and of course the fact that Ben is a liar, adulterous man....? its that ok for ya? and the fact that Neil p was a stalker and was keeping her captive? and trying her to become "her again? that only mean her to be hot again
The Cool Girl section is fantastic. It's spot on commentary about women and male perceptions. It's one of my favorite parts of the book. However, the problem I have with it is that it comes from Amy. She's so messed up that it dilutes the message. Flynn gives us this wonderful insight, this blistering commentary on men's obsession with, control over, and disposal of women in our culture, but she gives it to us through an unreliable psychotic narrator.
Just because Amy is psychotic, does evil things, is heartless and dangerous and vindictive, does that mean there is some larger commentary about all women within? She's one character in one story that one woman wrote. Why would anyone assume that she's some sort of stand-in for all women? Doesn't that seem a little irresponsible as well?
Just because Amy is psychotic, does evil things, is heartless and dangerous and vindictive, does that mean there is some larger commentary about all women within? She's one character in one story that one woman wrote. Why would anyone assume that she's some sort of stand-in for all women? Doesn't that seem a little irresponsible as well?
Why cant be the girl the fucked up one? his reaction with the whole " oh she tell a lied and she is a psycho" is as important as the "cool girl" material. Because men need to think woman are that..the cool girl. And when that doesnt happen we get screwed in our minds. Fuck that..lets enjoy a brave movie that point as us, woman and men, as equals.
BurtReynolds wrote:You don't say artists are responsible, yet you label this movie as 'irresponsible'. Do you even read what you type?
Eh, this isn't much of a leap. I don't like pickles. I don't think all hamburgers should be pickle-less. But if you give me a hamburger with pickles, I won't like it. If you ask me why, I'll say it's because it had pickles in it.
Anders wrote:I do not have a «neoliberal assessment of geopolitics», so please stop writing that I do.
Just because Amy is psychotic, does evil things, is heartless and dangerous and vindictive, does that mean there is some larger commentary about all women within? She's one character in one story that one woman wrote. Why would anyone assume that she's some sort of stand-in for all women? Doesn't that seem a little irresponsible as well?
I am not saying Amy is a stand-in for all women. The key is I am analyzing the movie in the context of the culture it was created within. The narrative and characters may be one thing on a micro level, contained within the film. But films are not made or released in a vacuum; they are a part of a culture. In that sense, every movie portrays a point of view, which causes its characters and ideas to mean more than just the micro of “Amy is not a stand-in for all women;” they become macro. They say something larger.
The depiction of Amy is just way too troubling and pushes way too many contemporary “buttons” to be ignored. This movie is coming out a time in American culture when feminism is struggling against a self-righteous wall of ignorance and male entitlement, a time when there is a disturbing epidemic of mistrust and shaming around rape victims. And this movie basically reaffirms what a lot of ignorant misogynists feel: women are irrational misandrists that want to manipulate and destroy men. In modern slang: “bitches be cray.” Not to mention the deeply disturbing little moments when Fincher sexualizes some of the violent moments (another deeply rooted problem in American culture). I mean, what in the fuck was with shooting a near close-up of Amy’s partially exposed ass as she’s crawling on the floor feigning sexual assault at the hands of Neil P? That was VERY messed up.
Perhaps a lot of those could have been alleviated and gone into a realm of actual COMMENTARY on these issues if there had been any development to Amy and why she is doing what she’s doing; some insight into how a male-dominated culture might have shaped her into a monster. But there’s nothing there; she’s just a whackjob. And even then that would still be a real stretch.
Just because Amy is psychotic, does evil things, is heartless and dangerous and vindictive, does that mean there is some larger commentary about all women within? She's one character in one story that one woman wrote. Why would anyone assume that she's some sort of stand-in for all women? Doesn't that seem a little irresponsible as well?
I am not saying Amy is a stand-in for all women. The key is I am analyzing the movie in the context of the culture it was created within. The narrative and characters may be one thing on a micro level, contained within the film. But films are not made or released in a vacuum; they are a part of a culture. In that sense, every movie portrays a point of view, which causes its characters and ideas to mean more than just the micro of “Amy is not a stand-in for all women;” they become macro. They say something larger.
The depiction of Amy is just way too troubling and pushes way too many contemporary “buttons” to be ignored. This movie is coming out a time in American culture when feminism is struggling against a self-righteous wall of ignorance and male entitlement, a time when there is a disturbing epidemic of mistrust and shaming around rape victims. And this movie basically reaffirms what a lot of ignorant misogynists feel: women are irrational misandrists that want to manipulate and destroy men. In modern slang: “bitches be cray.” Not to mention the deeply disturbing little moments when Fincher sexualizes some of the violent moments (another deeply rooted problem in American culture). I mean, what in the fuck was with shooting a near close-up of Amy’s partially exposed ass as she’s crawling on the floor feigning sexual assault at the hands of Neil P? That was VERY messed up.
Perhaps a lot of those could have been alleviated and gone into a realm of actual COMMENTARY on these issues if there had been any development to Amy and why she is doing what she’s doing; some insight into how a male-dominated culture might have shaped her into a monster. But there’s nothing there; she’s just a whackjob. And even then that would still be a real stretch.
perhaps the nuances of intersectionality will be explored in Gone Girl vs. King Ghidorah
Malloy wrote:making this place inhospitable to posting is really the only move left.
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