So The Folks At HLN Think Statutory Rape Is Funny?

Watching the news sometimes makes me mad, but I do it anyway.

This morning, I watched Morning Express on HLN. A few stories covered:

• A Nascar driver did something...(probably driving a car - I was reading a book during this story, so I don't know)
• Some town in Massachusetts wants to ticket you for using bad words.
• A Texas father found a man sexually assaulting his four-year old daughter, and punched him in the head repeatedly until he died.
• Victim 1 testifying in the Jerry Sandusky trial.
• Other information about the Jerry Sandusky trial.

During the coverage of the trial, Robin Meade had Ryan Smith on the show with her to talk about it. When they were finished with that, she gave a little plug for his new HLN evening show, and asked him what would be happening tonight. He said he would be interviewing an actor from the new movie That's My Boy.

Robin asked Ryan what That's My Boy is about. He told her it was a funny Adam Sandler movie about a guy who had a child when he was young, was a bad father, and is trying to reunite with his son later in life.

I snapped to attention at that description, because he glossed over a very important point - why Adam Sandler becomes a father at a young age. That's My Boy is actually about the statutory rape of a 13-year old boy by his teacher...and then Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg try to make it funny. You can see the trailer on youtube if you want; I'm not going to embed it here.

I probably noticed the omission of the real plot of That's My Boy so pointedly because it happened immediately after they discussed Jerry Sandusky raping young boys.

Tonight I purposefully turned on Evening Express to see the interview. I wanted to see what Ryan Smith and Todd Bridges would say about the movie:

• They mentioned several times how funny the movie is.
• They talked about Todd Bridges' life.
• They talked about how much fun it was for Todd to work on the movie.

What they didn't say about the movie:

• That's My Boy aims to turn the serious issue of a female teacher raping a young boy into a comedy.
• That's My Boy reinforces a lot of myths about the sexual assault of boys (and men).

If someone wanted to make a comedy about a 13-year old girl who is raped by her teacher and then goes on to (badly) raise the child who is born from that rape, I doubt it would be given the same pass this movie is getting. Or the laughs.

Thanks HLN for taking an opportunity to discuss a serious subject and the inappropriate handing of it in the movie That's My Boy, and using it to glorify the "funny" twice in one day.

You may want to check out these two articles about this movie:
There's Nothing Funny About Rape and Adam Sandler's New Movie
Adam Sandler and Rape Culture

A Few Related Posts on From Tracie:
Rape Is Not Funny
Rape - It Still Isn't Funny 
Rape - It Still Happens (Even In Africa) 
A Child Was Raped And No One Told The Police

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