Men in Black II...so angry!

[battgyrll]

moved here to the CURRENT EVENTS Forum, from Anorexia and Bulimia Forum

<HR>

:trigger talks about behaviors shown in the movie

So i just got back from seeing MIB II with my roomate. I won't ruin the movie for anyone in case they want to see it (which, by the way, i don't recommend), i'm just going to talk about one of the opeing scenes.

THis alien lands and takes the form of a human. Her model for the human form? A Victoria's Secret model!

THen! This alien eats a person, and since she ate an entire person and she is wearing lingerine her stomach expands (everyone in the theater groaned and said "ewww" at this point, which didnt make it any better). Anyway, she looks down at herslef, then back at the picture and then goes behind some bushes and you hear the sounds of her vomitting. When she comes back out she has the "perfect body" again.

Maybe I'm just being paraniod about this or something, but Im so angry about this!

Thanks for letting me vent.

:bat battgyrll :bat

[kat eyes]

oh my god that is soooooooooo wrong!!! :reallymad

[IthinkIcan]

I was actually going to go see this tomorrow; this may very well alter my plans.

*RAH!!!!!*

[Jettachicky]

:reallymad:reallymad:reallymad

[ARTgrrlOne]

yeah, I almost spit my drink all over my dad :ugh

i also thought it was wrong that they showed LFB/the alien EATING at like each beginning scene...when she was in the MIB headquarters, eating the big mac? WTF was up with that? :mad

but aside from those minor things, i really do recommend the movie!!! it was so hilarious and funny. :shy

:peace
Ally :sun

[rowgirl]

:hugon battgyrll :hugoff

Thanks for the heads up about that movie. That is such a shame that it had to be in there :sad

[Alice*In*Chains]

:hugonBattgyrll:hugoff

am i surprised at reading this?no:mad
again the media portraying the "ideal figure" in a sexists way :mad doing ed related behaviours . She isnt supposed to be even human !! stupid people in there ignorance it shows . im not going to get upset by this any further but certainly wont watch the movie even though i planned to .

[elektra]

:reallymad

I am positively infuriated! I can't believe a scene like that would actually be in a movie that is completely mainstream and will inevitably influence so many minds simply because it is a part of pop culture. It's ridiculous! Can people not already see that eating normally and body image is a problem in this country? Must they encourage such behaviors that we struggle with day by day?!

PISSED OFF,
Elektra

[battgyrll]

I'm glad that I am not the only one who thinks this is outrageours. The strange thing is, my romoate with whom I went to see that show with didn't think anything of it when he saw that. Hmm...

I think we should all boycott that movie! Obviously it's too late for me, but I think maybe it would help (or maybe not).

Thanks for responding and making me feel not so sensitive!

:bat battgyrll :bat

[urgorgeous]

our culture is messed up

[kks]

That is absolutley terrible. You are right and I will be missing that movie!@!!

[roashambo]

Just a thought . . . What's the difference between this and a Cheech and Chong movie where they make fun of being stoned? The majority of people think these things are funny and pay to see them and that's what making movies is about--getting people to pay to see them. Sad commentary on society? Maybe. Or maybe we are just way too darned sensitive--Don't make fun of MY ED!

[elektra]

Don't make fun of MY ED! [/B]

Here, here, sister! Your point is a good one and I only wish society was more sensitive in general. People who have addictions (drugs, alcohol, sex, EDs...) are *in pain*. Would any decent human being mock the moans of the dying? Hopefully not. But here we have all of Hollywood *repeatedly* mocking the pain of those who turn to other deVICES- aka addictions, self-destructive methods- in order to try and eliminate pain.

Insensitive freaks of the world! ACK! :mad

Elektra

[Vicks]

Honestly I haven't seen the movie yet, but I think we all have to remember most people don't have eds, and well all this is is a movie thats it. I may not agree with the whole thing, but I ahave more of a problem with them showing a documentary on Dateline or something about someone with an ed and only focussing on behaviors vs a silly movie.

I also wonder if any of you thought "wow eveyrone thinks what the Alien did was gross so maybe I shouldn't do it?"

Just a thought, it wasn't like everyone left the movie right and said "oh I am going to go throw up now" And I also hope, that noone avoids this movie because of that, simply because there are triggers in life, stupid comments people make, and stupid things in magazines, you can't hide from it all only face it and be like "oh well"

take care. And I hope noone took offence to this. In real life I am extreemely anti-P.C and for freedom of the press, movies and dialogue.

Vicks (victoria)

[battgyrll]

Vicks~

While I respect your opinion on this and see your point, I have to disagree on part of it.

