As much as I hate to admit it, one of my biggest guilty pleasures is crass, low brow comedies a la American Pie, 40 Year Old Virgin etc. I'd love to say my sense of humor was above finding them funny, but I can't, so I was really excited to see "Knocked Up" which was advertising itself as the next classic in this genre.
I was sorely dissapointed and left the movie the most pissed off I've been since seeing Lord of War. (For those of you who've I've discussed that movie with - you understand what a big deal that is!) But unlike some viewers who were dissapointed/upset just because the movie was in fact, not that funny, I'm going to wax philosophical and give the reasons I think it was actually a "BAD" movie.
First of all, lets get this out of the way - this movie was explicitely targeted at men - which in itself, doesn't make it a bad movie, but it needs to be pointed out for future reference. Movie makers would never have dreamed of producing a story about a successful, intelligent, good looking guy knocking up a ugly, fat, stupid, substance abusing, out of work woman and try to write their blossoming relationship off as a comedy. Why? Because there's nothing funny about two people, so revoltingly uncompatible, bringing a child into this world and trying to make a doomed relationship work "for the kid."
Besides the above mentioned reason, there is the fact that mainstream American movie goers (many of them college or high school age for these kind of movies) are conditioned by TV etc. to not see humor or logic in attractive, intelligent men being with fat, stupid women. How many shows are out there right now where most of the punchlines come from the fact that the beautiful, intelligent wife has to forbear the retarded antics of her stupid, lazy, unattractive husband? (King of Queens, Everybody Loves Raymond, Still Standing, Yes,Dear...the list goes on) On the other hand, can you think of one sitcom that has a viewership because of a reverse situation?
However - like I said, this movie was targeted for men. And if a thinking viewer doesn't think for one second that there wasn't thousands of 20 something, pot smoking, condom scoffing, unintelligent loser guys out there watching this movie and raising their Keystone Light in honor of Ben somehow landing Allison, (even if it might mean a kid) you'd be sorely mistaken. And that idea makes me sick.
The main problem I have with this movie is that even if it shows the problems the couple has, it implies that what they're trying to accomplish together is a good thing - and its not. The last thing women need is to be told that they should pursue a relationship with a wholly incompatible partner simply because a night of drunken sex produces a child. I'm all for women and men owning up to the responsibility of a pregnancy and not getting an abortion, but the social stipulation that tells men and women they should be together simply because they have a child together is horribly false - and movies like this try to say the opposite. Good for Allison for making Ben aware that he was going to be a father...but when she took it a step farther and actually tried to force herself to have feelings for someone like him just because she wanted to follow the status quo of every kid having a mommy and a daddy - come on. Some parents just shouldn't be together - and I think if this movie was actually a real life story, that would definitely be the case.
Some people might argue that, "But Ben becomes such a good guy in the end - see! A kid made him better." Well lets hope to God young guys and girls out there don't count on kids being a ticket to maturity because that whole notion is retarded. Good for Ben that he stopped doing drugs (at least temporarily and not in front of his daughter) but what would really be a sad story is taking Knocked Up ten years down the road and seeing how f-ed up Ben, Allison, and their daughter's relationship is.
Anyways. I've gone on long enough. Long story short - not every couple should be or stay together simply for the child's sake, and this movie paints a happy ending for what in real life would spell disaster. Bringing a child into this world doesn't equal or produce maturity (in most cases) - even kids in jr. high can have a kid together. Intelligent, successful women should not lower their standards simply because of the social dogma that preaches mommies need to be with daddies, and instead of proving that point, I fear that most young viewers will walk away from this movie with the opposite nothion.
