I think Heigl's criticism of Knocked Up (and good for her for not being so beholden to the pr machine that she can't lend a critical eye to her own work) is off the mark.

Knocked Up isn't so much sexist as it's only a little funny. That women want men to grow up and men don't want to grow up is a comedy formula that dates at least to the ancient Greeks. (The Lysistrata isn't too far removed if you substitute "actual war" for Halo.)

Knocked Up is hyperbole, of course, but to the extent it's funny, it's funny because the tension between women who want men to be responsible and men who wish they didn't have to be. rings true. Not perfectly, but there's a kernel of truth there. Some men accept the mantle of that stereotype because its proliferation in the zeitgeist tacitly condones it. To that extent, Knocked Up is a little sexist since it holds up irresponsibility as both a virtue (those guys are funny together) even as it knocks it down (in the end, responsibility wins out over child like irresponsibility).

Is it sexist to portray women, particularly pregnant women or women with primary child care responsibilities, as more concerned about responsibility? I don't think so. To the contrary, portraying those women as happily indifferent to their responsibilities wouldn't be funny -- it would be alarmingly indulgent of the worst sin a woman can commit in American culture: neglectful disdain of her obligation to her children.

Knocked Up isn't sexist in its portrayal of the real anxiety women have and the highly sought after rootlessness that some men simultaneously crave and find repugnant. We're all a little sexist to the extent we find those disparate sentiments both predictable and reasonable. In the end, when the men grow up, Knocked Up urges that we set aside the disparate treatment. At that moment, it's least sexist, even if it's also least funny.

Absolutely it's sexist. Why shouldn't men be responsible? Heck, if men became pregnant and women didn't, girls would be taught as young as possible to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

If we taught males more responsibility for preventing unwanted pregnancies, there wouldn't be so many abortions or abandoned and neglected children. Let me ask you guys this: how would you feel if the government required you to wear a chastity belt at all times - to be taken off only when you wanted to procreate?

Or how about this approach: if abortion is outlawed, then men have no parental rights at all.

Stop making women shoulder all the burdens. And the males that say they don't think it's fair that the woman (at least now) gets to decide whether or not to abort the fetus has quite obviously NEVER been pregnant.

Pelle,

Try reading CullenS post again. I think you missed his point.

women shoulder all the burdens? have even been taken away from your family and friends, children, job etc against your will and sent to some hellhole to fight and die? did they make you go for months w/o clean clothes, a bed, shower, or hot food? were you part of the human lottery that sent thousands of the winners to their death? i was lucky enough to come back, many of my friends were not...so please, perhaps this will put into perspective who has gotten the raw deal here...females have NEVER been forced to go or register, as males are forced to register NOW...hey, ill be glad to put the toilet seat down, and clean, will you sacrifice your life?

When it comes to sexism I'd much rather discuss it over a movie or piece of work that was geared towards the issue in a serious manner. What is happening here is hilarious. This movie is based on a man that has no responsibility or structure. When is anyone regardless of their sex removed from all responsibility? I'd be hard-pressed to locate anyone like the main character. Discussing the sexism points in this movie are like looking at the old spoof comedy "Airplane" and trying to find gender, social, or racial issues...when in fact everything in movies like these are geared for comedy, not intellectual contemplation.

This is how I felt about the movie "Knocked Up" I loved it...it was funny! I did not get any feeling that the movie was sexist...it spoke turth to the way life is for most people these days...and by meaning most people I mean me! I have never been pregant with some guys baby and all, but just the way life is for me as a woman. Working hard to get that GREAT job and wanting a family...the man in my life took a little time to get on board and want the family stuff and yes he is a goofy, soft hearted loving guy. But sence the movie has come out and we went to see it and bought the DVD...I feel even after 10 years of friendship and marrage with my husband we learned from it. It opens our eyes to love eachother and respect eachothers feelings at good times and bad...it was like lookling in at our life and seeing it from both prespectives. Thumbs up!!!

It's a movie...thats all it is. I think some people need to seriously get a life. So she "felt" like the movie was sexiest when she left the theatre, just by a little bit. I believe people need to lighten up a bit and quit pointing out such tiny things that a movie has. I seen it with my girlfriend and 6 others, 4 of them were women, Not one of them pointed out that it was "a little" sexist.

Instead of people TRYING to point out flaws in movies to make themself feel a little bad. Maybe they should just enjoy the fricken movie and move on to better things to complain about.

I am sorry to be acting so grumpy but her story needs to stop, it's just crazy. What she pointed out in the movie about woman is exactly what she is doing with that article. lol See how easy it was for me to point out something that was sexist?

