I recently finished a grueling six-hour semester of grad school. I was in the mood to destress in a healthy way. I had been eager to see what all the hype was about surrounding the new movie Bridesmaids. On a spur-of-the-moment move I headed to the theater in hopes of seeing something zany with wicked dresses and the typical June-bride debacle wedding.
I should have taken the hints of all the sleaze-ball movie trailers for upcoming flicks that this might take a turn for the worse. I remained optimistic. I had hopes of something along the lines of Father of the Bride, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Why Did I Get Married?
Ummm, nope. Far removed from these tasteful movies with feel-good scenes of hopeful futures, was this...I'm sorry I don't have a word for it. What is up with movie ratings???!!! I have never felt like hiring a lawyer as much as I did after five minutes of this...again I don't have a word for what I saw....
There were about 50 other viewers, ranging in ages from 20-something to 80s? After the offensive trailers, the lights dimmed and the movie began. Within five minutes I was done. It begins with a woman going to a booty call, in bed gyrating like a dog in heat, two pigs in a blanket, with an obvious narcissistic male who by morning is pretty much rushing her out of the door. It only gets worse. If you've seen it you know what I'm talking about regarding the electronic gate. I clearly realized at this point that this movie wouldn't get any better. It was ruined by a blatant disrespect for women and romance. Next scene, two seemingly over-forty women are sitting in a restaurant talking about mouths being close to penises.
Okay enough. I walked out. I was the lone ranger. There was no shame in my game. This was obviously going to be a nightmare, no matter how much "cleaner" this raunchiness got. Initially, I thought I'd just go on to the next thing on my to-do list, and remembered that I was supposed to be destressing from a grueling semester!
I preface this by saying I don't blush. I was beet red, partially because I was angry, and partially because I couldn't believe what I had just seen under the guise of presumably an R-rated movie. I made a bee-line to the ticket counter. The young guy who sold me the ticket burst out laughing when I requested a refund. He went on to say how 'it was a bit much'. I had no words. I was near tears at the thought of how far women have dropped to be "sexy???" I could not believe that I had been exposed to something so trashy headlining such an innocent title. Somehow,I had to protest my disdain and let someone know that this did not work for me, and probably thousands of others.
Had this been titled "Whores in Heat" okay, I would not have bothered to put my money on the table. But Bridesmaids? How harmless this should be. It's been a few days and I'm still steamed that no one warned me of such trashy innuendos. This movie should have received an X-rating for suggestion and L for anyone who wasted their time sitting through whatever it was about. The first few scenes should have had women rushing towards the exit, silently protesting that disrespect in the movies is not what they are expecting in this day and time. Or, perhaps it's just me. Am I alone and prudish or was this a sign of what today's woman accepts? I don't know, but I made sure to spend my refund on something I could genuinely enjoy.
This past weekend, I decided to gather several DVD faves and watch videos that I knew would leave me in a better place of reflection at the end. I pulled Pursuit of Happyness, Hotel Rwanda, Capote, Why Did I Get Married?, and Avatar. If I had My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I would have pulled that as well. It's June, the month when many brides and grooms say their forever after vows. How nice it would have been to see a movie that brought one to a place of positive introspection and uplifting optimism.
Here's a great idea for a new movie. It's about four couples in various stages of life becoming parents for the first time. All of the wives are expecting. The men share fears and joys of what this new experience will bring. The women do so as well. In the end all of the women go into labor at the same time, singles, twins, triplets, all born with a happy and quirky ending.
I shudder to think what message this movie sent to guys on first dates about the girls sitting next to them. People can only do to you what you allow. I was not willing to allow a total group of strangers on the screen compromise my moral compass. This was not the first movie I have walked out of. Most times I simply walk into another theater and watch something else if a movie lacks my interest. But, sometimes I have to make a statement that a line was crossed. Bridesmaids was one such movie. I may never know what the storyline was. The initial scenes destroyed my interest.
Girls, it's up to us to let the guy in our life know what we will and will not tolerate. If you found this movie funny or amusing, and not the least bit disturbing regarding women in general, maybe, just maybe you need to stare in the mirror and say, "I'm better than that!"
