Avengers 'Bros': it's Time For a Chat

YouTube screenshot: Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans, press tour

The Avengers is one of the biggest money-making movie franchises out there, and the new installment, Age of Ultron comes out in the U.S. next week.

The cast is busy with press tours, and by now maybe you've heard it might not be going so well for a few of its stars. (This link here has the interview and quotes if you need to catch up.)



Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner, let's chat.

You've had an "exhausting and tedious" press tour, according to Jeremy. You've answered the same questions about your fictional comic book characters a thousand times plus infinity, and people are probably super nice to you in a fake and adoring way that got old back in the days of The Hurt Locker and The Fantastic Four.

I can't say I'm feeling sorry for you guys per se. You are after all, rich movie stars with envious, almost inhuman physical bodies. You are paid to look good and paid well, though I suppose that has its own tedium.

Regardless. The reason you're in the hot seat now is for joking about Scarlett Johansson's character Black Widow, and that her choice to have a love interest in the movie makes her a slut and a whore.

"I am sorry that this tasteless joke about a fictional character offended anyone. It was not meant to be serious in any way."

Oh, you were joking! Thanks for clarifying, Jeremy. Plus, it's not Scarlett you called those names, it's her character. Lighten up, right?

Yes, it's her character. The lone female Avenger. The one who's not known as Tony Stark's assistant* and girlfriend. And yes, us ladies also have Agent Hill (Cobie Smulders) so of course Black Widow and Pepper Potts aren't the only females in the franchise. Clearly I've listed THREE WHOLE NAMED WOMEN CHARACTERS, so why make such a fuss over teasingly referring to one of them as a whore? Isn't Black Widow's whole deal seduction and then kicking ass?
*fully realizing Pepper Potts has moved beyond being Tony's assistant

Black Widow doesn't have an official "love interest" in the first Avengers movie. Or in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In Age of Ultron, she does. Naturally, she is a slut and a whore. You know, because she has a boyfriend.

"Yesterday we were asked about the rumors that Black Widow wanted to be in a relationship with both Hawkeye and Captain America. We answered in a very juvenile and offensive way that rightfully angered some fans. I regret it and sincerely apologize."

Thanks, Chris! I appreciate the actual apology. I hope you can learn from this. Though honestly, it's not like it's a shock to hear guys joking about women or female characters being sluts. In fact, women who have opinions on the Internet are called sluts and whores all the time. Just talk about video games like you know something about them and watch the insults fly.

See, the real reason we're upset is we thought you guys were better. We expect 80s action movies and its aging cadre to still make male-focused movies where women don't quite fit (nice try Expendables 2). We expect these things from sports stars who are groomed to be aggressive and are catered to for their masculinity. But you guys are actors. And it's the Avengers, which we all loved and Joss Whedon made so awesome. And we loved Captain America and Peggy and Agent Carter.

We expected more. I did, at least.

Jeremy and Chris. We want to like you. We really do. Reconsider your view of Funny. Punching down rarely is.

We're probably all going to see Age of Ultron anyway. Hopefully by now you've realized that long and exhausting press tours don't excuse joking that makes half your fan base feel devalued.

Sincerely,

Everyone

What do you think? How do you view their comments? Will you see the movie anyway?