I loved The Hangover when I saw a screening of the Vegas-centric comedy weeks ago, but some of my co-workers have scoffed at the film's incorporation of borderline child abuse to collect laughs. Of what scenes do these dissenters speak? As seen in the trailer (embedded below), Hangover's sunglasses-clad baby gets hit in the head with a car door and is left alone in the vehicle to field the Vegas heat. Okay, if these scenes were to occur in real life, it would be extremely unfunny. And though it may just be my unabashed love for Zach Galifianakis getting in the way, I do find these scenes pretty darn funny. I mean, it's a movie. It's fiction. This baby is not really being harmed. In fact, he's probably earned a decent chunk of money to add to his college fund. And I sincerely doubt anyone will leave the theater thinking they should emulate this threesome of tequila-soaked losers, so why should we worry about what kind of image they portray?
That being said, a few days ago, I hopped excitedly to the theater for a showing of Drag Me To Hell, only to walk out slightly amused, but mostly disturbed by one scene in the film. (Let's now pause for your requisite SPOILER ALERT for those of you who haven't seen it). I'm speaking of the scene in which Alison Lohman's character sacrifices a kitten. A poor, defenseless kitten. A tiny kitten that's so cute-as-a-button, when it first appeared on-screen, I thought to myself, If anything happens to that adorable little kitten, I am so out of here. (For the record, I stayed put anyway). So as much as I enjoyed the gross-out antics of the rest of Sam Raimi's latest masterpiece, I couldn't help but feel disgusted and, yes, even angry that the director would choose to include animal abuse in his film.
Of course, this just leaves me confused. Is something wrong with me? Why am I okay with a movie that depicts a baby getting hurt, but kitten abuse leaves me feeling revolted? The fact that one is a comedy and one isn't might be part of the reason, sure, but the fact that I'm not a parent, but a cat owner, might play into it somewhat as well. After all, I laughed watching Brüno's poor baby-handling antics, but was upset when Family Guy chose to kill an animated cat earlier this season. Your thoughts, PopWatchers? Am I flawed emotionally? Do you think The Hangover is taking it too far?
When the medium first tells Lohman’s character one way to end the curse, I said to myself, “they are NOT going there!” Then, they did. Had it been shown onscreen, I would have had a major problem. But since it was implied (and formed the basis for a sick but hilarious joke later in the film), it didn’t bother me too much.
You know, it never bothered me to watch soldiers get blown to bits in Civil War movies, but I always winced when the horses got hurt.
I feel more upset about the kitten. It could be because I volunteer at a shelter where I see animal abuse of all kinds. Child abuse lands you in prison. Animal abuse lands you a fine and a slap on the wrist. You have to consider how many stupid people are out there that will think it’s ok to try it themselves.
I agree, I always get upset with movies when the hurt a cat or dog or some sort of other animal (except reptiles and sharks). I’ve seen both movies and the bang the babies head on the car door was hysterical to me, but the kitty sacrifice was horrific to me. I can’t even what the Sarah Mclachlan ASPCA commercials as they rip at your heart strings.
I totally agree with Cricket – I also used to work in an animal shelter. They can’t tell someone when they are being hurt, and are completely dependent on their “people.” Animal abusers make me sick. I watched “The Pathfinder” (the foreign film from the 80s, I believe), and SPOILER ALERT: at the beginning, one of the bad guys kills the dog, and I was utterly horrified. About 5 minutes later he kills the dog’s little girl owner – I was not nearly as sad about that.
Good scare flick. In the middle an older gentleman got up to go to the restroom, his wife yelled ‘don’t leave me here alone’ and ran after him.
Good scare flick. In the middle an older gentleman got up to go to the restroom, his wife yelled ‘don’t leave me here alone’ and ran after him.
Good scare flick. In the middle an older gentleman got up to go to the restroom, his wife yelled ‘don’t leave me here alone’ and ran after him.
Good scare flick. In the middle an older gentleman got up to go to the restroom, his wife yelled ‘don’t leave me here alone’ and ran after him.
Good scare flick. In the middle an older gentleman got up to go to the restroom, his wife yelled ‘don’t leave me here alone’ and ran after him.
Good scare flick. In the middle an older gentleman got up to go to the restroom, his wife yelled ‘don’t leave me here alone’ and ran after him.
DanBoston, I totally forgot about the Sarah Mclachlan commercials, and I’m with you there: I can’t watch them, too sad.
But yeah, I totally hate animal of any kind cruelty, even reptile and sharks but I’m totally okay with cruelty towards people, though I do not like Hostel and Saw movies because they are just disgusting period.
Of course there’s something wrong with you Kate Ward! But so what? Most people care more about defenseless animals than they do babies. Homeless animals end up in shelters and are cared for.
Homeless kids end up in foster care and are ignored until they become mal adjusted grown ups.
Pop culture example? No one cared when the kid got hit with an arrow on the Sopranos or when all those people got killed. But Pie oh Mie got burned up? Awww that’s so sad.
If we cared about peoples’ well being, the FDIC would insure lives and not $$$.
Finally, Michael Vick is an example. If he would have been a wife beater, we would have added him to the list of spouse abusing celebs. But hey, he abused DOGS and was sent to jail for it. Notice a pattern?
I certainly care more about animals than babies. After all, they don’t grow up to be heartless douchebags who are the center of their own universe.
Thank you, Ep Sato! I’m always blown away how many people value the lives of animals (which most of them eat) over the lives of actual human beings, but it seems more common than naught. Maybe if babies had fur or whiskers or something…
For the record, however, I did find both “jokes”–the kitten and the baby–funny because they were played for absurdism.