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Genital mutilation as humour
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I watched the film Teeth last night on dvd. Basically, it's not a horror movie as I expected, nor an exploration of "primal fears" as Jim V suggested on the entertainment forum - it's more of a teen comedy where the only joke is male genital mutilation. Otherwise, it's pretty much entirely vacuous.
After years of the tired cliche of male dimwit vs female smartypants, and after decades of violence (or threats of violence) against male genitalia intended as humour throughout popular culture (recent examples I've seen are Balls of Fury and ITV's laughably bad Rock Rivals), has this film gone too far? Has popular culture in general gone too far in depicting what is essentially sexual violence against men as comedy in a way that could rightfully never be tolerated against women?
I'm tempted to ignore it all on grounds of freedom, but I can't help but imagine the reaction if this trend was reversed and people were expected to find scenes of men torturing/threatening/grabbing female genitalia as something to be laughed at. I'd be shocked if I watched such a movie or TV programme, as I'm sure most people would. So why the double standard?
After years of the tired cliche of male dimwit vs female smartypants, and after decades of violence (or threats of violence) against male genitalia intended as humour throughout popular culture (recent examples I've seen are Balls of Fury and ITV's laughably bad Rock Rivals), has this film gone too far? Has popular culture in general gone too far in depicting what is essentially sexual violence against men as comedy in a way that could rightfully never be tolerated against women?
I'm tempted to ignore it all on grounds of freedom, but I can't help but imagine the reaction if this trend was reversed and people were expected to find scenes of men torturing/threatening/grabbing female genitalia as something to be laughed at. I'd be shocked if I watched such a movie or TV programme, as I'm sure most people would. So why the double standard?
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As for the more general issue, yes there almost certainly is a double standard towards male genital mutilation. But as usual, because it's religiously prescribed, it's above criticism in the usual mainstream sources. I think it's absolutely barbaric that parents should have the right to inflict non-medical surgery on their children. We wouldn't accept it for cosmetic reasons, so why should we accept it for even more ridiculous reasons such as a myth from about 2000 years ago? And of course the reason we accept male circumcision and not female (although I admit that female genital mutilation is almost exclusively far more barbaric in practice) is because one is based on the myths of "other people" whereas the other is based on the myths of a relatively western tradition. So yes, its a blatant double-standard that goes way further than gender imo.
Now - which is worse the attempted rape of the Russians or the mutilation of the German - or were both things logical in the film. I'm not sure there's double standards, some things make sense in a specific film (whether you agree with them or like the film or not) and some things don't
Haha, come on, how long did it take you to tihnk of that?
I'm not saying there's a double standard in Cross of Iron or any film with similar mutilation in a similar context. What I'm really trying to get at is the general acceptance of violence towards the male sexual anatomy as a subject for humour rather than as part of a drama or whatever. It's hard to watch TV without seeing this on a regular, sometimes almost daily basis.
However, I watched a 'comedy' recently, where rape (including a scene where a woman is penetrated by a bowling pin) was made in to comedy. I think that there are more incidences of sexual violence against women than men in film...
As for the male dimwit vs. female smartypants... The role of men being subject to the evil female seductress goes back to Biblical times. It is as misogynistic as it is misandristic.
It's a very valid point, hurting men by striking and mutilation of the genitals is often seen by women as funny and portrayed in a comical way on screen.
I've seen countless posts by female posters on here expressing their amsusment at stories involving men being hurt in such ways, and how they think it's funny to hit blokes in the balls.
Are you...serious? Compared to the practice-makes-perfect mutliation of *everything female* under the patriarchy, one movie about "male genital mutilation" is hardly something to get your metaphorical panties in a bunch over.
I have not seen the movie (and don't plan to), but the way it's marketed is decidedly misogynistic, not misandristic. It's like men finding out what they feared all along: that women (and their vaginas) are out to get them! Ah, those evil women with teeth in their vaginas!
I'm also slightly confused that a post about male genital mutilation doesn't mention circumcision. Almost 80% of USA's men are circumcised (http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/), but sadly, there is no public outcry--more than often, public encouragement and acceptance--of this travesty.
Let's keep it real: "Teeth" is Sex/Vagina Is Bad, Mmmkay propaganda under a thin veil of humor.
I assure anyone who believes this (because I know [assume?] you were being sarcastic) that once it happens to you, it ceases to be funny.
Clam down calm down.
Yep, I'm sure I remember commenting on this as well. I'm not actually sure whether the whole "torture porn" genre is really sexualisation or more of a means to cause shock by having sexually attractive women as victims - which is usually the case with older horror films I've seen - but admittedly I haven't seen much of the whole "torture porn" genre that seems to have exploded recently. And I don't fancy watching Hostel anytime soon.
Sure - but if art is to represent what is, of course there will be more sexual violence against women than men on the screen. What I'm really getting at is the context - I have never seen a film or TV programme where a man (who we are supposed to be rooting for) kicks a woman in the groin for the purpose of humour.
You're right to point out that the rape of women as comedy does have examples within popular culture (I'm thinking of Jack Frost) but it's generally the exception rather than the rule.
But the male dimwit vs female smartypants dichotomy (men = stupid, women = clever) has nothing to do with the archetype of the female seductress, which in any case stretches back long before Biblical times.
And in no way could you consider that archetype mysoginistic or misandristic. It's a representation of reality - women know how to use their sexuality to get what they want from men.
Eh? Can you expand on that?
Men fear women are out to get them? Really?
The original post was about representation in popular culture.
Yet you haven't actually watched the film...
No-no... I agree that it does appear quite frequently. But it's often seen by men to be funny as well (bearing in mind most screen writers and directors are men). And what do you mean "seen by women"?
Do more women find this funny than men?
I think that anybody who finds genital mutilation amusing is a bit odd to be honest. But the classic guy sliding down the bannister and whacking himself in the nuts thing... Is perhaps more comedic for the pain factor than for misandry?
I don't think that vagina dentata was about men being emasculated, but more about men taming women to be subservient.
There have been numerous examples of men treating women badly... and vice versa...
i kicked her back in her groin and i got all the criticism/ to be fair she did have to go to hospital cos her tampon got stuck inside her/
but she thought it would be amusing/ however, i know what u mean every soap has seen like this/ and even the rock follies trailer/ i think women see this as acceptable now/ but occassionally a boy will hit back/ and i take your point if it was done the other way round there would be an outcry/ do what i do mate dont watch tv or films/ cos they creep up on u them scenes when they can't think of script