Trigger Warning
At some point or another you've probably heard of a Donkey Punch. If not, consider yourself lucky. The basic idea is that a man who is penetrating a woman from behind will punch her in the back of the head or neck as he's having an orgasm. Because beating women about the head is fucking hilarious and sexy, didn't ya know?
Well it seems that somebody thought it was be a genius idea to turn sexualized violence against women into a movie, where a woman gets killed via - you guessed it! - a Donkey Punch. The trailer is above.
It's movies like this one that make me wonder how anyone could ask why feminism is still necessary. We live in a world where sexual violence against women is a joke, an email forward, a fucking movie. This is not the world I want to live in.
Thanks to Maria for the link.
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that trailer was sickening. i feel awful after watching it. sexual violence period doesn't even make sense to me.
Me too. Knowing I've surrounded myself with woman-friendly culture, and sometimes forget the horrible extremes that exist "outside," I tried to watch this... but I couldn't. I got halfway through and had to shut the window. I feel sick to my spine.
What particularly bothered me was the "review" at the end that said this was the "sexiest most shocking film of the year." Because nothing says "sexy" like violence against women!
Of course, those girls were out drinking and carousing with men they'd just met, so clearly they deserved what happened to them. How sexy! How *shocking*! How typical of the misogynistic jackasses who run the film industry to think that "violent death" is titillating when you throw half-clothed girls into the mix!
Repeatedly and violently punching somebody in the skull/back of the neck is nothing but a recipe for absolute disaster. Is it really *that* difficult to figure it out, even for Neanderthal misogynists?
To quote the trailer “You're nobody, you've no proof of anything - it’s your word against ours”. I suppose we should be grateful that this (no doubt) ridiculous, overblown film will at least realistically portray some aspects of sexual violence.
I try to look at the good side of things...so maybe/hopefully this is a film that will create awareness that this goes on? (And hopefully not promote it by the same accord) I can't speak for people in the UK, but I had no clue what the donkey punch was, and assume that others don't either. Just like "regular" domestic violence (regular used for lack of a better word, and used with regret that it's "regular"), perhaps it's needed that this form of violence happens. The sickening part was that they called the movie "sexy"....
I found that really disturbing.
To the point I had to close it half way through..gods
I have seen this movie. The "donkey punch" happens about 1/4 of the way into the film and then it devolves into a a fairly paint-by-numbers thriller with some fake female empowerment thrown in to boot.
*spoiler alert*
Two of the three women who got on the boat are participating in group sex that is being filmed when the donkey punch occurs. All of the participants are under the influence of ecstasy and meth (I think) The reason the whole donkey punch is attempted is the result of a dare based on a conversation about sex acts like "the dirty sanchez" and "cleveland steamers"
*end spoiler*
What I really, REALLY hated about this film is that they try to coerce the girls into cooperating with their whole "hide the murder" thing by slut-shaming them. They actually SAY things like "are YOU going to be the one who will tell her parents what she was doing when she died?" and "you were all doing drugs and having group sex, what will the police think?" It's a terrible message to send to women that they somehow "deserve" what happened to them if they were under the influence of a substance or they went somewhere with someone they just met.
This film was offensive, really boring, and a waste of my time.
Yeah there was definitely a lot of shut shaming... "go tell the police, go tell them all the drugs you were taking, and how you were fucking a complete stranger." etc.
It kind of reminded me of an urban legend/cautionary tale. These three girls are on holiday in Spain, partying it up in a club or something, and they head out onto a boat with these guys they just met. One of the girls is like "this is stupid, we don't even know them" but she gets peer-pressured into going along with it. They're drinking, doing ecstasy, doing some random drug from a glass pipe, and then they go and have an orgy downstairs. The moral is "well, what did you expect."
Its not a particularly good movie but its not particularly bad either.
NO ONE finds the donkey punch funny, to clarify.
I won't say any more because I don't want to give away spoilers.
I just don't even know what the hell to say...are you serious?!?! Who's inbox do we flood with nastygrams?? The problem is there is no collective outrage that can be seen and heard...
I share your disgust -- this film should be banned. There should be boycotts. This site and some other feminist sites are among the only ones who speak out against such inhumanity, and that is a tragedy.
