So apparently The Pirates: Band of Misfits is sexist, at least according to Margot Magowan, the writer of this linked article:
Porno or pirate movie for kids? | City Brights: Margot Magowan | an SFGate.com blog
In truth, she raises some compelling points about how this film might have benefited from a more gender-balanced cast, but she also throws in an overly-alarmist title and some undue criticism at the few female characters. Yes, Cutlass Liz is a bit sexualized, but she also appears to be the most badass, competent pirate in the whole film – surely that’s a big win for the girls in the audience?
Oh yeah, and Margot repeatedly asserts it’s sexist to make a fat joke about a girl, although this makes me wonder what it is when you make a fat joke about a guy?
Sorry Margot, but I don’t have the time or energy to be offended by the portrayal of she-pirates or she-birds in animated films. Parents, if you are looking for role-models for your children and you are looking to animated pirates, you need a lot more help than you realize. Look into a history book. You don’t want real bad-ass she-pirates as role models either.
We won’t have equality in reality until we have it in our imagination? Good luck with that.
Arrggghhhh! OK…here it is…if we remove all the political incorrectness, sexist, racist, gender, whatever jokes nothing will ever be funny or entertaining again.
Sometimes we can go overboard ( pun ) understandably….but get over it.
How come all pirates are portraid as overweight, uneducated, slobs or skinny waifs?
Remember that even back in the days of the Three Stoges, some protested that their humor was violent. ( it was…but darn it was funny! ) And what about animated characters and their humor or antics…the Bugs Bunny Show was wildly violent and back in the 80’s was protested that it could influence children to harm each other with frying pans or jumping off a huge cliff.
Good Grief! Reality check please!
There are quite a few points of contention with this article: First and foremost “beach ball breasts”? On Cutlass Liz? I thought they were quite modestly sized, certainly could have been oversculpted more. Why can’t an attractive woman be a good role model for girls? Because even from the trailer her station and potential ability to win pirate of the year isn’t her body, but her ruthlessness.
Second, her “phallic cannon”. What weapon isn’t phallic? Sword? Pistol? And if it were a treasure chest, that would have had to been a reference to her chest.
Third, yes, one of the other pirates called the bird fat, but the main character defended it is that so wrong?
Lastly, the girl scout comment “No one here but us girl scouts.” They were dressed as girl scouts! It was a disguise! They were attempting to avoid capture! That doesn’t mean it’s sexist!
WON’T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh2sWSVRrmo
Gimme a break. This kind of argument against so-called sexism just re-enforces the kind of double standards that get people so worked up in the first place. The exaggerated sexiness of the females is pretty much supposed to be played for laughs.
Whatever- I can’t wait for this movie!
Life was a much more sane place to live and raise children when they threw nut-case insane people like Margot in local Insane Asylums. Allowing them to walk the street among normal people just lead to Global Warming and over inflated gas prices.
Yes, there is Freedom of Speech, there is also the Freedom to Not Listen if you don’t like it. There is the Freedom that if you don’t like something then Go Make Something you do like.
Gotta run, my Spotted Dick is ready to come outta the oven…