I hear you and yes agree but just remember...if you are taken away like your describing, I know as a woman I would and have, put on my smile take on the work load and committ. So maybe your feeling of the human lottery is ture, but thats when woman go above and beyond.

I am a feminist and I agree that women should also be part of the draft. It is unfair to have only half of the population represented in that situation. But it is also true that most of the population does not and never will fight or die for their country. This movie is about the daily lives of citizens in the United States, not an overseas war where you are making life or death descisions every moment. And in our daily lives, women are the ones burdened, yes, burdened with the family responsibilities. By family responsibilities, I mean anything that includes children or traditional homemaker tasks, such as cooking and cleaning. What is wrong with this movie is not that it depicts guys who are irresponsible, but want to stay that way, and women who are trying to find 'balance', it's that neither the men or the women are trying to balance each others' responsibilities. Women try to balance work and family, but men in our society are absolved of that simply by their sex.

If you don't believe me, picture this. It's Thanksgiving. You've gone over to your parents' house. All the women are sitting in the living room, yelling at the TV. You bring your casserole to the kitchen to help fix things with the other men. Children run in and out of the kitchen, grabbing food off the counters. You yell, "Don't ruin your dinner, now!" Your wife yells from the other room, where she is relaxing with the other moms, "Don't be so hard on them, it's Thanksgiving!" You spend the rest of the night cooking, preparing, then cleaning--shuttling between the kitchen and dining room. The only time your wife has helped is when you set the turkey in front of her to carve. She does this with great finess, and lots of flourishes, showing off her skills with the tiny power-saw that makes her job easy. After dinner, she and the other women sit around the table while you and the other men clean up around them. They talk and laugh and don't even seem to see you. They then wander off to watch more TV while you and the other dads are stuck in the kitchen cleaning. Sounds jarring, doesn't it?

If you want to see a truly egalitarian relationship, look at two lesbians. If the dishes need to be cleaned, they get cleaned by whomever saw them first. If the trash needs to be taken out, it gets taken out by whomever notices it's full. If the kids need to be driven somewhere, they get driven by whichever mom is going in that direction or is free to drive them. And yes, if they need a little down-time, or introspection, they take it. Because men are certainly not the only ones who need 'me' time, it's just that in our society, it's, as someone before said, a 'sin' for women to think of anyone but the children. And I think that's what most sad about it. The implication that men get a free pass to think of themselves, to be selfish, and women do not, is morally reprehensible. The reality is that when you have children, Everyone should share that burden. Neither of you should get to think about yourself first and the kid after. Because once you accept that responsibility, that's it, you've got that child for life. It never ends. And if you want to abdicate responsibility, (and trust me, it's a Huge responsibility, I wouldn't blame you) there are ways to do that as well. Adoption and abortion not the least of them. Bottom line is, it shouldn't be only the womans' burden. In fact it should never be only the womans' burden. Men can certainly take away from this movie the laughs it delivers, but they could stand to take away a little more.

I think to truly see power and responsibility equally shared in a relationship, it's going to take a long time before it becomes common to see it between a man and a woman. For now, the progressive feminist who wants an equal partner is going to have to go to another woman to get it.

Hey, there's always Breakfast at Tiffany's. That one is 40 years old.

Holly Golightly blows off her family and runs away to new york and in the end is treated like the hero.

I believe that discussing the sexist points of comedies is more necessary than great works of literature or serious genres because everyone sees these movies and they justify the status quo. Some people walk away and think that's just the way it is and because it is so funny and light everyone will see it. Art is very influential over defining a culture.

I believe that the whole movie industry is sexist in that it mostly only represents the views of men. I don't mean to describe it in a negative way because I love movies, but it truly is biased because it is mostly men making movies.. Everyone loves that ugly or goofy slackers can get with super hot girls. Who doesn't want to identify with that? We're so used to seeing the same thing written over and over again, but in different ways. Old School, Wedding Crashers, and millions of others. Most comedies say the same thing. Very few come from the fat, homely, slobby girl who gets the super hot successful guy. But, the movie was funny!

jesus.. is that why when i was moved from Fort Benning Basic Training to Co-ed Fort Jackson BT it was like taking a walk in the park after being dragged through hell?

the part where you get there at first... and you're just waiting to be linked up with a platoon for basic... it's called reception. paperwork, lil exercise, not much else. pretty much siking you on how hard basic will be. and to think Ft. Benning reception was way worse than actual training with regimined physical demands Co-ed. when someone fell behind and got the whole freakin platoon dropped for pushups, it was either the 300 pound fatguy that shouldn't even have had the brainfart of joining the military... or a chick. because they're bodies are designed different.

