Ron Howard Vows To Keep Unfunny, Gay-Baiting Joke In The Dilemma
Oh, Opie, say it ain't so. His ginger back against the wall, director Ron Howard has sworn to keep the controversial "electric cars are gay" line in his movie, The Dilemma, even though pressure from outside groups led to its removal from the trailer. So why is the brother of beloved character actor Clint Howard digging his heels in on such a crap joke?
Fonzie's second banana wrote a long, preachy manifesto (seriously, someone teach him the meaning of tl;dr) to the Los Angeles Times, that said (among many, many other things):
Will comedy be neutered if everyone gets to complain about every potentially offensive joke in every comedy that's made? Anybody can complain about anything in our country. It's what I love about this place. I defend the right for some people to express offense at a joke as strongly as I do the right for that joke to be in a film. But if storytellers, comedians, actors and artists are strong armed into making creative changes, it will endanger comedy as both entertainment and a provoker of thought.
So, in a nutshell: if you're complaining about gays being made a butt of dumb joke, you hate freedom, and independence and creativity.
Honestly, what bothers me most about the whole thing is that the joke is not funny. Seriously, Academy Award-winning (for some reason) Ron Howard, you are going to bat for a stupid, lazy, unfunny joke.
But then again, if we insisted on stripping out every single unfunny joke from a Vince Vaughn movie, all we'd be left with is the opening credits, the closing credits and maybe an establishing shot of a bar.
· Ron Howard on 'The Dilemma's' gay joke: It stays in the movie [LAT]
Subscribe to the new Movieline on YouTube
Comments
Ron Howard really lost me as a fan after this.
Ron Howard is right, and I am now respect him more than, I ever did. I was not going to see the movie, but now I am. Also the joke is funny. You may not agree, but everybody has different taste in comedy.
come on there a thousands of worst jokes in movies that offend christains, Jews, muslims, ect. get over it Ron Howard can keep the line in the movie it was actually the only thing in the trailer I found slightly funny. If it makes you mad don't see the movie. People and Political correctness are getting so damn anoying. I am sick of all the gay groups saying shit like this. Get over it!
Ron Howard is right, and I am now respect him more than, I ever did. I was not going to see the movie, but now I am. Also the joke is funny. You may not agree, but everybody has different taste in comedy.
The decision of this joke to remain in the movie has absolutely no bearing on my decision to see this movie.
Because it looks retarded, with or without the joke.
@the winchester I can't believe you used the word "retarded". it's very hurtful
Exspecially too us retards!
I think my IQ dropped 10 points after reading this drivel by Dixon Gaines.
"You know I knew you were gay? when you got all bent out of shape over the trailer for The Dilemma."
You guys need to get over it, the joke is harmless.
I do have to ask why you 'tards aren't screaming about Todd Packer saying "Gabewad" the other night on The Office? it was used as a direct insult. huh? huh? I guess you are just waiting for the faux outrage from the PC and GLAAD crowd before you act all offended and hurt.
That was gay of him to use that word!
Evilspeak!
Howard is absolutely right in defending the joke. The trailer was one thing, but pitchfork-wielding hordes don't get to play film censor: we already have the insane MPAA doing that job.
Where Howard went wrong was deciding to helm a crap comedy starring Vince Vaughn. Did he lose all his money in the economic collapse or something?
It may be a dumb joke, but you only have the trailer to go off of. Maybe its still a dumb joke in the movie, but maybe its mocking the nature of what corporations find to be manly. Probably not but no one really knows the context of it because the movie isn't out yet.
I don't think I'll be seeing this movie in the theaters or ever (unless its on a plane and I can't sleep), but we should respect Howard's right to make any joke he wants in the film, regardless of what it is. And if you don't want to support it, don't buy a ticket.
I don't mean to sound like a stanch supporter of anti-gay humor because I am not, but again, we do not know the context of the joke and its a little juvenile and lazy to try and try and simplify not liking a joke as anti-American. Think what other types of outlets try and simplify rationales and arguments and decide if you like that kind of reporting/writing. Please don't let your temper get the best of you.
OMFG, this "joke" is sooooo lame! Regardless of whether it is offensive (I'm gay and don't care), it is stupefyingly unfunny! Comedy is supposed to be about surprising people, not filling in the blank: "____ is/are gay!" Hasn't that alleged "joke" been done about a billion times already? Shouldn't the writing be original? Like maybe "Electric cars are the power bottoms of the auto industry!" And right there we have a line that will be funnier than ANYTHING that Vince Vaughn has and ever will spout in his lifetime.
Just because YOU don't think the joke is funny doesn't mean other people don't find the joke funny. Electric cars ARE gay. But if the writer of this totally biased article actually kept up with modern lingo, "gay" and "fag" are no longer considered hateful towards homosexuals... At least by forward thinking individuals. My husband is bisexual and he uses the word "gay" all the time to describe stuff that is retarded or redundant. Times they are a changin'. If you don't like the joke, more power to you. But don't treat the people who wrote, filmed and in the future, laugh at the joke as if they are homophobic, gay-bashing, hatemongers. It'd be more narrow-minded than people think this joke is.
Also, who the heck is the writer of this article to basically pan Ron Howard, beloved actor and director of the past few generations? What, he makes a move the writer doesn't like and suddenly he doesn't deserve his Oscar or his fame or anything he has worked hard for? It's good that the writer of this article is in such a high place to look down on others.
Howard is totally right, no matter how many random internet columnists didn't personally find the line funny.
The freedom to write what you want in a comedy without worrying that you'll have to tone it down because some group is going to be offended is the reason inspired work makes it to the screen in the first place. Trying to censor stuff like this is pathetic on the part of the groups doing so.
Every joke is offensive to someone. Just because it happens to be you or a group of people that is currently in the political spotlight....does not mean anything. Get over it. South park never removes jokes and they offend everyone....EVERYONE. Look how successful they are. It doesnt matter if the joke is funny or not....its the principle. If you dont like the joke...then dont see the movie. Get over it.
You know what's even gayer than electric cars? Movieline.com
Well, the problem with this scenario is the "other people" who might find this joke funny. Cuz IT'S NOT FUNNY! It's writing at its absolute laziest and anyone who finds such a weak attempt at humor funny has no reason to leave their house to watch this movie. Because they can stay home and roll around their floors laughing over *&@% My Dad Says.
I am really grateful to the owner of this web site who has shared this wonderful article at at this time.