You know I adore Dr. Seuss. I’m a Seussian at heart, embracing the wisdom and insight of his stories and the messages intertwined between meaningful words and mesmerizing visuals. It’s genius in my book.
I’ve never been more proud than reading books like Oh! The Places You’ll Go! and The Lorax with my children. Afterward they always say, “Mom, that’s your favorite, isn’t it?” and I just beam. Yes, they are all my favorites.
It’s true that movies made from books often disappoint so that point is not lost on me, but in this case it breaks my heart a little. When I saw the commercial the other day for The Lorax Movie I juggled feelings of sadness, disbelief, outrage, disappointment and fury like hot potatoes, and I only saw a brief part of the commercial!
“You wouldn’t hit a woman…” a person says to the Lorax who appears to be having a disagreement with someone.
“That’s a woman!!??” the Lorax shouts while gesturing to a person looking at him.
I’m offended and disgusted on so many levels I can’t see straight, but I’ll list some of my grievances in no particular order…
1. Dr. Seuss created the Lorax as an advocate for living creatures, not a prejudiced hater.
2. What studio exec thought this type of “humor” was funny?
3. How many people are saying this exact line right now? How does this close people’s minds in the face of so much gender positive media lately? It clouds a very important awakening to say the least.
4. How many kids/adults think that this is what can get them a laugh in school/work right now? One of the hardest places for kids (trans or not) is school. Do we really need another suggestion for ammunition? Do we need to raise the level of bullying?????
5. How many people are on the receiving end of this hateful “joke” right now? How many people are with struggling with classmates/ co workers/ family members/ neighbors, etc. because of the harassment this type of “joke” encourages?
How many people is this hurting because it certainly isn’t helping anyone? It is hate-filled, gratuitous and disgusting.
Do you really want to buy into that kind of disease in our society? If not, use your voice and tell Universal Studios that you are boycotting this movie because of its hateful message.
Dr. Seuss shared a world of inclusion and respect for ALL people, that’s why I love him. Think Sneeches. Think Gertrude McFuzz. Think of all of his characters that felt/looked/sounded a little different, but deserved to be treated equally. Universal Studios don’t deserve to use his name, message or renderings.
As a long time fan of Dr. Seuss and a parent of a gender diverse child and a woman and a compassionate person, I’d like an official apology. Now.
I completely understand your outrage. Children often mimic the things they see/hear in movies, it’s, if nothing else, extremely disappointing that the writers would insert a joke like that into their movies. They certainly would’ve never written a joke like “that’s so gay” at this point. Perhaps you could start a petition directed to the writers/directors/production companies who created the film asking for a public apology? People are more likely to just sign their names to a pre-written letter, than write one individually (just a suggestion from experience). Best of luck! (I’ll get to writing my letter!)
Jennifer…great post! I thought I was the only person who took offense to that line when I heard (and continue to hear) it during a commercial for the movie. As a mom of a gender variant child I thought perhaps I was being too sensitive – it is easy to fall into the trap of worrying that our skin is too thin, but in this case, as you have so eloquently shown, this really is disgusting! Thanks for the validation!
Hi Leslie, thank you for your comment. I know what you mean about being critically aware of gender issues and my reaction to them. This just puzzled me!
Hi Nina, I appreciate your suggestion about the petition and I’ll start right away!
Best, Jen
Change.org is a free petition site that you might consider – easy to use and recognized.
“I thought perhaps I was being too sensitive” -> I think the same thing, but there is a reason GLAAD exists and calls out these things, big or small.
On sadder terms, there is another controversy compounded to this film regarding the Lorax being environmentally friendly and against commercialization, yet this film has almost 100 commercial tie-ins. I’ll let you find the articles that express this better.
I was annoyed when I first saw the commercials and realized that in true Hollywood fashion they had added a heterosexual romance to the story. Does it always have to be about a boy who is in love with a girl? Why have a romance be the center of the story at all? But I was still considering seeing it. But then when I first saw a commercial with the line you mentioned above I cringed and decided I definitely would not be going to see this movie. If you start a petition I’ll be sure to sign!
Thank you, Jennifer, I appreciate this quite a lot. You see, because of your post, I was able to make a teachable moment to my sisters who have just learned a few months ago that I was born in the wrong body, and to be able to stand up for humor that is uncalled for, unjustified, and hateful. I told them that the line was offensive, and if any of their friends were to say it was humorous, to explain to these friends that it was hateful to other people. There was no response, as any person with an honest soul can tell you, there is no honest reason to hate, especially young children. They may hate something because of parents (whether it be good or bad), but rather honestly, children only hate what they are taught, in other words, not a whole lot.
The sad reality of this, along with the other Seuss books is that they are never true portrayals of the book. All of Geisel’s characters seemed to encourage “old-fashioned” fun, with some imagination, the simplest of props, all while ignoring the biggest, and best new items to play with; the best fun is the one we make ourselves. Just look at sample from Oh, The Things You Can Think: “Oh the thinks you can think up if only you try!”
But yet, none of the movie “adaptations” show this, in fact; they appear to give a message of polar opposition; from Grinch, to Cat in the Hat, to Horton, to now Lorax, These movies go beyond the scope of an original, poetic, underlying, yet philosophical message of expanding horizons, imaginations giving people a chance, trust, or the environment, among many other items. While Seuss focused on core essential items like shelter, and what we are given, the movies fall in the classic trap; commericalism, promoting the newest clothes, the vitriol and hatred of certain elements of our lives.
The question becomes, what for? To expand, “What for the reason to add such a line in?” I question “What for?” in nearly every aspect of my life, but many times it is difficult to answer, and this is certainly one of those times. My careful estimation notes thatit may a filler ‘adult’ line to fit in. But, there is another problem if this holds true: Why would a movie-maker want to encourage hate among adults among an already ostracized group from society? This has no sound reasoning, and it certainly wouldn’t be Seuss himself, as you said; and as your site’s title continues: “[B]e who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter,
and those who matter don’t mind.”
My closest estimation is such: the scriptwriters are the team Ken Daurio and, Cinco Paul. They also co-wrote Hop, Horton Hears a Who (another Seussical mis-mangled with its writing), and Despicable Me. At least for two of these movies, it seems as if these two are more interested in writing their own adaptation of a book, rather than following through on the original text, which is rather a shame. As Suess himself would say: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
~Jessica
Did you notice that there is a very similar joke in the Bee Movie? When Barry visits the aritifical hive he sees a picture of that colony’s queen and makes a drag queen comment, though I don’t remember the exact words.
I agree so much with your thoughts on this. Will be writing that letter as suggested! And as for the speed with which kids pick up on and begin using “funny” slurs like that…I was simply stunned recently to see a young Facebook friend post a “comeback” to a post from one of his teenage peers using the “that’s so gay!” phrase. This kid has been adopted, (and pretty much saved from the gutter as a result!) by a devoted and caring gay man who has put his heart and soul into raising that kid and his brother. *So* sad
It’s not only buried in the movie – it’s a very popular trailer…
There is an amazing large backlash online by people who are OUTRAGED about any criticism of the joke (highlighted as the big punchline in prerelease commercials and the official website): “Hit a woman? That’s a woman?” Responses range from “Get over it” to “Quit whining.” #hitawoman #thatsawoman