Those sorts of yuk-yuks, unfortunately, cross the genders and this special brand of hatred is not as much misogyny as much as it is a hatred of humankind. What's the most prevalent sort of sexual abuse trotted out for a "laugh"? Prison rape, of course. A crime whose victims are generally young, defenseless males with no experience in the prison system. Never fails to get a "laugh." (Just like the old reliable kick to the balls.) The people laughing are, I believe, the same sorts of people who'd tune in to watch an execution.
Fine, it's awful and it should be boycotted. I'm sorry if this is off-topic, but every time I run across someone saying they want something banned, I have to say something.
When you advocate censorship, you assume you're going to be the person hold the red pen. It doesn't work like that. There was a case in Canada where feminists successfully got an obscenity law of some sort, and the law was immediately used against Our Bodies, Ourselves.
It's easy to go from censoring things that are offensive to things that you disagree with.
Censorship on the level you're suggesting is wrong, no matter who is doing it. Next time you suggesting "banning" something, consider how frustrated you'd be with the government if they banned something you'd written.
I don't think the movie is particularly obscene. The violence against the women isn't meant to be the entertainment. The drawn out sex scenes (consensual, by the way) in the beginning are the entertainment, the murder happens, and then its just another run of the mill "how do we get away with this" thriller.
I agree with you regarding banning. Its a slippery-slope. Its frustrating, however, that some "artists" out there seem to indulge their own curiosities through the misuse and abuse of other people's stories, traumas and oppressions.
I agree. If we push to ban something we DON'T like, what's to stop a group with the opposite opinion from banning stuff we DO like? And then when does it end? Who's to say where "the line" is and who's entitled to cross it?
As an artist, I'm against censorship. I have to be, because art is always a target for blame- when half the time it is a comment on culture, not the molder (though the other half, it's the other way around). All censoring says is that we as a society aren't mentally prepared to discuss/deal with difficult topics. And if that's the case, we can never elevate pass or change any of those things. The answer is never censorship and always MORE talking.
I can totally see how this trailer is so offensive. But I can also see that there might be a chance of the writer and/or director trying to make a point and just fucking it up real bad. Or- the more likely scenario of - making a shocking thriller and not thinking about the long term affects of the message therein. Making something shocking is the easiest way to get attention, and it's getting increasingly hard to shock people. And this is the result. I can't say for sure whether this movie is the result of misogyny or being completely oblivious or possibly both. It's REALLY hard to judge some movies by trailers. So since I can't be sure, it's not a good idea to make take such a drastic stand as to ban something I don't understand 100%.
Also, a lot of people wanted to ban the movie Hard Candy. Which is the complete 180 on movies like this. People were more offended because it broke this traditional that people are comfortable with. Is it fair to ban one and not the other, better to ban both? Or just better to allow everyone their own expression even if they happen to be really really stupid?
Yes, let's ban everything we don't like. That won't backfire at all.
Jokes about prison rape are actually pretty misogynistic in and of themselves. They typically involve a man getting reduced to a "female" role and how funny that is.
The existence of a type of discrimination against men does not invalidate the many, many types of discrimination against women.
"Those sorts of yuk-yuks, unfortunately, cross the genders and this special brand of hatred is not as much misogyny as much as it is a hatred of humankind."
I dont think you can say this is the same as hating humankind. Misogyny is explicitly directed at women. The only reason men being raped is seen somewhat as funny, is because its associated with women. Men arent the ones who are supposed to get penetrated, women are, har, har. I hope youre not trying to turn this into a 'what about the menz' type of disussion right? I'm not familiar with your posts, but know that this is always how MRAs and ignorant guys start to troll. First they'll say it has nothing to do with women, but humankind and then give an example of how society 'victimizes' men and how they have it much worse or that sexism is equally divided.
...oh and society may view men having sex as funny also because of homophobia. The act of penetrating a man in his bum is seen as lowered and below a heterosexual in the eyes of a heterocentric public.
There's a wikipedia entry for donkey punch?
And it has a picture.
jeez.
There are a lot of terrible movies that come out (just saw the trailer for Miss March), but I think this is really on another level of terrible. Hitting women in a potentially fatal way during sex is HILARIOUS...
Mea culpa. I just sort of assumed it was a comedy. Now it is still terrible and perhaps even more ridiculous. REALLY? That's the best thing they could think of for a plot line?
Its definitely not a comedy, its more in the horror/thriller category.
