Will Ferrell. Remember him? He was sorta big in, like, the late ’90s and early 2000s.
The 47-year-old frat packer is back with a new movie called Get Hard in which he plays a hedge fund manager wrongfully convicted of tax evasion. As he prepares to be locked away for ten years, he enlists the help of his black friend to teach him how to survive in prison.
Sounds hilarious, right?
Wrong.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Critics have blasted the film for what Variety calls “some of the ugliest gay-panic humor to befoul a studio release in recent memory.”
One of Ferrell’s character’s biggest fears of being raped by another man. (Because prison rape is the funniest thing ever!) After learning “gang slang” with some African Americans, he tries giving a blowjob to a man he meets in a public bathroom. (Because men blowing men is also the funniest thing ever!)
But don’t expect any apologies from Ferrell for his passe, homophobic, racist, not to mention just plain bad jokes. He thinks they’re totally uproarious.
“Any time you’re going to do an R-rated comedy, you’re going to offend someone,” he recently told the AP. “But that’s kind of what we do. We provoke. We prod. We also show a mirror to what’s already existing out there. We’re playing fictitious characters who are articulating some of the attitudes and misconceptions that already exist.”
Evidently Mr. Ferrell is still living in the year 1998, when he was one of SNL’s little darlings.
Adam McKay, Ferrell’s long-term collaborator and producer of Get Hard, called criticisms of his film “disheartening” and made him “mad.”
“Any individual going to maximum security prison would be afraid of violence and sexual assault,” he said. “To equate that with homosexuality is ridiculous.”
McKay went on to say that he’s glad people are talking about the film.
“If they’re not talking,” he said, “then you have a problem.”
We’d argue you have a bigger problem if people aren’t watching. Which we’re pretty sure they won’t be. We’ll find out when the film opens this weekend.
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Kevin Hart-Will Ferrell Comedy Shocks Audience With Gay Jokes
Is It Automatically Funny When Two Straight Male Comedians Kiss For An Audience?
Brandon Etheridge
He’s a comedian. He’s supposed to insult people. Why do we have to be so serious about everything?
Jordan Walker
He’s also still pretty relevant but i’m not surprised to hear this he’s of the
nothings sacred crowd . If the joke’s funny and fits use it ,period . I kind of expect anything he says to be offensive usually
Larry Sanders
I’m gay and I don’t find it offensive. People need to lighten up. It’s only a movie. Jeebus Christ!
Marcos J. Rivera
He’s a comedian. It’s his job to poke fun at everything and everyone. When did people become sensitive scared little bitches?
bobbyjoe
Jeezus on Crackers. Gay panic and/or “prison rape” humor is one of the most often used, laziest, “for the love of god can’t you put in at least some effort and come up with something else,” tired, un-daring, cheap, “been there/done that about 8,000 times,” worn out, over with, “might as well be doing bikini jokes from a 1950s Gidget movie,” lame, ohmigod-not-again, “I’m so washed up an actor and/or director I’m appealing to absolutely the lowest common denominator,” sub-1980s-sitcom-level, played-out, run-into-the-ground, cliche, “you might as well just start wearing sweat pants 24/7 and totally give up” humor in all of worldwide movie-dom (and probably other planets).
Yet Will Ferrell says things like “We provoke. We prod. We also show a mirror,” and Adam McKay is crowing about how people are talking about the film, like he’s made a Terrence Malick movie or the next “12 Years a Slave.”
Good Greasy Gravy. Any offensiveness aside as to the appropriateness of gay or prison rape humor, if you’re talking about your beyond-lazy film in terms like Ferrell and McKay, you’re like two of the world’s biggest d-bags anyway, no matter if minorities are offended or not.
Can we really send these people to movie prison?
Paco
I’ve never thought Will Ferrell to be funny. Ever. But apparently enough people do, since he is still getting lead roles in films.
Atrius
Not long ago there was a politician that used prison rape as an example of how gayness is a choice. We jumped all over him and rightly said what happens in prison has nothing to do with being gay, now we’re letting this film imply what it does and we’re not making the same argument we did to the politician. Let’s be consistent people.
