis, hetero and wholesome/virginal. She is not women, she is not even a woman, she is a fantasy created by a male dominated industry, and by male directors. That is not “kindness”.
Eric
“If I don’t split my sides watching a female character being ridiculed for being naked and vulnerable,” As opposed to roughly every ten minutes of the American Pie series where some man is being humiliated for being naked and vulnerable? As opposed to pretty much every other movie, including many of the ones mentioned here, where it’s men being beaten shot raped tortured humiliated dismembered and killed for your “entertainment”? Spare me. You’re uncomfortable with these things happening to women because you actually give a shit about women. A woman’s pain makes you stop and think for a second, male… Read more »
8ball,
These are my thoughts on how women are treated in films. If you think you have a unique perspective on the male condition, please feel free to write and submit.
Eric