You said:

And I also hope, that noone avoids this movie because of that, simply because there are triggers in life, stupid comments people make, and stupid things in magazines, you can't hide from it all only face it and be like "oh well"

I have to disagrre with this. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING would have gotten done in the way of politcal mor social movement sif people would have sat back and said "oh well". If we think something is wrong, we need to speak up for it.

It's like the guy and the pledge of allegiance. Whether I agree with him or not, I still will respect the fact that he got up and said something about his beliefs. I refuse to sit back and think "oh well" when something this wrong is happening.

:bat battgyrll :bat

[infinitepiphany]

this is probably not going to be a popular viewpoint, but here goies anyway.

i agree with vicks. the character of the "snakelady" (what was her name?) was supposed to be despised as a character. she was the vile villian.

why are we upset (yes, i was too) that she purged, but not the she ATE someone? since when is CANNIBALISM ok? why are we not upset that the one she ate was about to RAPE her? think about fishies - he was about the RAPE her. i think he got what was coming to him.

also notice some other things about her character. her skin was pourous and something about her makeup looked "off" (i dont wear much so i cant explain any better than that). in addition, her hair looked kind of wig-like. though she took the body of a victoria secret model, she was not very pretty. sublte makeup artistry made her look old, porous, and oily. and her voice was somewhat growly. she threw her medusa-like snakes in peoples ears and wrapped people up with them. even the scenes with food, the food was presented in icky lighting and didnt look appealing, yet she was eating it anyway.

she was violent and ugly in every possible way - i think the scene with the would-be rapist added to it. i was more disturbed by the fact the she ATE someone that the fact that she purged him back up, though similiar anger did realize itself in my brain. lets face it, there is something violent, well, maybe abusive is a better word, about ed behavior.

i agree with vicks, too, in her comments about triggers. they are a-plenty. its our responsibility to learn what to do when we encounter them. and, maybe sometimes, that is taking a stand like the pledge of allegiance guy. sometimes its not. for me, this was not. though repulsed when it occured, i had honestly forgotten about it until now.

michelle

[cottagegirl]

heya

i am inclined to think that, as was pointed out, people should be free to say/portray what they want- if they aren't then, censorship gets a point, and i believe that censoring can get out of control, and fast.

BUT i also think that i don't have to LIKE what everyone says and portrays, and i feel it is one of my jobs in life to speak up, and LOUD when i think a wrong is being committed, or an issue being unfairly trivialized.

ox
cottagegirl

[stephny]

Leave it to Hollywood to make light of a very serious problem. Most people really do think that people with EDs choose to be sick for vanity's sake. Society makes fun of what it does not understand.

[daisy,L]

just my opinion
but i liked the movie and i thought the scen in question was funny as hell in a dark humor kind of way.
daisy,L

[mattsdancer]

:hugon bat :hugoff

i am sure that i would be triggered too bat...way to warn the other :fishies so they can decide for themselves!!!! :yay
other than that i am not sure what i think only that i :ear you bat!

:love and :gimmehug
chelsea
:canada mattsdancer

[pippen]

:hugon bat :hugoff
I also wanted to say thanks for the warning.

[Sasha]

I have to say that on the whole I thought this movie was very funny, and I was in hysterics when Frank (the pug dog alien from the first MIB movie) sang "I will survive" and "Who let the dogs out". There is much to see that's really good in the movie.

However i do agree on this point that i found it a bit upsetting that they chose this angle with which to satirise the modelling profession and the aspiration of the perfect body. There were a lot of people in the cinema who did laugh and 'ew' and i guess for those who haven't experienced an eating disorder, particularly one with a purging aspect would not be able to see what is offensive and triggering in that scene and would therefore find the idea of easting someone whole and then vomiting that body whole would be quite funny.

I guess it's just supremely unfortunate that we are not in that group of people who can't see the other side of what they were showing. And i do think the movie producers could have done it more subtly or something. However MIB is known for going to extremes and movie producers will do what they do and we continue to suffer at their hands.

I personally wouldn't judge that movine however on one scene. Just my opinion though.

[Jumping Bean]

I am surprised they would do something so tasteless, but that is Hollywood for you :mad

[shockresist]

i agree it is upsetting.

however a few years ago they were making fun of calista on mad tv and did a segment with an anorexic happy meal at mcds where they had like a pea sized hamburger and a toy which helped her purge. now that i think of it it disgusts me and id like to kill them. however then, when i was ed free it was just funny. when you dont have an ed you dont really notice or are to ignorant to realize its wrong. and when your healthy you usually just get over it the next day and get on with your life. i do think it was unessecary, but hey people DO joke around like that due to ignorance. you cant imagine the pain and actual suffering the ed entails until uve witnessed it or expirenced it
:love whit

[imperfectly_lou]

To be completely honest, thoughts of bulimia didn't even enter my mind when I saw that scene. Maybe I am not observant enough?

