As
long as I'm putting stuff out here, I was also irritated about that Jeremy
Renner/Chris Evans interview, and then Renner's follow-up:
There
are many internet articles out there about it, but one thing I like about this
one is that it specifies that the movies don't show Natasha being involved with
anyone. There are flirtations, and there are fans of certain pairings, but
there is no sex.
Renner's
refusal to take it back focuses on sex, but it's non-existent. If any team
member should be called "slut", it's Tony. It speaks to the
double-standard that Natasha would be judged differently than Tony for the same
behavior, but there isn't even equivalent behavior. So let's go back to the
first interview.
The
interviewer mentions the fans being invested in Natasha being with either Steve
or Clint, and now the movie seemed to be pairing her with Bruce, and asked
about that.
Renner:
"She's a slut."
(Big
laughter from Evans)
Evans:
Or something along that line. Complete whore.
Renner:
Tramp, man.
Evans:
Slut.
The
interviewer then said that whatever happens in the films, she will always be
the sidekick, and they said something about leading them on, and then they
moved on, because it wasn't important. Renner's defense has partially been that
this is a fictional character so it's stupid to get mad over it. Well, I think
there might be a few points.
First
of all, they are not calling Natasha a slut for sleeping with her team members,
but for not sleeping with them. That happens in real life. Guys call women they
want and don't get sluts. Girls label other girls sluts when they are mad at
them, regardless of sexual activity levels. It is a word used to keep social
controls in place, which is reason enough not to use it. I am aware that some
women adopt the word in order to fight it, like with slut walks, but how the
word gets used is reason enough for any man to consider striking it from his
vocabulary because there is a really strong probability that any time he uses
it he is being an ass.
The
interesting thing to me was that there appeared to be a feeling that if Natasha
flirted with them, then she should be committed to more. I detected a sense of
ownership. Again, this is something that happens in the real world. Fictional
characters can show us things about the world, both within the context of their
stories and in our reactions to them, so I don't think it should be dismissed
so lightly.
However,
it's going to take a pretty ugly turn that I will save for Monday. For now,
let's leave with some words from another fictional character.
"It's
kind of a double-edged sword, isn't it? Well if you say you haven't, you're a
prude. If you say you have, you're a slut. It's a trap. You want to but you
can't, and when you do you wish you didn't, right? Or are you a tease?"
-
Allison Reynolds, The Breakfast Club
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