You've followed the critical feuds and read the think-pieces about how this weekend's most talked-about debut at the multiplex, the hyper-violent, mega-profane Kick-Ass, is poised to offend American moviegoers' delicate sensibilities. But until now, you haven't heard from one of the film's most controversial players, one that's been squarely in the center of the firestorm. And so Movieline reached out to the C-Word itself to chat about how it's being portrayed in the overheated media coverage of a movie masterfully engineered to delight fanboys while giving cautious parents' naughty places an inappropriate squeeze.
So everyone's freaking out because a 13-year-old girl playing an 11-year-old assassin invokes you. How does that feel?
I gotta be honest with you, it's kind of great! In 2010, one little loaded word can stir up so much sh*t! It's just nice to be out there again, in the conversation. "Motherf*cker" has been killing me for years. Guess that one fell into the 2004 Jude Law trap, got itself overexposed. My gain.
Judging from all the buzz, it seems like it's definitely your time to shine.
It's been so long since I had this kind of attention. CAA's returning my calls again, I'm like this close to getting into the next Scorsese picture. Why let the [Kick-Ass director] Matthew Vaughns of the world have all the fun, you know? No offense to Matty, I love Matty, but Marty was putting teenage girls in controversial roles thirtysomething years ago. He doesn't have to cede his edge to a younger generation.
Wow, that's a big name.
My agent will kill me for saying this, but I have a general meeting with Chris Columbus next week. You know, to feel each other out, figure out if there's a way to do something together in the future. You work with a cute kid like Chloe, people get a little more comfortable, doors swing open, I'm telling you. Unless he sees this and freaks out. Which he probably will. Ah, f*ck it.
OK, we've established this has been great for you career-wise. But is it good for kids? Is it OK for a Chloe Moretz to be throwing you around?
I think it's been pretty clear that she's a total professional, and she has parents who help her make decisions. Lovely people. She knows the difference between her character and real life. If she so much as says "hell" at home, the iPhone goes in the lockbox for a week. She's also not allowed to blow off people's heads with a hand-cannon the size of her Barbie Dream House, but nobody seems to be talking about that.
Isn't shifting the focus like that just throwing violence under the bus?
You're damn right I'm throwing it under the bus! Look, I get it, America. Sex is a scary thing. It's terrifying, mysterious, shameful. And we need to keep that from the kids! Shelter them from the realities of their bodies. But by all means, let's glamorize movies and video games about skull-splattering shooting sprees. Nothing wrong with that, prudes!
Sorry. You get exhausted of the stigma, you know? I mean, look at you. You can't even type me out. What's this C-word stuff, the asterisk stuff?
We have advertisers. They can be a little skittish about that kind of thing.
We all have masters to answer to, I suppose. But next time no way I let my publicist agree to talk under these conditions.
Let's get back on track. Aren't you ignoring the unavoidable misogynist overtones associated with you?
Lionsgate has really thought this through, had me doing a lot of outreach with women's groups, even though Hit-Girl says it to a dude. It's been an eye-opening experience on both sides, I can promise you that. And women love the movie. Eat. It. Up. You can't always trust the tracking on this stuff.
We're out of time. Anything else you'd like to get off your chest?
It just feels good that even in a world where language is so debased by text messaging and Twitter that I can still have some impact. Sometimes you feel like you're losing all your power when a bunch of bored teenagers are cutting you down to "cnt" half the time on their tiny cellphone screens. Jesus, I'm only four letters, truncate all the mojo out of some other word to make your character limit, you spoiled brats.