But I went to see if because i have a six month old pug puppy who looks exactly like Frank.... my puppy told me she has a crush on Frank :happy

:love Lou
xoxo

[fimbriae]

just a little point here - hollywood does not JUST satirise eating disorders. it also satirises and trivialises mental & physical disabilities, drug abuse/alcoholism, psychiatric disorders, paedolphilia and myriad other serious problem in society. i don't think eating disorders are treated more lightly than such issues as the aforementioned.

take care.

:love, emma

[lilsweetie]

tha'ts just horrible.
i will keep that in mind to prepare me for when i see the movie. thanks for posting that!

[MrFishy]

My two cents and something to think about....

Comedys, in general, to be funny go over the top. They exxagerate and expand a thought. At times, we allow our insecurities to make us react to certain things or situations in a specific way.

I will admit, I havent seen the movie. But at this point, I think that particular scene is now In my head in the way it went.

Seeing the trailer, there is a scene where Will Smiths character explains that he used to have a "black" driver (i belive it was like a remote control guy ) but he had to get a "white" one because the other was always getting pulled over.

How many people here laffed at that joke?

I think we can easily be just as offended by that "joke" as by the other one no?

Just something to think about.

Good Luck!

[thinking]

Hi :fishys,

I just saw this film last night and I found it hysterically funny! Regarding the opening scene with the purging incident... well...

:hugoninfinitepiphany:hugoff

why are we upset (yes, i was too) that she purged, but not the she ATE someone?

I wasn't particularily upset - it was way too silly for that in my opinion, but I think that was a brilliant point:supergrin

:greenfish Sara

[Rayneonthemoon]

I think our society and culture is ignorant. I think I am in a good enough place where that wouldn't really trigger me. It's society and culture that finds that is must mock things like eating disorders inorder to gain humor. I agree, it's much like cheech & chong mocking getting high.

I was planning on waiting till the movie came out on Video anyway :cute

Thanks for sharing!
Love,

[Millificent]

I was like Lou - didn't even occur to me that she was purging. They showed this weird creature changing shape to look like a human, so I thought she was just morphing her body back into the "correct" shape.

:dragon Millie

[rainbowswirl]

:hugon :fishjump All :fishy ies :fishjump :hugoff

I noticed this too when I saw the film, and I got angry too with this scene. I think it was a very funny film overall, but I wish that this part hadn't been in it, as I felt slightly triggered. Just my two cents.

[gina_rlp]

K my two cents....

I read this post a while ago, and then I saw the film... I was waiting for that model-throwing-up-the-guy bit, which didn't take long cos it's at the beginning but I wasn't angry, I thought it was funny...

It was making light of what is essentially a big problem in (mostly) western culture.

If we get angry at every thing that is slightly poking fun at an issue, then maybe the problem is in yourself. I read the other post about the MTV thing, which okay probably didn't exactly promote a healthy attitude. But the MIB thing is different...

When you saw it, how many of you thought "Oh wow I'd love to eat a person and throw him up again... what a great idea!"

Probably not many of you, so how is it encouraging anything? Okay so she was a Victoria Secret model, but it was basically saying you had to have some sort of eating disorder to be in that industry... and how many of you would want to spend your life throwing up?

I dunno... I thought it was good the way that they just portrayed it like that.... no dramatics no nothing.

Btw I also noticed that thing Will Smith said, about the black driver getting pulled over all the time... to be honest that made more of an affect on me than the model did. In an episode of Fresh Prince, the whole thing was devoted to the black issue. Carlton got pulled over because he was black, and it wasn't until the end of the episode that he realised that it was the reason. I'm not black, but I thought that was a really well done episode, just like the comment Will Smith made... that, to me, was more highlighting an issue that is perhaps overlooked by many people.

I think it's too easy to make everything a bigger thing than it actually is. You can't take everything seriously.. I mean come on, this was a huge alien with hundreds of snake type things coming out of her, throwing up a person. I don't see how it can be thought of as making it look appealing.

I understand your points, I just think it's an overreaction... :ugh

Btw I didn't like the film, I thought it was boring.... everyone else loved it but most of the jokes have been done before.... like the whole talking dog thing. Can see *why* it was funny, but I just didn't think it was particularly. I dunno I don't find many films funny nowadays... only the bits I *shouldn't*find funny..

Sorry! I'll shut up now

:love gina