Robin Hood Men in Tights

[Ivan's Mom]

I just watched the Mel Brooks movie, "Robin Hood, Men in Tights" last night with my dh. Anybody else see this movie and the circumcision topic?

Mel Brooks play a traveling Rabbi who provides wine and mohel services (please no religious discussion, this was a comedy) Anyway, I took away from it that he was showing how painful circ was. He presented the idea to Robin Hood and his merry men to get circ'd. He said that the "ladies loved it" and the merry men all wanted the service (not knowing what it was really). He showed them how he performed the circ by having a mini guillotine that he stuck a carrot into and chopped the tip off. Needless to say, the merry men wanted no part of it!

Another seen showed him at the carnival with his circ tent/wagon set up. He had a sign on it that said 'Circumcisions HALF Off'. Get it? He had a guy in there getting circ'd and it had the guy scream and then Mel Brooks comes out and says in a 'No Big Deal' voice "Oh, just put some ice on it."

[blsilva]

I saw this years ago- before I really discovered the whole circumcision debate. Thought it was funny at the time, but I'll have to watch it again.

[~Megan~]

I actually turned it off at that point. I found "the ladies love it" to be really offensive.

[Mighty Jalapeno]

I loved when Will Scarlet said "I'll have two!"

[kldliam]

I saw Meet the Fockers * part 2 the other day (comedy). Some pretty tasteless stuff on there about it too. I really liked both movies until that yucky part came up. I had planned to see the 3rd one too. I wont now.

[Ivan's Mom]

Originally Posted by mamao'two

I actually turned it off at that point. I found "the ladies love it" to be really offensive.

I am sorry you felt that way about it mama. Anyone else who felt this way also (hugs). I thought it was showing circ in a negative way, that is why I brought it up. We all see things in our own unique way I suppose. I took his showing the guillotine and the "half off" sign as being anti-circ. I also took the "ladies love it" comment as sarcasm.

[~Megan~]

People don't joke about girls being circumcised or children being abused in any other way. Its simply not a funny topic for me.

[paquerette]

I watched that movie about a million times when I was a teen. It was on heavy rotation on HBO one summer. I have always thought of it as pro circ. Maybe I'll have to rewatch it and think about it.

[Bartock]

Originally Posted by mamao'two

People don't joke about girls being circumcised or children being abused in any other way. Its simply not a funny topic for me.

[~Megan~]

Originally Posted by paquerette

I watched that movie about a million times when I was a teen. It was on heavy rotation on HBO one summer. I have always thought of it as pro circ. Maybe I'll have to rewatch it and think about it.

I did too. He made a comment about finding a younger audience and I think that was supposed to be funny. At least the adult men had a choice.

The part that really got me is after he offers the circ, Robin then makes some comment about him being a good man or something to that effect. To me planning to circumcise those who cannot choose nor even fight back doesn't make someone a good person.

[moonfirefaery]

The rabbi was talking about circumcising the merry men, who were all grown men quite capable of giving consent. He never expressed any desire to circumcise anyone who cannot fight back. If a man choses to be circumcised that's his business, and a rabbi isn't a bad man for performing/offering circumcision on/to a consenting adult. I don't think it's funny to joke about children being circumcised, but the references in Robin Hood were all about grown men...

[Ivan's Mom]

Originally Posted by moonfirefaery

The rabbi was talking about circumcising the merry men, who were all grown men quite capable of giving consent. He never expressed any desire to circumcise anyone who cannot fight back. If a man choses to be circumcised that's his business, and a rabbi isn't a bad man for performing/offering circumcision on/to a consenting adult. I don't think it's funny to joke about children being circumcised, but the references in Robin Hood were all about grown men...

That was my thought as well. I truly do not think joking about circ is OK. I really thought it was showing circ as bad and showing that it took "half" of the penis away. I agree that any joke of female circ would be an outrage and that any joke about male circ should be viewed this way too. I guess it did not occur to me this way upon my original post because it was presented to the merry men who were all adults and not sweet little babies. :

[moonfirefaery]

I agree. I mean, they all wanted one, and then he explained the procedure, and no one wanted anymore. That was definitely not pro-circ, and while I don't agree with joking about circumcision, I don't think it was in that poor taste considering it pretty much demonstrated that circ'ing is NOT good.