AxelDC
Why is this toad still getting work? He is fine as a character actor, but as a lead he is completely irritating.
dvlaries
My sister once made me sit through “Elf.” I didn’t like Ferrell then, and I liked him no better afterward. Chevy Chase and John Belushi started a terrible, tired trend. Can’t we do better trying to scape up talent than raiding the Not Ready For Primetime Players?
Pistolo
I remember seeing Will Farrell in another vehicle of his, Talladega Nights, in the theater and it was so homophobic. It’s one of those moments every gay person experiences where the whole theater is laughing and you’re just intensely angry and humiliated but can’t say or do anything about it. It’s terrible.
Joseph T Moran
He’s not funny to begin with why are we taking anything he says seriously lol
Colin McCoy
I think the problem is, he’s not nearly as funny as he used to be. When you tell an offensive joke and it’s funny, you laugh before you can get offended and it’s all good. When it’s not funny, then all that’s left is the offensive part, and it gets uncomfortable fast.
Raymond Perez
Not funny now, not funny then, just, not funny.
Alex Rothwell
I haven’t seen this movie. Only some trailers, but I bet the jokes call on bad stereo types. On not only about being gay, but other things as well.
Cam
Maybe there should also be a discussion on why the prison systems keep allowing things like rape to occur.
How is it a punishment for a large tough guy to be sent away to prison where he has access to and rapes smaller weaker people?
Seems like things like this could be handled with all of the money that those private Prison Companies charge to run the prisons they’ve taken over.
tricky ricky
@dvlaries: I quite enjoyed john belushi in continental divide with blair brown. thought he was horrid in everything else including animal house.
wld8hrt
I don’t like Will Ferrell’s movies or any movie that relies solely on people being stupid for humor. It’s moronic, tedious, and lazy. I’m not a fan of McKay either. I have often said that I “hate” Will Farrell (meaning his movies and persona). All that being said, I recently worked with both of these men and can no longer so off-handedly say that I hate Will Farrell anymore. He is one of the nicest, most polite people I’ve met. So now I can say that I hate Will Farrell movies, just not the man.
However, We need to stop supporting movies that keep us dumb. We are doing ourselves a huge disservice. Yes, you can go to the movies to escape but you should balance that out with entertainment that challenges you. Don’t be afraid, subtitles and smart characters won’t hurt you. They will help you.
Darryl Moir
Are there niggers in the movie any, it’s only the word nigger know one is bothered by that right.
Merv
WTF cares?! Will Ferrell is not a bigot and he’s not our enemy. A lot of the humor he does is satirizing cluelessly offensive white guys, and the description makes it sound like this movie is in that vein. Is it really asking too much to look at the subtext in humor? Usually, the subtext is the whole point of humor.
Tracy Pope
“Your comment is awaiting moderation…” Erg.
Darryl Moir
Will slit your head off your shoulders, good boy Will good boy.
Roland Hamburger
Well the movie is about a guy going to prison and to prepare he sees a black guy whom he assumes was in prison before. So sometimes don’t judge a book by the cover!?!
Luis H. Lopez
Let’s see Jewish ,black ,latino jokes ok? Or are gay jokes ok ? It works both ways heterosexual jokes ok ? Disabled jokes ok ? Women jokes?
Ron Parsons
Never thought he was all that funny. Never saw the appeal he apparently has as a comedian. But as a gay man, I laugh at most gay jokes. Especially when they act like Richard Simmons. ð???
CCTR
@Atrius: So true!
CCTR
@Atrius: If Kevin Hart was the subject, I think the comment section here would look differently.
MissMole NZ
really hes a bad joke himself. So wont be seeing this crap like all his other crappy movies.
BJ McFrisky
A movie joke about fellatio being forced upon a prisoner is a gay issue?
Now THAT’S what I call a slow news day.
@CCTR: Bingo.
@Atrius: Hit the nail on the head.
reuben79
This 5hit is hilarious. Pull your head out of your ar5e
ait10101
Who’s Will Ferrell?
Byron Cardinal
Lol I DONT CARE!! he tries to hard to be funny, it ends up being stupid humor. nothing to laugh at but shake your head..
David Andrew Roubideaux
I never did like his movies! He comes off as a little creepy.
