By now, you might have seen the Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans interview that has ruffled more than a few feathers.
The interview is a common press junket for Renner and Evans to promote their upcoming Avengers film, but the content becomes problematic for a moment when Renner makes joke about costar Scarlett Johansson‘s character, Black Widow, and calls her a slut and a trick as he and Evans laugh hysterically.
So the question is: Should we be offended? On the one hand, it seems inappropriate to call someone, fictional or not, a slut because of their actions, especially in such a public manner. On the other hand, at this point it’s hard to know where the line is when it comes to making a joke. Not everything can be off limits, and we need to be able to make light of situations every now and then.
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The internet seems to be divided into five camps when it comes to this particular situation involving Renner and Evans.
Those that felt the comments were completely out of line
We have to agree that calling Black Widow, but not any other male character who exhibits the same behavior, a slut reinforces the double standard that exists in the industry. It’s kind of a slap in the face, considering the huge movement that is going on right now in Hollywood advocating for more powerful female roles and asking for women’s equality in film.
Fans who feel let down
The joke caused some mixed emotions among fans, mostly because Evans and Renner are generally held in high regard.
Those that think it’s OK because Black Widow isn’t real
The problem that some have with this line of thinking is that slut-shaming a fictional character normalizes the behavior and makes people feel like it’s OK to do so in real life.
Those that feel actors shouldn’t be held to a higher standard
Image:Digital Spy/YouTube
True, “role model” isn’t usually an item most artists consider to be in their job description, but, as the #KylieJennerChallenge so aptly illustrated this week, when someone is famous, being a role model is part of the job, whether they sign up for it or not.
One Twitter user made a great point with a tweet reminding fans that just because a comment was made by an actor you love, doesn’t mean it’s OK.
Those that feel that everyone should just get over it
Image: Entertainment Weekly
Some internet users are just so very eloquent.
If we really want to split hairs here, it’s surprising that more people aren’t talking about Renner’s “prosthetic leg” crack, which can be construed as an attack on Black Widow’s worthiness as a romantic partner because of her body, which is in extremely poor taste in itself.
What do you think? Was the interview inappropriate, or just two guys joking around?
Update: Jeremy Renner issued an apology today via his publicist, according to Yahoo News. “I am sorry that this tasteless joke about about a fictional character offended anyone,” he said. “It was not meant to be serious in any way. Just poking fun during an exhausting and tedious press tour. I regret it and sincerely apologize.”
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