Hollywood sells products to entertain people. The idea that Jurassic World is sexist because one character is clear about his interest in the other is absurd. In fact, it flies in the face of all this consent talk. Isn’t Pratt just making clear where he stands? Don’t women hate the “friend” strategy anyway since it’s more dishonest?
Even Jezebel understands this:
“The terribly sexist trope of male whining and entitlement that suggests that being friends with women is a game you play that waits on a payoff of sex, one you expect to get because you’ve been so nice and available and sweet and attentive for sooooo long. This is not how romance works — slowly wearing someone down over time with the sheer relentlessness of your nice fake presence as a pretend BFF.
As some brilliant Internet commenter named hexjackal once wrote:
Friendzoning is bullshit because girls are not machines that you put Kindness Coins into until sex falls out.
What’s more, it’s deceitful. If you like someone, you should probably let them know. If your feelings prevent you from being “just friends” because you want more, move on. Be nice but acknowledge being friends is too difficult for you. Sidling up and weaseling in as a friend is a betrayal because it all ultimately hinges on the hope that you’ll eventually get what you really want. And what happens when you realize you won’t? Not such great friends anymore, huh?
So let’s compare a clip from the Hollywood of yore to the purportedly sexist clip in Jurassic Park to see if there’ s any truth to this sexist accusation.
Here’s Lauren Bacall pretty much catering to a fantasy that she would need to seduce Humphrey Bogart. She sure does blow right past obtaining consent too. She also demonstrated a heck of lot of personal agency to put it politely.
And here’s Chris Pratt making his intentions clear
His character is also showing a depth of sensitivity to animals and compassion for things other than work. Isn’t that what feminists have been asking from men?
Either way, I love both clips. They both highlight the spark and the dance between men and women that makes life fun. People also enjoy watching a character so comfortable in their own skin that they ooze confidence. Most of us in real life only wish we had that courage.
No one wants to watch some couple wonder what their texts mean and slowly meander to a date. Otherwise the HBO show, ‘Girls’ would have more viewers.
We love the idealized version of the dance between the sexes and Hollywood knows that. As far as sexism, if you hadn’t noticed, Chris Pratt used to look dramatically more Dad Bod than hot bod and I can’t imagine what gender would be happy about that.
So if you want to claim that Jurassic World is sexist, you have to believe women don’t want men to work hard to impress them. Telling women to settle? That seems pretty sexist. Telling women that they can’t be more focused on work like some men are is also pretty sexist. Saying that women should feel shame for developing compassion for family members is just plain strange. I’m not sure why it’s a positive for anyone to not care for other people.
But worst of all, telling Hollywood to stop putting masculine attractive men on screen is the worse form of sexism and a serious step backwards.
I demand an end to that insanity and I can’t wait to see this movie.