When the images from the upcoming Jumanji movie were released, fans pointed out the elephant in the room: why was Karen Gillan's character in such ridiculous clothing? The actress, surrounded by appropriately-dressed male characters (played by Kevin Hart, The Rock, and Jack Black), was clad in a tight crop top, short-shorts, and knee-high boots. You know, hiking clothes?
Gillan was quick to respond to the backlash on Twitter.
Jumanji! Yes I'm wearing child sized clothes and YES there is a reason! The pay off is worth it, I promise! #Jumanji pic.twitter.com/qBshnhwV6K
— Karen Gillan (@karengillan) September 21, 2016
"Jumanji! Yes I'm wearing child sized clothes and YES there is a reason!" she wrote. "The pay off is worth it, I promise!"
She later addressed the controversy in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
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"I’ve experienced something similar when I worked on Doctor Who and there was such an uproar about my costume when that was first revealed, so I thought it was happening all over again," she said. "But I have to say, I'd never take on a role that was truly gratuitous for no reason. There’s a really valid reason why she’s wearing that. My character is really not happy about it!"
The reason was finally revealed on monday night at Sony's CinemaCon panel. It turns out, the story doesn't follow real life characters, but instead four high school students who get trapped inside the characters of an old video game. Her outfit is apparently satire of the sexist ways video games dress women.
While the twist on the premise is cool, people don't entirely think it justifies her outfit. After all, if you're pointing out how ridiculous it is that video games dress women up in skimpy clothing and make them run around by...dressing a woman up in skimpy clothing and making her run around, then it's hard to see what good you're doing, even if the intentions are there.
Karen Gillan is dress3d like that in Jumanji 'because it's a video game'? Ugh. Some of us fight that sexism in games. This doesn't help.
— Earl Mills (@Bluejetdude) March 28, 2017
"Karen Gillan is dress3d [sic] like that in Jumanji 'because it's a video game'? Ugh," one Twitter user wrote. "Some of us fight that sexism in games. This doesn't help."
I guaran-fucking-tee you the dude who turns into Karen Gillan in the new Jumanji is sexist but then learns what it's like to be objectified.
— neontaster (@neontaster) March 28, 2017
"I guaran-fucking-tee you the dude who turns into Karen Gillan in the new Jumanji is sexist but then learns what it's like to be objectified," another wrote.
@neontaster The "game" will just be the patriarchy unleashed.
— Hello, Friend (@ItsActuallyHim) March 28, 2017
"The 'game' will just be the patriarchy unleashed," someone else added.
As of right now, fans aren't impressed. However, pictures are pretty much still the only thing we've seen from the upcoming release. There's still plenty of room for the film to redeem itself — we'll just have to wait until December to see how.
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