Yeah, most men would agree that "prison rape" isn't funny or entertaining...at least most men who have been incarcerated and/or know and love others who have. Women can try to make those analogies, but as the "sex class" we are supposed to "take it" or appease the male fantasy that violence during sex is something us women "crave". Come on..."you know you wanted it!"
From what I saw of the trailer, I certainly don't think this film is advocating the 'donkey punch' or violence against women. The men aren't exactly portrayed in a good light: privileged, tyrannical jerks who slut-shame. We're not supposed to like them or their actions. And the women do fight back, despite the slut-shaming. The viewer, I presume, is meant to sympathize with the two women.
Afropique, could you expand on your 'fake female empowerment' comment? I'd like to know how exactly it comes across as fake.
I really hope this movie is a comment on sexual violence (even if it uses some horror movie stereotypes to do it) and does not fall into the traps of promoting that violence. It's unfortunate the the trailer-makers and studio chose to insert that 'sexy' quote at the end, because it doesn't really coincide with the message of the trailer. Where did it say that violence against women is hilarious? I kinda thought that the trailer took itself rather seriously, which is a good thing when dealing with this subject matter. Obviously these women did not want to be murdered or have their friend murdered which is why they fight back. I'm sure this movie is going to have its fair share of failings (like women being into the donkey punch during a discussion, laughing it off, or even saying they'd be into it--honestly, I've heard plenty of heteronormative women say a lot of things to appease men--but these women won't stand for it in the end when they realize the dangers of joking about violence).
Well, I think the fake female empowerment is in the same vein as the movie "Captivity" or "Hostel 2." The creators feel like it's ok to have these women in disgusting, pornographic peril because the male attacker winds up dead or castrated or something by the put-upon woman. I guess I call it "fake" is because it feels tacked-on and not really part of the film's narrative. You're supposed to cheer when the bad guy finally dies, but that doesn't make up for the exploitation.
I would say that this movie has no type of commentary on sexual violence and even seems to glamorize it a bit.
*spoiler*
The women who is donkey-punched is really, really high when it happens. I wouldn't even consider the filming of the sex consensual because she doesn't even really seem to know it's happening.
*end spoiler
Here is a plot synopsis of the film if you're really curious. http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/donkeypunch.html
I can hear the male-apologists now, "Well, its art/film!....no one would ever DO that!" Uh, huh, hence its own NAME...
Dammit, I really hate that they use a Junkie XL song in the trailer. He's one of my favorite dance DJs :(
I saw the trailer for this movie when I went to Waltz with Bashir. I was so surprised by the plot and violence that I originally didn't think it was a real movie. I am assuming most people felt the same way in the theater due to the laughter after the trailer ended. This type of sexual violence is so horrific that it isn't surprising to me that people's reaction is to laugh when it is marketed as "a sexy, thriller movie." I disagree that the trailer took itself seriously enough to portray violence against women as a deplorable act. Nothing about the trailer is acceptable.
unfortunately I don't think thats why they were laughing. I've had friends who think these kinds of jokes are hilarious and go on for hours with inside jokes and laughing about them. When I finally made them tell me about what they were talking about...they were very uncomfortable, but said, "Its just a joke" and "no one would actually do this..."
poor excuse. poor humor.
It is a rare occasion when I want to believe in censorship (ya know, the God hates fags people), but this is definately one of those occasions.
I've seen this movie. The first half hour is a drawn out porn sequence, lots of skin, full frontal nudity on both the girls and the GUYS, unbelievably. That's what they're calling sexy. The violence against this girl isn't the turn on - it ends all the sex-stuff in the movie.
This was a reply to mommyfortuna but it didn't work..
At least there was full frontal on the guys too, I really hate it when movies show women but not men.
O shoot, that was a reply to jjgirl23.
I was talking to friends who work at a theater that's showing this, and they said they every show has people coming out early and asking for their money back because "it wasn't what they expected".
I don't blame them for wanting their money back, but... what did they expect??
OK, obviously punching women during sex is bad, but I don't think this film is advocating it. It's just another thriller/horror film, most of which involve much worse things than punching someone. From reading some of the other comments it seems like it does have quite a lot of 'slut' shaming, but I don't think a film endorses something simply by having a character do it. I don't think Texas Chainsaw Massacre meant that chasing people around with chainsaws and razors and then eating them is hilarious and awesome. It's supposed to be scary and wrong, that's the whole point.
