Lots of great things about 1995. Baseball was in a sense redeemed from the ignoble 1994 strike, by the Mariners' heroic playoff comeback against the Yankees, when Ken Griffey, Jr. rounded the bases all the way from first when Edgar Martinez heroically roped a double down the left field line (look closely at the end of the clip, you'll see that none other than a fresh-faced Alex Rodriguez was waiting in the on-deck circle to greet Griffey home). It was just the other day that Harrogate was arguing that Edgar should be inducted into the Hall of Fame, despite the fact that he was a DH. Except for perhaps paperweight, probably no better pure right-handed hitter has graced the plate in Harrogate's lifetime.
Phish was in their prime in 1995. Harrogate, firmly ensconced on Pete's Couch, did not like Phish at the time, though now, far from Pete's Couch, he loves Phish. [surprises lurk in the links, O Readers.]
Also in 1995, Harrogate rented the movie Drop Zone. Starring Wesley Snipes and the great, great, great Gary Busey, it appealed to Harrogate immensely, and still does. But one moment happens in that movie the likes of which Harrogate cannot for the life of him recall having ever seen in a movie. It is a moment in which a man hits a woman across the face with his fist, knocking her on her ass, and though the female in question is a wholly sympathetic character, the narrative fully supports the action. Indeed, it is a comedic moment. As a viewer, because of the Rhetorical Situation in which it happens, one may even want to cheer.
All Harrogate asks of those who would respond is, please don't invoke issues related to snuff, which we obviously reject, unless you are prepared to make the case that there is a substantive connection betwixt the scene in question, and snuff.
So, in the spirit of Elmo's goldfish Dorothy, Harrogate "has a question" for his fellow Board Members and Readers alike. When you watch the clip below, check out the action between the 1:00 mark and about 1:15. Tell Harrogate if you don't think Wesley does the right thing here. And what might the broader implications of our answers be?
5 comments:
I suppose there's a tinge of gender equality to that scene, since I'm sure Wesley's character would have had the same reaction if his tandem jumping partner had been a man.
The fight scene between Brad and Angelina in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is similarly shocking (or *was*) in that they are both beating the shit out of each other equally. I suspect, in fact, that Angelina could totally take Brad--although that idea may just be a product of the action roles she has been in.
A man hitting a woman--even if she "deserves it"--isn't completely accepted, however. Witness the remake of "The Longest Yard." In the original, Burt Reynold hits his super-bitchy girlfriend--and one assumes that the audience is meant to sympathize with the film's protagonist. In Adam Sandler's version, he merely locks the woman in her closet. Clearly, filmmakers no longer think that hitting a woman is part of a sympathetic character's make-up--Adam Sandler is supposed to be a nice guy, right? Nice guys don't hit their girlfriends--no matter how bitchy they are.
Dear supadiscomama,
Great point about gender equality here. Harrogate totally agrees, that in its own way, this is a highly progressive moment, and kudos to the director for seizing the possibility.
The Mr. and Mrs. Smith example is awesome, too. Thanks for bringing it to light. To season it, Harrogate would like to remind you, for the benefit of others, the discussion you and Harrogate had about the fight scene between Brad and Angelina. The scene where he is stomping her, they shield the sight with the sofa. We both agreed this was fitting, because really, who wants to actually see Brad Pitt stomping Angelina Jolie?
Still, we do see him hit her in the face, don't we? Can't remember...
Also, Harrogate just though of the fight scene at the end of War of the Roses, and it occurs to him that you never see Douglas actually connect with a blow on Turner. He does try to hurt her, and when he pushes her off of him, she falls down the stairs. Gender equality at play in War of the Roses, too?
As for the Longest Yard example, Harrogate quibbles somewhat. That's more problematic because especially in the original, Burt Reynolds was a classic anti-hero, an archetype all the rage in the 1970s. Thus, the moment when he hits his girlfriend was in fact condemned by the flow of the narrative. The whole point was, he grew, and discovered his humanity, while in prison.
The Sandler remake changed the character from classic anti-hero to slightly flawed hero. It was not so serious a movie, although because it gave lines to Bill Goldberg, Harrogate in certain moods loves it better. It would have seriously crippled that remake in any case, had we seen Sandler strike one of America's Sweethearts, Courtney "I Know!!!!" Cox.
The War of the Roses is especially interesting b/c of the context of the physical fight. The nastiness of the divorce stems from Mrs. Rose's insistence that the house--though financed by her husband--is hers because she, as a homemaker, actually made the house what it was. She is shown to be as physically powerful as her husband--she cracks his ribs with her thighs, for God's sake! I can't remember if he hits her or not--but, if he doesn't, it's not for lack of trying.
In Mr. & Mrs Smith, the blocking from view Brad's kicking of Angelina serves, I think, to make the excessive violence a bit comical. Because we don't see the simulation of contact and because we know that "in real life" Brad is not actually kicking Angelina, we can laugh at the lengths each character must go to in order to defeat the other. Plus, the entire fight scene ends up just being foreplay for hot, hot sex.
I think, as always, Superdiscomama, is correct. The analysis depends on your view of gender equality.
When discussing the Equal Rights Amendment in classes, I begin with a discussion of three accepted general versions of political feminism: radical feminism- women are different and better (e.g. Bitch Manifesto); liberal feminism- women are equal and should be treated as equal (e.g. equal pay); conservative feminism- women are different and need special protection (boys sports and girls sports because of biological physical difference; laws protecting women in case of divorce such as the common law marriage).
If you view the scene from political liberalism, it may be a logical entailment. You may say it is wrong but equality is not always perfect. If you view it form conservative feminism, which almost all parents tell their sons they cannot hit their sisters, it is wrong. If we view this from radical feminism, Angelina kicks the crap out of Brad, always.
Most of us may desire for the liberal feminism. Yet, because of tradition or because we may not like the consequences of an action, we may revert back to conservative.
In the context of this clip, the humor of the scene negates the tension of the hit, especially since the female is much braver and stronger than Snipes' character.
I often see representations of men hitting women on the Lifetime channel. They are not as laugh-out-loud funny as the clip you post here, Harrogate, but they always goad from me (at the very least, mind you!) a big smile and chuckle.
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