By Emily Ramser
Deadpool, the wise-cracking, fourth-wall breaking superhero has a movie. So far, a lot of feedback on the movie has been positive, but some students at Salem are not quite as happy with it.
“I’m considering not seeing it because I’ve heard it relies on transmisogynistic humor at some points,” says senior Shannon Salzman. “Apparently on at least one occasion he says that a woman he is fighting is too strong and implies she has a penis. I haven’t seen it but having heard that I’m not sure I want to.”
Amira Bauer-Hutsell, a first-year, has seen the movie twice. The movie, which came out Valentine’s Day weekend, follows the origin story of Wade Wilson, a former Special Forces operative, as he adopts the alter ego Deadpool and hunts down the man who experimented on him; thus giving him accelerated healing powers in exchange for his good looks.
“I thought it was great. It’s funny and raunchy…I have heard a few people remark on the jokes about rape in the film, but I don’t think that they are in a way that encourages rape culture or discredits the trauma of the characters. However, if you don’t like cursing, nudity, or violence, the film is not for you,” says Bauer-Hutsell. However, when asked about the scene Salzman referred to, Bauer-Hutsell expressed some concern.
“There is a scene where he’s being experimented on and a girl pushes him back down and tightens the restraints and he says some insensitive things…I was uncomfortable with it. But by the time the film ended, I had forgotten it. I still enjoyed the movie,” says Bauer-Hutsell.
Sophomore Starlyn Delpero also is a fan of the movie.
“For me it was great and it was hilarious, I laughed for most of the film, and I was so happy with the outcome of it,” says Delpero. When asked about the aforementioned scene, Delpero said that she felt it was in bad taste and that the joke should not have been made, but that overall the joke did not affect her overall opinion of the movie.
Another first-year, Montressa Gray, took the scene in a very different way.
“Being honest, I didn’t see it that way. As a fan of Deadpool, I guess I’m just used to his humor? But now that you mention it, I guess I could see why that would be hurtful to someone. All I can say is that I don’t think it’s supposed to be an attack on anyone; Deadpool says terrible things. It’s his character, and I’m not really sure how it can be changed aside from bringing the issue to the attention of the writers,” says Gray.
The movie has been criticized by some, especially by parents, for its vulgarity and excessive violence. However, many feel that this is not something that should be criticized because that is simply who the character of Deadpool is. Either way, these complaints of vulgarity have not kept most people from seeing the movie or enjoying it.
“I liked it a lot, I plan on seeing it a lot more,” says Delpero.
Despite the good parts of the movie, that one scene may have ruined the movie for some.
“I actually was very excited for it because he is a bi character and they supposedly plan to explore that in the next movie so I might still see it I’m just mostly disappointed in the transphobia,” says Salzman.
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