and the thanksgiving bs?... lol... every year it's the same.. women complain about most likely having to do the dishes after cooking. so i and many other guys walk in and try to help.. we-do-know-how-to-turn-on-an-o­ven-or-stove ...and of course we're pushed out of the kitchen per the ladies "no we got this covered, we don't need any help".... personally i think, just so they have the reason to *itch and moan all day. see... you ladies need reasons to complain... the grass is too high, my head hurts i'm stressed, i give birth. ....so get the tubes tied! ...back to the thanksgiving... after dinner... i walk in to put plate by sink.. i say, don't do the dishes, i got em... a flock of geese makes the comment... "yeah, right.... when?" i say "in about 15 mins, i want to let my food settle, but i will do them... so leave them there." what happens?.... they do them and then *itch when i annoyingly get up from my overstuffed nodding off stage, to go and try to do something i said i'd do in another g.d. 10 minutes. like the freaking dishes are going to start an epedimic if they aren't done right the freaking way.

women are so full of crap. i just got done watching a movie with a "friend" that says we can't do anything like we used to cuz she's got a boyfriend... but what do you know.. my shoulder's a damn good headrest though. right before we say goodbye... i'm asking if she wants to hang out next week for something actually like... sociable.... but instead she gets panicky like the only thing i was born to do is shove a penis in a hole, and says it's prolly best if we just email e/o. and to think... out of all the chicks i've been with, she's the one that doesn't keep me interested because of her being to.... lame.

course... lets not get into the whole... "follow your heart bullsh" cuz it shows that you're honest, but if you end up in a lower class bracket because of it.. dont' even bother with any of the good looking girls, constrain yourself to cocaine soar face with a bony @$$, because as soon as she realizes that you're not the backstabbing, risktaking, rut-filling, success-driven guy that knows how to become king of the mountain of lying 21st century economic tactics.... you're the most pathetic pos she's ever met... mainly cuz she actually spent time loving you instead of golddigging her way into the whitehouse, a good job, or a walstreet guy with a nice house in the Hamptons.

and responsibility has absolutely no play in this crap cuz if i remember correctly he WAS trying to take part.... it's was just the matter of it not being good enough for her so she cracked her pu$$y whip. "if you're not a boring snob with no flavor for real life like the 21st century is now like, you're irresponsible and not worth it... but you become boring, and i'm going to leave you for a conman-drugdealer-maybe even professional player, hustler, or thief after you've already passed your prime and can't get anyone outside of the geriatric ward. and of course since i'm a woman....... i'm going to make you feel like your life is completely worthless, just so i can sit around like the alcoholic bum i am and laugh at you with all the rest of my homewrecking, coniving, golddigging, coattail riding, badmothering, pieces of @$$ (i say that cuz the rich n famous don't get rich n famous because of the woman... that's the businessman's job... someone who can market themselves without a lowcut blouse, though that and a miniskirt works just as well as having brains right?)

until you can run through a desert with only water rations and a rifle that you will shove down someone's throat and pull the trigger in a heartbeat.... until glamour and showing skin doesn't get you to the top.... until housewives that claim to be so important realize that my mom raised 3 alone with fulltime work..... ;] .....yeah... that's a woman.

until you can go month after month with noone in your life. no family, no friends, no lovers.... all because of one chick thinking she has the right to ruin you... don't even come close to thinking you're equal.. you're not equal... you're pampered. a little responsibility is just the first stepping stone. and a single guy that just had the crazy stuff of a kid being on the way thrown on him when she could just as easily prevented the situation by USING BIRTH CONTROL!!!! like any sane woman..... that's only showing her how his life is... and her completely saying it's worthless while he nicely accepts her lifestyle even though he doesn't agree with it....

dunno... just don't understand why the same women that are always telling guys they're never gonna be a man and need to grow up... and take on all the stresses that are mostly CREATED by women....can't understand that in reality, we'll do what we have to do... we just don't feel like wasting away the precious life we've been given on a system that complete effed up, and taking off years at a time to how soon a major heartattack will kill us and leave all of OUR pensions to the woman.

it's a huge freaking ANNOYING disscussion. simply put, if it was so much harder for women, then why the hell would they want to slam a guy in jail for a domestic dispute the chick prolly started anyways cuz she didn't luck out and hook up with someone that actually had gold. tell me why the majority of southern courts take the side of the woman before the freaking case begins?? hmmm ease of life maybe... lil T n A that is like a get out of trouble anytime card???

this disscussion is about as annoying as the whole Black America racial issues!! YOU'RE BLACK, WHO GIVES A SH!! i could care less, til you start blatently acting like a damn monkey on crack just so you can get laid, drunk, or a 20 dollar bill. i love black ppl... the ones that don't act like they're from freakin zimbabwe or harlem when the last 6 freakin generations were american.

like saying you'd rather eat bugs and have constant machette revolutions that have someone tell you to stop doing drivebys on your own damn street. IDIOTS=HUMANS.

