‘Pitch Perfect 2 ‘ Racist? Fans Slam Sequel On Social Media, So Do Critics
Is Pitch Perfect 2 racist? That is the question this weekend, despite seemingly great results at the box office, in which the musical topped the much-talked-about Mad Max Fury Road to take first place, critics and fans alike are harshly criticizing some scenes.
The original was a hit, when it made $113 million worldwide on a modest $17 million budget in 2012 and launched Anna Kendrick’s career into stardom. The unassuming Pitch Perfect was very popular with teens who couldn’t get enough of the catchy songs performed by members of the Barden University a cappella group The Bellas.
In the sequel, we start with The Bellas performing in front of the President of the United States, Barack Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama, with cameos from both. Things go horribly wrong when Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) shows off her privates during the performance as she is lowered from the ceiling. The group is now forced to win the World Championship in Copenhagen to regain their standing.
While the plot is nothing to write home about, the fact that some are dubbing Pitch Perfect 2 racist is troublesome. While the film has been received positively, in general, some quarters are shouting foul from the rooftops.
Brandon Judell from Huffington Post summarizes what those who see Pitch Perfect 2 as racist are saying.
“…what’s baffling here for a film directed by a woman, Elizabeth Banks, and written by a woman (Cannon), is that each female character is reduced to a single stereotype. The Asian girl speaks very quietly. The black, semi-butch lesbian can hardly control her sexual urges. As for the Guatemalan lass, she sees her future as being deported after she graduates and then drowning when she tries to smuggle herself back on a boat. Told in a deadpan manner, this is supposed to be very funny. Tell that to the relatives of all the thousands of folks who have died recently in just such a manner. Additionally, Rebel Wilson’s Fat Amy’s humor stems completely from her being overweight and buffoonish. I doubt making the obese girl the class clown is really the way to breakdown body biases.”
Folks on social media are not being much kinder and appear to be astounded that so little is being made in the media of Pitch Perfect 2 racists and sexist undertones. Here are just some examples on Twitter.
May 16, 2015
Tweets about pitch perfect 2 racist
Do you consider Pitch Perfect 2 racist and do you agree with those who do?
[Image via Universal]
