Jurassic World. Sexist? (spoilers)

[PiperAndAlex]

I haven't seen the movie but I want to. I've seen quite a lot of reports that it is sexist.

The lead (Claire?) is portrayed as quite a cold stiff career woman who has no maternal instincts.

She saves her nephews life by shooting a dinosaur yet they only want to stay with her because they feel safe with her boyfriend.

She wears her heels throughout the movie.

Also the most gruesome death was that of a female - yet she didn't actually do anything to deserve that death.

If you look back at Jurassic Park with Ellie she was volunteered to turn the power on when John Hammond says it really should be him because hes a man, she just rolls her eyes.

And that was 20 years ago! Seems like this film is a step back.

[BeyondDoesBootcamp]

Just watched it. Yes, the sexism-ness seems to have gone backwards since the first film?

Especially noticable as Claire runs from rex (love the idea of it being the same rex btw!), all wet in her vest and skirt-with-thigh-high-split

[kingofshadows]

I was under the impression the assistants death was linked to the fact she had 'abandoned' the boys to coldly talk on her phone/drink Starbucks. As such, her frightening and drawn out death was justified because women should care for small children.

The end.

[messyisthenewtidy]

wozzex, that isn't what anyone is saying and you know it.

I think you can expand your critical thinking skills to ask why her character was picked to die.

Just as you can often predict who the murderer is in a whodunit (the one you least expect it to be) you can often tell who's going to be killed off by the way their characters are portrayed, so...

Not the main characters of course, but with the secondary characters: the fat guard who cried with fear (whilst our male lead was all manly in same situation), the brave Asian guard (cos that ticks two boxes) the evil podgy villain (comeuppance) and the childminder who spent too much time on the phone.

Young woman wearing high heels, looking glam and talking on the phone is a well known stereotype, one that's supposed to convey to the audience that she's vain and self-obsessed. And gender is a huge part of that stereotype.

I mean even DS got it. As soon as she got her phone out and ignored the boys she was supposed to be taking care of, he leant to me and whispered "she's gonna get it!"

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

wozzex... you really are the world's most utterly useless troll

Just thought I'd let you know

[Lweji]

She's meant to be in charge of the whole operation, but we never see her actually do anything, or make any decisions.

I don't fully agree with this, but I did expect her to fight her corner for control when the boss died and the crazy guy took over.

[GirlSailor]

OP, I do think it's sexist. I think some people get offended when they like something and you point out a flaw in it, because they don't want to ruin the fun by thinking critically about it. And some people get irritated when anyone says something is sexist. Not at all what you get from regulars on this board, but there's certainly a lot of that attitude elsewhere!

Claire was meant to be an uptight career woman. Not original, but there you go. But she was shown from the beginning to be a bit useless. She's meant to be in charge of the whole operation, but we never see her actually do anything, or make any decisions.

If it had been about the difference in approach from her and the maverick guy then fair enough, but right from the beginning he was competent and she was clueless. For a real relationship they need to really need each other. The fact that she is missing something by not being maternal was slopped on pretty thick as well. But still not as annoying as the fact that her entire character was basically 'needing a good seeing to'

It's not just the sexism that bothered me - the new dinosaur they created was the worst. Every other scene it had a new power that was suddenly explained by its genes, and the fact that they were surprised it was part raptor was insane. If you wanted to created an awesome dinosaur, what else were they going to do!

It really had nothing on Jurassic Park. We see Dr Sattler working throughout the whole film - she's elbow deep in poop in no time! She's much more respected by the other characters than Claire is.

And I'm not saying you can't enjoy the film. I love Star Wars because I grew up watching it, and there are 3 women in the whole thing. That is a massive flaw, but I can still enjoy the film. I enjoyed going to see the spectacle of Jurassic World, but I doubt it'll be a classic. There were too many aspects that just bothered me all the way through - heels, I'm looking at you!