Donnie Bailey
I’ve never liked anything he’s done .
Mark Klein
Why would he. He’s a sell out for money like most in Hollywood. He could care less.
Greg Morris
He has always me cringe. Have never been a fan.
tomron
The only thing Will Ferrell should be accused of is not EVER being funny, so why the riff on this particular addition to his not so stellar repertoire? I might find the energy to be offended by the material were it delivered by someone less sophomoric. Maybe he should follow with scat jokes?
Craig Graham
It’s a movie meaning “not reality”…unlike (oh say) Duck Dynasty’s hate spreading “opinions” in Jesus name, of course. 😉
Giancarlo85
I saw a screening of this pathetic movie. I didn’t pay. That was free. The humor was terrible at best. It won’t make any money unless we keep giving this turd of a movie more attention.
Captain Obvious
This sounds serious, lets press this matter into the ground. It’s certainly the most important issue we could possibly be focusing on righ tnow.
onthemark
Will Ferrell sucks! But he could suck better. Ha ha.
AtticusBennett
it’s bulls**t.
know what’s freaking pathetic? that in 2015 “straight guy freaks out because he sees a penis” is still played for homophobic laughs.
know what? a straight guy who freaks out seeing another man’s penis is insane. does he freak out every time he looks in the mirror, or has to go to the bathroom or looks DOWN and sees his own penis? does he freak out every time he turns on STRAIGHT porn and is confronted with seeing very very erect men’s penises in action? no.
truly, a guy shouldn’t even “freak out” if he sees a video of men having sex, or see two men kissing or being affectionate.
“GROSS!” is a learned response, not a natural one. it’s an affectation. it’s something people do, intentionally, so that “people will see that they’re grossed out, and thus totally can’t be gay”
which is usually ALSO bulls**t. guys who freak out and can’t stop talking about how gross gay sex is? hi, we like to call those guys Closet Cases.
and films like this, whether they wanna pretend they’re being “true to who those characters are”, are just perpetuating this idiocy. it’s STUNTING heterosexual men, and telling them to have these conditioned responses. entirely homophobic conditioned reponses.
and louis virtel should be commended for calling this stuff out. it’s 2015. grow up, guys.
Chris Duffy
Can we worry about real fucking problems that affect real life instead of getting panties in a wad everytime someone utters something remotely tasteless? Then demanding fake ‘apologies’?
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/mike-pence-religious-freedom-bill-gay-rights/index.html?fb_action_ids=10206186104240937&fb_action_types=og.shares&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B881794391880297%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.shares%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D
Brandyn Massin
Common misconception: that Will Ferrell is funny.
David G. Stroemer
I’m not going to miss his movie, not going to the cineplex, not going to miss it.
Justin John Ronald Walker
He hasn’t apologised for all his other crap movies can’t see why he should start now.
Miguel Spatti
I never will go see that shit that he call movie
Joseph Pasquino
I WILL not
vive
It sounds sophomoric, but prison-rape panic is hardly antigay. Nobody will take us seriously if we keep crying like little girls at every imagined insult. That is the kind of behavior that has prevented the feminist movement from being taken seriously and is breaking apart the trans community. Let’s not make the same mistakes.
aliengod
Come on Queerty. Must you sound so pathetic? For one, Will is most definitely still a relevant Hollywood actor. And this is called comedy. There’s nothing “homophobic” about it. Have you no sense of humor?
Michael Martinez
He still makes movies?
Eric Jimenez
I do not find him funny – never cared for this movies, I guess my answer is NO.
Danny Ray
I will NOT BE seeing this movie!!!
qbdkusoemv
I wish someone would make a movie starring women and gay men that makes straight men the butt of the joke for once. I guarantee you they would be singing a different tune.
Paul Higdon-Smith
just a movie to avoid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
qbdkusoemv
@Brandon Etheridge: Yeah and when a female comedian makes fun of straight men, they get extremely offended. But the rest of us are just being oversensitive. Ok…
topshelf
This doesn’t bother me. Maybe it should, maybe it shouldn’t. But it doesn’t.
