Tuesday 22 January 2013

Pretty Woman




‘See that film glorifies prostitution and just gives the wrong message to people.’
‘What? Shrek?’ Johnny laughed at his own joke but Steve just rolled his eyes, ‘no, Pretty Woman.’ 
Johnny sometimes thought Steve had had a humour bypass.
‘It’s a romcom, Steve. People don’t go to the cinema to get life coaching, they go to get entertained.’ Johnny was beginning to wish he’d never mentioned watching Pretty Woman last night; he could feel another one of Steve’s rants coming on, and he wasn’t wrong.
‘But it’s subliminal isn’t it? It sends the message out that prostitution is okay. For ages afterwards I toyed with the idea of going to a hooker. That film made me think that all prostitutes were like Julia Roberts, tall, sexy, those legs, those boots, man I was 19 - I didn’t know boots like that existed. She was classy and sassy. There were no drugs, no violence, no desperation, just a woman who was not only better in the sack than an amateur but probably safer… her words not mine. ’
‘But there were drugs and violence, one of her friends was killed the other was taking drugs.’ Johnny protested.
‘Yeah but those bits were glossed over. They made it look like prostitution was an aspirational profession, a lifestyle choice. I thought it was the best thing in the world, I was going round telling all the women I knew they should go into business, if you know what I mean.’
‘All the women? Even your mother.’ Johnny laughed to himself, but Steve ignored him, ploughing on with his theme.
‘I told them they’d get to earn loads of money, drive a Lotus Espirit and have sex with Richard Gere’ Steve paused for effect waving his finger around to make his point ‘on a grand piano! She even had the chance to have sex with George Constanza, what more could a girl want?’ Steve smiled, Johnny shook his head.
‘And did they?’
‘Have sex with George Constanza?’ It was Steve’s turn to laugh alone at his own joke.
‘No, go into “business” as you so nicely put it.’
‘No, but that’s not the point.’ Surely it was the point thought Johnny, but with Steve’s logic god knows what the point was.
‘The point is,’ Steve continued ‘the film made it look like a viable option. I bet you that there are women out there who did go on the game because of that film, and they are still waiting for their Richard Gere to come along in his limo and climb a ladder with roses in between his teeth and save them.’
‘You’re an idiot Steve, you know that.’
‘No I’m not. I’m making a serious point here, no one questions the morals; no one questions Gere for using a hooker, the hotel staff are compliant and George Constanza thinks he can force himself on her just because of the job she does, and then she falls in love with Gere, a creepy old man who uses prostitutes. And don't get me started on Robert's little speech about the knight on a white horse saving her from her tower.' 
Johnny had no intention of getting Steve started on anything else. 
'It’s an inherently sexist film.’ 
‘Oh god, I didn’t come here for a lecture on Feminism,’ mumbled Johnny as he collected the empty glasses and headed to the bar. It wasn’t even his round but anything to get away from Germaine bloody Greer. 

1 comment:

  1. hehee.. I watched this film last week. i haven't seen it for many years and I mus say that since nore ot less the middle of the fim I couldn't stop wandering there the pimp was:) was she going to keep the four thousand dollars for herself? No pimp? hehheh

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