Product placement though? Who doesn't drink a coke with the logo perfectly turned towards the camera?

[Lweji]

Surprised I remember the plot.

Exactly. I could't tell a single brand from the film.


Don't read if you don't want "spoilers".


But the female was grabbed by one of pterosaurus, then picked up by another, then grabbed back by yet another one. At this point I lost count of how many flying reptiles were involved, but then she was dropped in the water, then grabbed again from the water by another pterosaurus, and possibly stolen by another, at which point the mosasaurus lept out of the water and grabbed female and pterosaurus in one go and swallowed them. She screamed a lot. The end.

[Lweji]

Perhaps we could expand the violence against women act to ensure no women characters ever die or get hurt in movies?

Fully agree. And no children, no non-whites, no elderly, no animals.

Just white young males.

[WallyBantersJunkBox]

Maybe it's the degree in Marketing for me....

Hilton, Starbucks, Pandora, Mercedes, Triumph, Ben and Jerry, IWC, Coke, Apple, Oakley, Cinnabon, Bennihana.

Surprised I remember the plot.

[RufusTheReindeer]

Seeing this on Tuesday

Should not have read the thread

i liked Jurassic park 3 it's much better than number 2

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

Am I the only person who wants to know all the gory details about the assistant's death?

[woxxez]

"Also the most gruesome death was that of a female "

You're right. Movies should never kill off female characters unless the death is justified (and that feminists agree to that justification).

If movies want to kill a character for absolutely no reason they should kill a male character, and as many male characters as they wish. Noone gives a shit when male characters die in movies or video games, not even MRAs (who at least acknowledge movies and games are fiction and not real).

[scallopsrgreat]

messy. A woman after my own heart!

[VeryVeryDarkGrey]

One of the displays was sponsored by samsung and the main dude was enjoying his diet coke too when hes fixing up his bike. It annoyed me that the trex was treated like a big dog she was taking for a walk like it just trundled along behind her. Its still a bloody dangerous feck off dinosaur. I was wishing it would eat her

[LassUnparalleled]

I'd go for a Jag. Their add is working on me.

The one with Tom Huddleston and Mark Strong?

[Lweji]

I don't know...
There are movies where it's the exact opposite.

[messyisthenewtidy]

Oh brother of course it was sexist! The uptight controlling unmaternal career bitch who only learns to feel when guided by the easy going, compassionate and likeable male hero?

The fact that she was wrong about everything and he was right about everything?

The high heels that never once broke? The sexily ripped outfit when she lures the T Rex out at the end?

I mean FGS, I'm not saying that it wasn't a brilliant film, but let's call a spade a spade!

[Lweji]

I'd go for a Jag. Their add is working on me.

What were the 4 wheel drives from the original movie? They worked after 20 years! Having said that, my current car is rapidly approaching 15 and it's still fine.

[LassUnparalleled]

There was a Pandora store. That was the only one I spotted. I didn't notice what make the cars were.

[WixingMords]

I noticed that too almondcakes, made me chortle.

Didn't spot any Pandora, mind you I thought the cars were Toyota. As you were.

[tidalwaveover]

I wondered about the storyline of pretty young woman in heels being responsible for highly complicated risk assessments = disaster.

But there were male characters (the boss guy who flew the helicopter) who were also responsible and were making poor decisions.

[tribpot]

According to Wikipedia, T Rex's life span was about 30 years.

[LassUnparalleled]

And no I won't be buying a Mercedes-Benz. I only ever buy Fiats. If I were going for a top end car it would be an Alfa Romeo not a Mercedes-Benz.

[LassUnparalleled]

The only one I noticed was Pandora. Completely missed Mercedes-Benz.

I think this is nit-picking. The park needs vehicles and the vehicles will be high spec. Could have been any other upmarket manufacturer.

I had to Google to find the others - Ben and Jerry's and Starbucks - as if they wouldn't be all over the park if it were real.