Here is the reason why people are not happy about the plot of “Rough Night”
We got pretty psyched when we first heard about upcoming bachelorette party comedy movie Rough Night. The cast is a freaking comedy dream. Kate McKinnon, Ilana Glazer, and Jillian Bell ALWAYS crack us up. And we’re excited for Scarlett Johansson and Zoë Kravitz, who tend to book more dramas, to show off their funny chops.
The Rough Night trailer was released last week. There were lots of super-funny lines and straight up hilarious sight gags (penis headband, anyone?). That said, not everyone’s laughing at the trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIB4jNYeRY4?feature=oembed
Rough Night is racking up its fair share of criticism for the movie’s central plot pivot, which involves the accidental death of a male stripper.
Some critics took to Twitter to voice their concerns about a movie making light about the death of a sex worker. false
Because it's 2017 and this is the movie we get from our allegedly feminist writers and actresses of Hollywood. 💔💔💔💔💔 @roughnightmovie pic.twitter.com/iyWR9KdfAu
— Jacq Frances (@JacqFrances) March 10, 2017
Get the heck away from me if you find the killing of a sex worker in Rough Night funny and liberating in a twisted way.
— Jade 🌌 (@watercolourwine) March 10, 2017
Keeping up the whole "casual violence toward a sex worker" trope, but with the genders reversed? Cool, cool. https://t.co/W2fVuzFG8i
— Lastminutechanges (@amos_true) March 11, 2017
A story built around accidentally killing a sex worker is not funny. If your feminism doesn't include SW it's wrong. https://t.co/VdO4sRck1f
— Eliza Berlage (@verbaliza) March 11, 2017
false
We 100% hear these concerns and think it’s important to keep this in mind when thinking about not just Rough Night, but all media that portrays sex workers.
Sex workers have routinely been mistreated in film and television. So much so, in fact, that TV Tropes highlights the “Disposable Sex Worker” trope, in which sex workers often end up dead on screen.
The fact is, sex work is a dangerous profession, and it’s no secret that many sex workers face the threat of death, beatings, and rape on a daily basis.
Yes, we haven’t seen Rough Night yet. As of this writing, we know the premise, not the full story. And because so many funny ladies we love are involved, of course we want to be in its corner. But this discussion is a great reminder to take a more thoughtful and better-informed look at a trope that reflects troubling real world truths.