THE TRUTH HURTS. GET OVER IT BEFORE I FIND THE SALT.

Wow! That was something! You didn't really care for the movie much?

i mean WTF!!!????

does common sense not exist anymore or did all the freakin city freaks up in NY and out in LA just completely take over the actual down to earth ppl that know.... when the guys out gettin the bread n butter, it'd be nice to come home and set it down on a clean table. you don't want the responsiblity of having to take care of kids cuz everyone knows daycares do not raise a child right.. USE BIRTH CONTROL! common sense... i don't dally my dipstick in whatever sauce just to see what it tastes like... i make a choice... yeah, i'll take the mayo over the mustard... and proceed to spread. lol.... that whole "i was drunk" crap is freaking retarded... either that.. or you coastal crowds really need to start readying your teenager for the blunt blow of hard liqour vs. the half of glass of champagne for New Years that is ~supposed~ to ready them for college.... half naked nymphs running around acting like french whores trying to make hell and sodome/grimore incarnate into a current event because they're going to act like prestine freakin reserves after the age of 25. right... chicks are way more responsible. i mean... it was Bill Clinton's fault he had a massive member that Monica could leave alone right? no wait... it was his fault he had gold. or was it good liqour? *shrugs* either way, Bill was just like everyother guy out there... OMG!!!!!! THE PRESIDENT'S HUMAN????!!!!! jesus christ, he's supposed to be a demigod. THE ONE, even.... someone that can stop war with the rest of the even-more-effed-n-the-head-tha­n-americans world just with a coulple of words and smiles... like the public wants.

get a freaking brain, cuz without common sense, yours is on freakin safemode or some crap.

anyone care at all about the problems out there that will actually effect major aspects of your life, or are you still going to every day pawn over your coffee and lil thread sites or newspapers chockfilled with how Tom Cruise is doing while half the world is dying or dead. or being exterminated... until the big bad wolf, the US Military stops it.

freedom isn't free. and if you want peace, prepare for war.

and the feminists... lol wanna know why guys do so well in politics...? cuz in reality the reason why you have a freaking social security retirement fund is cuz a bunch of nonemotional, ends-justifying-means, white guys killed a bunch of ppl. a bunch of ppl that would have rather you eat out of a freaking hut and dye at the ripe old age of 40. WAKE UP.

the movie to me, sucked..

not cuz of some bs political crap

but more because when you think of how a movie is supposed to be... something new, attracts imagination, explores new territory you can't in real life, putting you on the edge of your seat, or making you laugh hysterically..... BECAUSE WHEN THE MOVIE INDUSTRY BECOME A GAMBIT FOR LEARNING OR POLITICAL ADGENDAS THAT HAVE TO BE SOCIALABLY ACCEPTABLE.... there has trully been a turn for the worse in this world's presently running Empire's culture. art does effect culture, but never so much as today... mostly because the government controls the airwaves so that they can make sure a conspiracy or mutany doesn't become a large scale reality. pretty much, all the bs that this thread is related is the exact reason the government gets away with the bad stuff you don't know about... cuz you're too freakin busy arguing whether or not the sky is blue or freaking white. and we all know.. the sky doesn't turn white.

back to what i was saying.. the movie... didn't make me laugh alot, didn't grab my heart at all, more than anything annoyed me at presenting to the world the idea that even though there are characters, i've met em, that live the same way, that they have absolutely no idea of reality when in fact, they wouldn't be supporting themselves if they didn't have that lazy yet enterprenourial mindset. guys that get away with living like that have more freakin business skills than any lucky bast that gets in with a corporation responsibly by the skin of his teeth, while a woman shakes her can a lil and ends up with a freakin co-CEO position.

in general the entire thing sucked. slow... boring... generically stereotypical similar to highschool which in a way represents just how hard it is for the mass public to "grow up". but for me "growing up" isn't having some successful job that sucks the very life out of your only life to live, but rather, not acting like a ticked off cheerleader that couldn't hold her liqour on prom night and ended up ruining her life as a whatever the eff her @$$, rather her brain, would be getting her.

i do recall the female character being a reporter?? or something? yeah... that requires a LOOOT of skill, in the chest area.