I agree 100%. I just saw the new Friday the 13th movie, and there was way more misogyny in that, and nobody made a post about it. I think its just the title that people are freaking out about... if it was called "yacht party" or something nobody would have looked twice.
Re: the slut-shaming. No matter what, this film still reinforces that whole "the girls were asking for it" thing. Genre horror (or torture porn, which this clearly seems to be) depends on characters that transgress the boundaries "traditional" values and thereby "go looking for trouble." In "Psycho," Janet Leigh isn't just a brutally stabbed victim in a shower; she stole money from her boss and was on the run, thereby walking into Norman Bates' twisted world -- and "asking for it." So in this case, it doesn't matter how much the women fight back because audiences are going to leave this film with the reinforced notion that to avoid being violently murdered on a yacht, one must not be a slut.
Oh, and I don't mean to be utterly flip, but since when do people keep chainsaws on their yachts?
OK...Jess? I lub y'all and that, but it took you THIS long to cotton onto this flick Its been OUT for months.
Second of all, the guy kills the girl by doing this dumb thing he learned on the internet (donkey punch is an urban myth...only retarded frat boys would actually try it), and then the girls and guys have to figure out what to do with the body (the guys wanna hide it, the girls wanna turn it in), so it becomes a cat-and-mouse game.
But, you know, complete lack of research is good too.
And just so we dont go through this again: I am a female. I am a feminist. I also think that Donkey Punch, while the name is in poor taste, isn't a horrible concept in a movie, and I think Lifetime does women in general a disservice by only portraying victims of sexual violence as survivors who have to run away from their abusers. I think the fact that the women in this movie have to actually fight is comparatively Oscar-worthy.
Ah, I agree! Since the movie's been out for SO long, Jessica, you really don't have an excuse to be just misinterpreting the trailer, you should have you know, actually watched the movie...
I disagree, no one should watch this movie much less "need" to watch the movie. The trailer is enough.
Uh...because theyre on a yacht. What else are they supposed to do. This doesnt exactly live up to the claims your making about having to fight. It wasnt like it was an empowered choice in a suburb...they had no other choice.
It's a horror movie. It's supposed to be scary.
There's nothing scary about, "I guess I could stay and try to fight these guys, but I don't really feel like it so I think I'll go do something else."
If you only like movies where all the characters have a wide range of options open to them at all times, you must really hate movies.
The sad thing is that it is the clever name that got them funding to make the movie, from there it was actually downhill. I don't think they actually had any creative ideas besides naming a movie Donkey Punch for publicity.
Want to know what is sick and disgusting? The reality that real people think this is fucking funny. When I pointed out this trailer to my boyfriend and his friend, they started laughing and singing the highly offensive song named after this brutal attack.
I wasn't going to repeat the lyrics, but I don't want to censor what I'll say in order to protect others' feelings from the harsh and sad reality of misogyny. I don't know the whole song, but one of the lyrics is, "donkey punch, make you lose your lunch"
I pointed out that they don't know what it's like to be a woman, and left shortly after.
I don't search these messages of hatred out, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO! THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! I won't live under a rock and avoid things that offend me, but what I do about it matters, so...
My question for everyone is, although it may be off topic, (if so please direct me to someone who can seriously answer my question): How do I EFFECTIVELY deal with these, unenlightened people who think this is funny, and that I'm too sensitive?
Dump your boyfriend. Life's too short to put up with that s**t.
I have to agree with earthling: this guy is not boyfriend material. Mr. ShifterCat would be disgusted, and I'm pretty sure all of the other guys I hang around would be too (though the only way to test that would be to show them the trailer, which I don't think I'd get any thanks for). The reaction you describe isn't a "guy thing" -- it's an asshole thing. And frankly, if they can't understand right off the bat why you would be horrified, no amount of explaining will do it.
You should have a serious conversation with your boyfriend about violence against women. See how it goes from there.
As for other people, depends on whether or not they are worth your time. If they aren't fuck em'!
One reviewer actually fucking says:
If there’s cautionary moral here it’s that a girl should never introduce herself to a prospective lover as “hardcore.”
