Saturday, October 20, 2007

How to "Bee" Homophobic

Leading up to the release next month of DreamWorks Animation's Bee Movie, the film's star, Jerry Seinfeld (he voices the title insect) has returned to NBC for a series of ads promoting the animated comedy. In a spot that aired this week (and that can be seen here), Seinfeld is seen discussing the script with co-star Matthew Broderick. Seems Broderick is concerned about the relationship their characters share, complaining about "wrestling naked in a barn" with Seinfeld's character, who also seems to like "touching" and "landing on" Broderick's character. And, as if that isn't enough to tip you off to where this is going, Broderick asks, "Why are we on a cruise with Rosie O'Donnell?", and, to add insult to injury, at one point says, "I was going to take my kids to this thing, Jerry!" To end this whole fiasco, as Seinfeld storms off, Broderick wails, "Why am I in a bra and panties?"

Oy, where to begin. Did somebody actually think this would get people to want to see the movie? And what were Seinfeld and, especially, Broderick thinking? Matthew, Matthew, Matthew ... didn't co-starring with Harvey Fierstein and Nathan Lane for all those years teach you anything?

At the beginning of this little skit, Seinfeld states, "If a comedy isn't funny, that's serious". Good point, Jer, and this lame attempt at humor was not only not funny, but homophobic. So you got some serious explaining to do. Doesn't "not that there's anything wrong with that" ring a bell?

Links via Imdb.com, EW.com and NBC.com.

1 comment:

mutterhals said...

I lost so much respect for Jerry Seinfeld after that whole Michael Richards' thing. To see Seinfeld chiding audience members for laughing while Richards made some half-assed apology was surreal, to say the least.