Manhole Eunuchsbane Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/20/zoolander-2-transphobia-boycottOnline petition urging boycott of Zoolander 2 based on a transgender character (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) that appears for a few seconds in the Zoolander 2 trailer.Seems a bit over the top to me. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch-MaesterPhilip Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Is the character trans? I thought the character was just androgynous. I guess that could still be offensive though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonSnow4President Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 A boycott based on 10 seconds of a trailer? Almost always extreme. They might have a point if the movie continues along that line, but right now it just seems like standard headline outrage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhole Eunuchsbane Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Is the character trans? I thought the character was just androgynous. I guess that could still be offensive though. Yeah, you're right, it's not even established by the bit in the trailer whether the character is male or female. Eh, it's a comedy for one, and you have like 5 seconds of actual footage of this character. I don't know. Seems a bit extreme to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aint Nuthin But A HoundDog Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 The complainents describe the character as "over the top, cartoonish," yet doesn't that pretty much describe every character in the Zoolander movies? I have transgengender friends that I've defended against a lot of hateful stuff, but it didn't occur to me to be offended by this -- at least not by the clips in the trailer. It's a goofy, obnoxious movie and everyone's going to get parodied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonSnow4President Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 The complainents describe the character as "over the top, cartoonish," yet doesn't that pretty much describe every character in the Zoolander movies? I have transgengender friends that I've defended against a lot of hateful stuff, but it didn't occur to me to be offended by this -- at least not by the clips in the trailer. It's a goofy, obnoxious movie and everyone's going to get parodied. Kind of like South Park. I laughed like hell when they make fun of Jews, Liberals, Muslims, Blacks, poor people, etc. And when it can time for Repbulicans and Catholics, I kept on laughing. I don't think it's discrimination if you make fun of everyone (and that's why I can't stand Isaac Hayes, Chef's actor, who left when they made fun of his religion after several others). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theda Baratheon Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 My friend linked me a gif set of Benedict Cumberbatch's character because he looks so goofy, didn't occur to me the character may be trans - and nowhere does it say that so far...I've never seen Zoolander and won't be watching this one anyway but I don't think there's much to this but Benedict Cumberbatch playing a goofy looking character. Hope I'm right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wise Fool Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Benedict Cumberbatch is always playing a goofy looking character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Benedict Cumberbatch is always playing a goofy looking character.Smaug? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 People need to get over themselves. Same thing I said about the boycott/ban efforts made by Christian groups over The Last Temptation of Christ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Pesci Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 This is a bit much imo considering what is seen of the character in the trailer, but it doesn't surprise me, you can barely walk out of your house anymore without offending someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonSnow4President Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 This is a bit much imo considering what is seen of the character in the trailer, but it doesn't surprise me, you can barely walk out of your house anymore without offending someone. I think South Park said it best in a recent episode (quoted below). Even trying to be inclusive , someone will find a reason to be offended with what you said.Randy: Look at what happened to our town? We have CtyPaTown. Boutique restaurants and artisan shops. We have a f***ing Whole Foods, and that was all me! Diverse people are moving here. Everyone is being aware of how they talk. THIS IS PARADISE SHARON!Sharon: Is it? All I know is that you’ve changed. Ever since you’ve joined this PC thing, you just bully people, and wait for anyone to say anything proper, just so you can drop down their throats for whatever words he or she used.Randy: He or she is an agenderphobic micro aggression, Sharon. You are a bigot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all swedes are racist Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Really should just be Outrage Over Existence of Zoolander 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhole Eunuchsbane Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Really should just be Outrage Over Existence of Zoolander 2That first film is a diamond in the rough. It gets funnier and funnier with repeated viewings. Stupid as all hell, but it is definitely on my guilty pleasures list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonSnow4President Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 That first film is a diamond in the rough. It gets funnier and funnier with repeated viewings. Stupid as all hell, but it is definitely on my guilty pleasures list. Stupid can be funny. I still bust my gut every time I watch The Campaign or Talladega Nights. I'm not going to pretend it's intellectually stimulating or has what some would consider to be a certain level of artistry, but it's still funny as shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhole Eunuchsbane Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Stupid can be funny. I still bust my gut every time I watch The Campaign or Talladega Nights. I'm not going to pretend it's intellectually stimulating or has what some would consider to be a certain level of artistry, but it's still funny as shit. Yeah, I was actually going to compare Zoolander to Anchorman. There is something about a comic actor committing so thoroughly to a ridiculous character that I find extremely entertaining. To build layers upon what is essentially a one-note joke can be really challenging, and I think Ben Stiller pulls it off well in this flick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch-MaesterPhilip Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 My friend linked me a gif set of Benedict Cumberbatch's character because he looks so goofy, didn't occur to me the character may be trans - and nowhere does it say that so far...I've never seen Zoolander and won't be watching this one anyway but I don't think there's much to this but Benedict Cumberbatch playing a goofy looking character. Hope I'm right. The first one is so hysterical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Of House Hill Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Unlike the recent boycott of the Stonewall movie, which was successful, this one is unlikely to be. With the Stonewall movie, the erasure of transgender women of color, by the movie, may have gotten the boycott idea off to a start, it was the hypocrisy of casting a white male gay character, who was "acceptable" to straight audiences that made the boycott successful, because the gay community joined the call for a boycottThat won't happen, this time. Whether the Cumberbatch character is transgender or gender-nonconforming, people tend to have fewer qualms about laughing at someone they perceive to be different from themselves. The problem, in this case, is that they are laughing at a group of people, rather than a specific character. The question, "do you have a hot dog or a bun", will reverberate because a group of straight cisgender men decided turning a group of people into a punch line was the thing to do. So yeah, boycott this POS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhole Eunuchsbane Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 The first one is so hysterical. Yeah, I have no problem recommending this flick. I think part of what makes it so good is the lowered expectation going in. So many people just write it off due to the fact that the premise is so stupid that they are pleasantly surprised at how funny it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhole Eunuchsbane Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Unlike the recent boycott of the Stonewall movie, which was successful, this one is unlikely to be. With the Stonewall movie, the erasure of transgender women of color, by the movie, may have gotten the boycott idea off to a start, it was the hypocrisy of casting a white male gay character, who was "acceptable" to straight audiences that made the boycott successful, because the gay community joined the call for a boycottThat won't happen, this time. Whether the Cumberbatch character is transgender or gender-nonconforming, people tend to have fewer qualms about laughing at someone they perceive to be different from themselves. The problem, in this case, is that they are laughing at a group of people, rather than a specific character. The question, "do you have a hot dog or a bun", will reverberate because a group of straight cisgender men decided turning a group of people into a punch line was the thing to do. So yeah, boycott this POS.Yeah, I think this is where you lose me, and many other fans of comedy. If I laugh at a bit featuring a transgender character, I'm laughing at the character. I'm laughing at the joke. It has little or nothing to do with me wanting to ridicule a group of people. It's a simple human reaction to a joke, or a ridiculous situation.You referring to the film as a POS based on a 5 second segment of a trailer seems a bit knee-jerk and irresponsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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