Mark Taylor
I never thought he was funny to begin with.
martinbakman
(I hated Talladega Nights) You’ve got to be young and popular like Seth Rogen to get away with crappy, disgusting humor like this. Will Ferrell is past his time.
Nikki Hatch
I’ve never thought he was funny. I never understood his popularity.
James Smith
Will Ferrell is funny? Well, who knew!!!
Chuck Duncan
I’ve seen the movie and it does what it sets out to do: be profane, offensive and funny. We just have too many political correctness police. Being gay, I was not offended by the sight of a straight guy trying to force himself to give another guy a blow job. It was damned funny. Comedy oftentimes is meant to provoke. People just need to get over it (and he didn’t meet the guy in the rest room, they were at a gay bar/restaurant and went to the men’s room to do the deed).
jackdog111
Shouting every line as loud as you can does not make you funny, just annoying. He shares this misconception with Jim Carrey.
Timothy Herbert
never enjoyed his work anyway…
Tanner K Allen
I’ve seen the movie! I’m a happily married gay man and I thought the movie was hilarious! I found nothing anti gay or homophobic about it! People need to lighten the hell up!
Matthew Farris
I’m going to start a Kickstarter campaign to have Will Ferrell shot into space, preferably into the sun.
Giancarlo85
@aliengod: Did you even watch it? Or are just spouting off once again? Will is relevant since when? A decade ago? He is far from relevant and it isn’t good comedy.
This just looks like a movie that will bomb badly in the box office.
And yes the part about prison rape was antigay. I wish people would use their heads on here. Still it is a stupid very unfunny movie. I may have laughed once throughout the whole thing.
And now some are yapping about political correctness. Really? People. Have the right to criticize. Now go back to Fox news please.
Giancarlo85
This movie was dreck. I can’t believe some think it was funny.
Desert Boy
Will Ferrell is a washed up piece of shit. This dreadful movie is his career ender.
Darrius Vee P Ashleigh
If the jokes are funny who then hell cares. Everything has to be an issue anymore. Get over it and stop taking everything so serious. Ya know one day we could be censored for EVERYTHING we say and then u people will be missing these days.
RomanH
If you want pure, offensive SNL shit, tune into The Last Man on Earth. Ridiculously stupid, misogynist frat-boy comedy completely destroys Will Forte’s credibility as an entertainer.
rextrek
I find Will F comedy “hit or miss’ he’s never in between – SUCKED in BEWITCHED, Totally miscast…awful movie, and an Insult to the original….NK wasn’t too bad….but……….
Merv
@AtticusBennett: Did it not occur to you that the humor could be about the ignorant reaction to gay sex rather than the gay sex itself? Satire: it’s not just for English lit class anymore.
Robert Litman
I get so tired of watching Ferrell make the rounds of all the late night talk shows promoting his latest mediocre film. I never was a big fan of Ferrell early on and the quality of his films, or lack thereof, convinces me I was right about him. All self promotion and not very funny,
Clark35
I’m surprised someone actually decided to make this into a movie.
Ferrell is not funny and his whole “middle aged guy acting like a highschool kid or college frat boy” brand of humor and characters are boring.
TomMc
“He enlists the help of his black friend to teach him how to survive in prison.”
Really?! …”his black friend”??
Whatever the case, he should’ve gone to his gay friend shortly thereafter.
Eloweez Rainbowz
Who cares its it like he has ever been funny
Pilar
I wonder if any one of his three sons identifies as gay in the future might sensitize his choice of or acceptance of joke material.
sportyguy1983
Good for him
Merv
Here is a test for the satire-impaired. Please watch the following video and let us know if you think the message is that gay sex is gross.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isQ2PzxTvn4
TomOH
Look at the L.A. Mens Jail, they have a “Gay” wing of it and the straight guys are routinely pretending to be gay so they can get transferred to it, because it’s so much nicer there. *That* would have been a much better plot for a comedy about prison rape and gay people than this shit.
kernowcraig
I always swear that i’ll never read the comments on Queerty, because it only serves to remind me that my own community is just as bigoted and judgemental as the Christian right! Comedians have been making jokes of EVERYTHING for as long as there have been comedians! who cares? Lets hope it makes people laugh and puts smiles on faces, because there just isn’t enough of that in the world at the moment.