Last month, during promotions for Age of Ultron, Jeremy Renner, who plays Hawkeye, and Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, called the only female Avenger, Black Widow, a "slut," a "whore," and a cocktease. The two later apologized, with Renner offering a classic non-apology: "I am sorry that this tasteless joke about a fictional character offended anyone. It was not meant to be serious in any way. Just poking fun during an exhausting and tedious press tour."
Via Bedhead, Renner has now doubled-down (underlining what a non-apology his "apology" really was) while appearing on Conan O'Brien's show:
O'Brien: What I like about you is you're very unguarded when you talk; you've been talking to the press and you'll say all kinds of stuff—Renner is really fixated on this idea that, because Black Widow is a fictional character, somehow it doesn't fucking matter what anyone says about her. As if fictional characters exist in a vacuum, outside of actual culture. It doesn't matter if you call her a slut; it doesn't even matter that she's the only female superhero in the film. It's fictional! Thus is has no consequences!
Renner: Sure.
O'Brien: —and you'll go for it, you'll go for the joke.
Renner: [chortling] Yes.
O'Brien: You caused a bit of a controversy recently— [chuckles] You were talking to the press, and you called Black Widow a slut.
Renner: Yeah. [audience laughs]
O'Brien: Uh, let's elaborate on that.
Renner: Yeah, it was a joke, off-color or whatever, but, yeah, I'm unapologetic about a lot of things, but— Yeah, I got a lot of internet trouble. I guess that's a thing now, you can get in.
O'Brien: The internet's a brand new thing. It's creeping up on America. [laughs; audience laughter]
Renner: Yeah, see, I was asked a question that was like, 'So Black Widow's been linked to Hawkeye, Iron Man, Bruce Banner, and Captain America, so what do you think about that?' I'm like, well, I said, 'Sounds like she's a slut!' [Conan laughs; audience laughs] Now, mind you, I was talking about a fictional character and fictional behavior. But, Conan, if you slept with four of the six Avengers, no matter how much fun you had—
O'Brien: Right.
Renner: —you'd be a slut.
O'Brien: Yeah. [laughs; audience laughter]
Renner: Just saying. I'd be a slut. Just saying.
O'Brien: I'm just curious: Which one would she be most attracted to, of all those guys?
Renner: I don't know, man. Again, we're talking about fictional characters. I guess maybe it's The Hulk. She's into The Hulk now.
O'Brien: Yeah. It's not Quicksilver, we know that. Uhhh. [Renner laughs; audience laughs] Things are over way— Heh heh heh. Heh heh heh. It's a quick evening with Quicksilver, yeah. [Renner laughs; audience laughs] 'That's it?!' 'That's that's what I do!' Uhh.
This is, of course, absolute garbage. Of course fictional characters and stories matter. They are part of culture and they reflect culture and they inform culture and they influence culture. To suggest otherwise is absurd.
What I think is the important caveat here about why Black Widow doesn't matter is that she's a fictional female character. She doesn't matter.
Which is why, the last time I wrote about this, I had fanboys up in my grill endlessly repeating Renner's codswalloping argument about Black Widow being fictional—and why, when I write about a straight white male superhero being recast as gay or a man of color or female, I have fanboys up in my grill shouting about me about CANON!!!!1!eleventy!!!1!!11!
Because fictional characters are sacred when they are male, and irrelevant when they are female.
Go take a nap, Jeremy Renner.
Shakesville is run as a safe space. First-time commenters: Please read Shakesville's Commenting Policy and Feminism 101 Section before commenting. We also do lots of in-thread moderation, so we ask that everyone read the entirety of any thread before commenting, to ensure compliance with any in-thread moderation. Thank you.
blog comments powered by Disqus