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3 comments:
Esther i commented on your brothers blog about this. But Im thinking that you didnt pay close attention to this movie. First off, you said that what situation would you see a fat lazy woman with a good looking in shape guy? NONE. Why? Because America isnt like this in reality. In america, why are women's bodies immortalized and why are women so worried about looking good? Because that is what is attractive to americans like it or not. The female body is a work of art. The male body is dirty hairy etc, and men are usually potty mouthed and funny. This was not tailored to an audience, this is reality. ALL men whether good looking or ugly, both want the hottest chick. Women care about looks as well, but not as much as men do. Women want security, love, responsible MEN, etc. Men want SEX,hot chick, etc. So i dont understand how you would think that the situation if switched would be more realistic! Nowhere in america would a good looking male try to find a fat lady. But the reverse happens all the time. A not so good looking guy lands a hot chick, because of who he is, and how much he will sacrifice for her. If looks mattered as much to women as it does to men. we would see men on the covers of all our magazines and we would never see this movie as realistic. Next, as far as it targeting men, i disagree, i thought is was a chickflick with a ton of crass humor in between the chickflick plot. My wife and all the girlie girls loved it. I thought the ending was realistic but got all emotional and seemed like a chickflick to me. I felt it was a decent balance of chickflic/crassass guy flick movie, of which there arent many. Lastly, I dont think the movie was saying that women need to work it out with the potsmoking loser. She said in the movie, that she thought he was funny and good to be around. At first she was turned off to him the morning after at the cafe, but when she tried to get to know him, she liked him, and he slowly tried to not be lameass. He talked to his dad and admitted he was a loser and he needed to grow up. she was the catalyst for it. I dont think also that they were saying a kid makes it better. I think they were put in that situation, and he wanted to be a good father. But he was attracted to her and wanted to make it work. She never said she wanted to date him, she said "we should get to know each other at least". she denied his proposal which she directly stated we shouldnt get married because of a kid. Which clearly states that this movie was not saying a kid fixes everything like you say it did. She just wanted to get to know him and have him in her life. He wanted more, naturally cuz shes hot, and the mother of his child. Makes sense to him. But she grew to love him, because he was genuinely a good guy. just a little rough around the edges and he strove to step up in society to meet the level the bar was set at to not be a loser and date a working resposible woman. I thought it was a decently realistic movie. Let me know what you think.
Jason, thanks for your comment. First I need to clarify that I don't think if the situation had been reversed and Allison had been fat and ugly and Ben had been hot that this movie would be more realistic. You are definitely right. TV sitcoms imitate life to a certain degree and it is the sad and unfortunate state of America that women are constantly dating below their level in every imaginable way.
Women in America, through the film industry and other forms of media, are made to feel that to be whole they must be in a relationship. On top of that, to be worthy of a relationship they must be a size 2 with huge boobs and look like Heidi Klum when they roll out of bed in the morning. Unforunately, men are picking up on this message as well, and this is what they are coming to expect of women. Movies like "knocked up" continue to support the media's attempt to empower stupid men and weaken women's resolve to live without them. Simply because the state of America is such that women are constantly made into sex objects for dirty hairy drooling men does not make it ok. And just because Ben tries to step it up to the relatively low bar that was set for him doesn't make him a hero.
It has definitely occured to me from reading your comments and other comments that were left for me on my Myspace blog that I need to see the movie again however. There are definite aspects I forgot, which you pointed out (i.e. Ben's first proposal and Allison's refusal) that throw a different spin on my original thoughts. The movie is set to come out on DVD relatively soon, and I plan on renting it asap. Maybe watching it again after reading other's comments on it will give me a different perspective and I'll have more to respond to.
I think youre right to a degree. I dont think the world is turning on women like you think. If anything women have more than they have ever had in this world. they used to be stay at home moms, all of them, and sex was an act for men only, the women were pardon the phrase "a sheath" for the sword. Things are very different now, men are made fun of all the time for size, performance, (in movies). this never would have happened long ago. what a woman thought about this stuff was irrelevant. now its important not to be a lame husband in that respect.women work, women are men's bosses. The fact that women are worried about being held up to the heidi klum pedestal, is completely stupid. because men have always wanted something that was way above their paygrade. you know why people win the lottery? because they play all the time. If men set their standards high for that size 2 with boobs, a lot of them will attain it. because there are a ton of size2boobers that are insecure and just want someone to love them, no matter how hairy or what. some women like you find that an outrage, because you are secure and know what you do and dont want. but most women just want affection and with all the good looking guys that just burn them or one night stand them, they realize, i have to find a nice guy, doesnt have to be a good looking hunk, just a nice guy that wants to walk on the beach with me. and that wont cheat on me. the dillema you are remembering here esther, is that the better looking a girl is, she still wants love and affection and all the same things most women want. the better looking a guy is, the more able he is to get what all guys want the size2 with boobs. and because he is good looking, he can stay single till 35 and keep "banging" size2 boobed women every week. this is the guy that those hot women dont want, and most good looking guys fall into this category to some degree or another. that is why a lot of good looking women go for ok looking guys, that are just cool to be around. they like walks, talking about nothing, and just being with their woman day in and day out. So to a degree this movie was very realistic. granted they take a certain artistic lisence to make the movie interesting so they can make a dollar or 2, but i felt it was a good realistic movie.
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