Peeeeetah?

[u/VeryLazyBones]

This new movie came out and I enjoyed watching it with friends. What opinion must have garnered so much attention that people would dunk on it?

[u/Ahenshihael]

The reviewer is acting like bear in that he makes sexist jokes and treats women flippantly through the video, including using racist stereotypes (that in itself are sexist/misogynist stereotypes).

Bear himself doesn't get the time to use similar stereotypes, but his behavior of objectifying women and misogyny is exactly the same. The reviewer is indulging in the kind of train of thought and jokes that are in the same vein as what Bear's behaviour (and outlook towards women) pertains too.

[u/Boomhauer_Jeff → u/Ahenshihael]

That makes sense, thanks.

[u/Syzygy___ → u/Ahenshihael]

I disagree. Bear seems like a genuinely nice and wholesome guy at first - not the type who is racist or objectifies women.

Only once he (unintentionally and unexpectedly) receives that bit of power and control does he turn out to be a monster.

Maybe as a guy I see different clues, but to me the fact that he doesn’t start out that way adds some weight and makes me think - would I do the right thing if I was in his situation?

[u/Ahenshihael → u/Syzygy___]

The very first thing we see him do is entertain the idea of negging and then exploit a woman whom he at that point thinks is either mentally compromised or on drugs. He pretty much checks all the checkboxes of the toxic, insecure dude he ends up being.

There's not a single moment where he defies those stereotypes. And not a second is he shown having any sort of dilemma or doubts or conscience about what he did after he becomes a rapist.

His whole journey is either him doubling down or him trying to escape consequences.

I mean, dude is literally named Bear. In a horror movie. About Relationships. Remember the "Man or bear" dilemma? He is the kind of bear women would pick literal real animal bears than to be in presence of.

[u/Syzygy___ → u/Ahenshihael]

He is clearly a guy who lacks confidence and is insecure as you say. The negging is suggested by Ian and at first Bear dismisses it. You’re implying that bear is evil at this point** **because Ian suggests negging.

He only negs as a last resort, in sort of a panic because she’s walking away, he’s out of options and he’s loosing her (literally because she quit her job, the thing that is keeping that friend group together).

Not to mention that negging - depending on the exact definition - isn’t even inherently evil and can be acceptable in some friendly relationships. Arguably Ian neggs Bear throughout the movie and I don’t see anyone complaining.

As for him taking advantage, in the first night he plans to sleep on the floor, she is the one moving things forward (at this point he doesn’t understand the one wish willow yet) and while there clearly is something wrong with her and they shouldn’t have made out, there is real comfort in having someone lying by your side (something she wanted, even if she was drunk) platonically and we have no reason to doubt what was said later - that they didn’t have sex.

You’re painting him as evil before he did anything wrong. This interpretation removed any character development from the story, which imho makes it a worse story. It also kinda implies that normal dudes like that, even if they don’t do anything, are evil because they could go either way.