Fox Apologizes, Promises to Remove Controversial "X-Men: Apocalypse" Billboard

[prigmutton]

TConsudering we are having this conversation on a CBR forum I'm going to go ahead and assume you are familiar with comics, the X-Men, and Apocalypse. You probably might have followed news relating to the movie during the production and release of the movie. Most people are not familiar and have not followed the movie news. So it's likely they might not perceive the image the way you do. You already have a leg up in terms of context (granted my assumptions are correct).

Compound that with the fact most people get a few seconds to take in and process something like a billboard? I firmly remain behind my statement that this image is taken out of context of the story.

Is the concern that this would make people look at the billboard and think "Yes, choking a woman, that's probably something I should do" (obviously being hyperbolic) or is there some other consequence that is expected/feared?

[joeshan]

TConsudering we are having this conversation on a CBR forum I'm going to go ahead and assume you are familiar with comics, the X-Men, and Apocalypse. You probably might have followed news relating to the movie during the production and release of the movie. Most people are not familiar and have not followed the movie news. So it's likely they might not perceive the image the way you do. You already have a leg up in terms of context (granted my assumptions are correct).

Compound that with the fact most people get a few seconds to take in and process something like a billboard? I firmly remain behind my statement that this image is taken out of context of the story.

Point taken. But I would argue that there are very few people in America (and probably less in LA/NY, where I saw the ads), that would look at that image with the words "X-MEN" in giant letters and not immediately associate it with superhero/villain, or confuse it with a domestic violence drama.

[brettc1]

So it isn't ok to choke a woman on a billboard but it is a-ok to do so in the actual film?

Really?

You can't have it both ways.

There are lots of things that happen in lots of movies that are are great cinema, don't still don't belong on billboards.

[RobinFan4880]

There are lots of things that happen in lots of movies that are are great cinema, don't still don't belong on billboards.

The scene wasn't even great in the movie. In fact, it was very much unnecessary. If you take offense to the choke in a billboard, you should take offense to it in the movie because it was completely disempowering for Raven. It killed her agency and momentum as a character in the film.

[GSwarthout]

Clearly the people who got angry over this see women as weak people who can't be subjected to the same pressures as men. Good of them to step in to protect women.

Well done social justice mob! Moving us ever closer to a world where women can't even be depicted in action movies.

Why remain silent and be thought a fool when you can spout off and remove all doubt? Why don't you look into the subject of casual violence against women instead of letting your hard-on for Marvel do your talking for you. I have sisters, a wife, and a daughter who would benefit from expanded insight into this issue by men/boys who just don't see the harm.

[solletaire]

The fact that posters here seem somewhat insensed that some people might find this bilboards offensive is very disheartening. It's one thing to love and support a work of art, a comic book, a movie, a group of characters. It's another to complete ignore when the people making the comic, movie, artwork, etc. do something that is not very kosher...

[brettc1]

The scene wasn't even great in the movie. In fact, it was very much unnecessary. If you take offense to the choke in a billboard, you should take offense to it in the movie because it was completely empowering for Raven. It killed her agency and momentum as a character in the film.

I disagree. It is simply that having a power for changing your face means f-all to taking down a guy who can battle Magneto and Prof X at the same time.

Just like Beast couldn't do anything to him either.

[prigmutton]

I'm sincerely trying to understand but from what I've seen so far it seems to me that no one on either side of this has much interest in really talking through and exploring how and why this is a problem, just declaring that it is or it isn't because reasons.

[Wulf1984]

Just to clarify. Nobody was objecting to the violence in the movie or the exact same scene in the movie. The billboard became problematic because the scene it shows is taken out of context. When the scene is taken out of context it's basically a guy strangling a woman. Which is very distasteful considering how many women still have to deal with very real problems of domestic violence and assault. What makes matter worse is that they could have chosen so many other scenes showcasing Apocalypse.

FOX apologizing is the right thing to do. They should also be more savvy in their marketing. Stirring up sentiments related to abuse serves no purpose in a marketing campaign designed to sell a fun summer blockbuster.

I disagree.

This isn't domestic violence, it's a superhero movie, where super powerful men are beating up on super powerful women. Fantasy. A woman warrior is fighting a male warrior--the blue skin on both characters outright shows that this isn't a "real life" situation.

[joeshan]

Why remain silent and be thought a fool when you can spout off and remove all doubt? Why don't you look into the subject of casual violence against women instead of letting your hard-on for Marvel do your talking for you. I have sisters, a wife, and a daughter who would benefit from expanded insight into this issue by men/boys who just don't see the harm.

We all have mothers, and most of us have sisters, daughters, and/or wives/girlfriends we love deeply as well. The fact some of us do not feel that this particular image condones/promotes/alludes to domestic violence does not make us unsympathetic to the very real issue at hand. One could argue that focusing on something as inconsequential to the issue as an X-Men billboard is in itself a disservice to the women for whom this is a real problem.

[brettc1]

Clearly the people who got angry over this see women as weak people who can't be subjected to the same pressures as men. Good of them to step in to protect women.

Well done social justice mob! Moving us ever closer to a world where women can't even be depicted in action movies.

The reality that most women are weaker than men physically has to be considered, though.

[Chinhead]

I'm sincerely trying to understand but from what I've seen so far it seems to me that no one on either side of this has much interest in really talking through and exploring how and why this is a problem, just declaring that it is or it isn't because reasons.

I would like to understand why this is a problem.

[leo619]

TConsudering we are having this conversation on a CBR forum I'm going to go ahead and assume you are familiar with comics, the X-Men, and Apocalypse. You probably might have followed news relating to the movie during the production and release of the movie. Most people are not familiar and have not followed the movie news. So it's likely they might not perceive the image the way you do. You already have a leg up in terms of context (granted my assumptions are correct).

Compound that with the fact most people get a few seconds to take in and process something like a billboard? I firmly remain behind my statement that this image is taken out of context of the story.

As to you second point, our brains are pretty hard wired to recognize the human form and make snap judgements about gender. There are very cool psychology studies that show this. I don't think this is the place to go into those studies, but I can if you are interested. Again compound that to the short time we usually have to process the bilboards? "Guy strangles woman" is likely to be the first thing we somewhat subconsciously take away from the billboard.

Ah thanks, that actually helps quite a bit. I'll be honest I couldn't understand the issue as well that well until you put into the fact that we understand the context due to be familiar to the comics.

How they probably could have solved this was if they wanted to show that sort of scene, maybe have a hawk eye view looking down at Apocalypse choking mystique, while they xmen lay clearly defeated around Apocalypse's feet. That way it provides the context that Apocalypse just defeated the xmen, and mystique is the last one remaining, struggling to fight.

[RobinFan4880]

I disagree. It is simply that having a power for changing your face means f-all to taking down a guy who can battle Magneto and Prof X at the same time.

Just like Beast couldn't do anything to him either.

She could have been swatted away, like Beast was. There wasn't really any call for her to be choked.

[Sighphi]

Hero films are a sausage-fest!

Woah-woah-waoh! Women are going to be attacked in hero films?

They just keep moving the goal posts. This is why this stuff should be ignored but companies dont want to lose 1 possible cent so they go on and follow along.