Hah. Hah. Hah. Hah. That’s what laughing with rage looks like on a keyboard. Let’s just perpetuate this fucking disgusting idea that women who like sex, be it rough, gentle or medium rare, pretty much deserve EVERYTHING that happens to it. Of course. There’s no fucked up logic in that at all. Excuse my while I choke on my temper. Man, that’s the kind of fucked up logic that leads police to say “you’re a dirty lying whore” to 16 year old rape survivors. Fucked. Up. Shit.
You know, I had assumed that "Donkey Punch" was a sex thing that someone made up, but no one actually did. (Because if someone was known as the "donkey punch guy" he'd never have sex again!)
All that aside: is this concept offensive?
-Yes
Is it any MORE offensive that the horror/thriller genre in general?
-No, in fact. There are many much more offensive movies. There are a ton of horror movies with rape in them. There is the cult sub-genre of rape revenge movies from the 1970's. (Though some might argue that those are somewhat feminist)
Is this a stupid idea for a movie and a title that is more stupidly comical than offensive because it's so bad?
-Ha ha, Yes
Are people allowed to be offended by it?
-Of course. Hell, that's probably half the point.
Does it being offensive mean it should be banned?
-No. I always think banning media is just 10 steps before public book burnings.
Does this movie advocate actually abusing women or killing them?
-I have no idea! I haven't seen it!
I'm not at all trying to defend this movie. Because it seems like just another dumb piece of sensationalist crap amidst a sea of similar titles. I have no desire to see it, EVER. But since I won't see it, I can't say whether or not it is advocating or critiquing misogyny, so I guess I have nothing more to add.
Yep, the now being advertised Last House On the Left is a remake of a 1972 film. I'm just waiting for a remake of I Spit on Your Grave. No, not really.
Show me where a woman wrote the screenplay and directed this and I'll agree with "art for arts sake". I'm an "artist" so I can express my misogyny, racism, classism, etc... and YOU can't call bullshit!?!? I said it upthread...I don't believe in banning OR censorship, but some artists need to check themselves and if they can't then they should get booed off stage.
I haven't seen the movie, but I'll bet the trailer pretty much sums it up. The women eventually "fight back" and it "sort of" makes up for the movie as a whole. You know, just in case the "artist" was feeling a little guilty or you know, in case an actual "real" man out there thought the idea might be fun to try. Are we going to get into the whole "does art imitate life or life imitate art" thing?
This is about the usual, power and men making money, not "art".
Show me where a woman wrote the screenplay and directed this and I'll agree with "art for arts sake". I'm an "artist" so I can express my misogyny, racism, classism, etc... and YOU can't call bullshit!?!? I said it upthread...I don't believe in banning OR censorship, but some artists need to check themselves and if they can't then they should get booed off stage.
I haven't seen the movie, but I'll bet the trailer pretty much sums it up. The women eventually "fight back" and it "sort of" makes up for the movie as a whole. You know, just in case the "artist" was feeling a little guilty or you know, in case an actual "real" man out there thought the idea might be fun to try. Are we going to get into the whole "does art imitate life or life imitate art" thing?
This is about the usual, power and men making money, not "art".
Sorry for the double post...
Yuck. Yuck. and Yuck.
I could understand if this was a comedy, then it would be sick. It is not a comedy though, so what is there to be disgusted about? Are you saying that movies can't deal with subject matters such as sexual violence? Because it is a thriller movie, and not a documentary? So in other words rape should never be in movies meant for entertainment? I guess we should also wipe out war, murder, corruption and so on from being in thriller type movies since they may offend your senses.
Here's something to think about:
A "donkey punch" is usually just a sick joke about violence against women. In most contexts, a donkey-punch joke is misogynistic.
By making the donkey-punch real, and therefore terrifying, violent, and fatal, the filmmakers are reminding us that the joke refers to an act that in reality could kill someone. It's pointing out why humor about violence against women shouldn't be funny.
I haven't seen the movie, so I don't know how much (if any) of this was going through the filmmaker's head, but it's certainly something to think about before you jump on the OFFENSIVE!!!!!!111!! bandwagon.
You don't think the idea of a guy being retarded enough to perform such an act as a donkey punch is hilarious? i mean come on! it's just a rediculous idea! has anyone actually had this done to them? I wouldn't watch the film though it looks a load of crap.
i don't find this offensive- well, the "slut-shaming", yes, but otherwise no. it is obvious by the trailer that the film is not condoning the donkey punch, rather, just the opposite. however the film does look like a load of shit