Horrible Bosses (F)

Horrible Bosses is such a bizarrely sickening film it is uncomfortable writing a review about it, seeing as I must open with the words "rape is not funny."

Three average Joes (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudekis) become fed up with their abusive employers (Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, and Jennifer Aniston) and decide to kill them. Jamie Foxx, Lindsey Sloane, and Ioan Gruffud have small roles. The picture is directed by Seth Gordon (Freakinomics, Four Christmases).

This is bound to disturb some viewers, but is also an interesting concept that appeals to all of us. Haven't there been authority figures who are total jerks that we really want dead? In this subject, Horrible Bosses acts like a typical dark comedy: presenting a disturbing premise and connecting it to our most primal urges so that we find it both revolting and appealing.

The movie can be funny at times, and the acting is great (especially Farrell, who is funny and yet sad as a sadistic crackhead). Still, this does nothing to fix the fact that this is a bad movie.

However, when the film gets to the subject of rape, they have lost that approach. The issue is not presented as something taboo--it is treated like just another slapstick comedy routine. The reason is that the sexual predator is a women.

Dale (Charlie Day) is miserable at work because his boss (Jennifer Aniston) keeps making inappropriate comments and gropes him. She then reveals that she drugged him unconscious and raped him and then blackmails him with the photos.

I ask for a second for us to consider what the movie would be like if it was the other way around--if the victim was female and the perpetrator was male. Would it be presented in a movie as normal slapstick comedy? Of course not. And if the movie came out with it in there, people would be furious.

Physorg reports that of reported sexual assaults nearly 6% are done by females, and that this number is likely inaccurate because people are embarrassed to report a sexual assault by a woman. This movie contributes to this problem. It presents sexual assault by a woman on a man to be not serious and in fact something for the victim to be ashamed of. Now, obviously people will point out that the victim is planning to kill the perpetrator. This is presented as ridiculously silly--that it really is nothing that deserves a large reaction. Actually, while murder is obviously not a good choice, it should definitely be reported.

Another problematic aspect of the film is that for most of the movies, the three protagonists are in a bar getting tipsy. The attitude is "oh the silly things men do when they are drunk." Sure, murder is presented as shocking, but the tone is that we all think about that things when we get drunk.

Yes, many people get drunk on a regular basis. But it isn't healthy. The movie is contributing to the myth that over-drinking is harmless. It is not. And it is very irresponsible to say it is.

Horrible Bosses's unhealthy and offensive jokes squash out any humor the film might have had.