Girls Won't Watch It

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In an 8.13 L.A. Times article, John Horn reported that "because ticket buyers prefer escapist fare these days, [they've] been reluctant to swim to The Cove, a documentary on Japanese dolphin-killing that has some of the year's best reviews. Despite a ton of publicity, The Cove labored after expanding into limited national release last weekend. Roadside Attraction's Howard Cohen admits that 'when people hear there is violence against animals, it's tough for them to think about it...but the concept...is much more off-putting than the experience of watching it.'"

Methinks Cohen and Horn are side-stepping the nub of it. When they say/report that "people" are squeamish about seeing The Cove, what they really mean is that a fair amount of women are pretty much boycotting it. My head and my gut have been telling me for weeks that for every impassioned woman who will attend The Cove because she cares about the plight of dolphins and wants to feel and do something that might help the cause in some way (like my dolphin-loving friend Gini Kopecky), there are nine others who are saying to their girlfriends/dates/ boyfriends/husbands, "No way...can't watch that...too much."

Please present any sort of observational evidence that indicates I'm wrong. I haven't polled a cross-section of a couple of hundred women or hired a research firm to do same. I just know what women are like when it comes to blood. Sorry.

Women call the shots when straight couples go to the movies. Guys can be harassed or cajoled into seeing a flick they wouldn't otherwise catch on their own, but if a woman doesn't want to see a particular film...forget it. End of discussion, wasting your breath. Which is why good-movie-seeking, green-minded guys aren't pushing their girlfriends/ wives to see The Cove with them -- they know it's futile. Which is why The Cove is falling off the radar. Tell me I'm wrong.

I warned/half-predicted this might happen two or three weeks ago but I can't find the corresponding HE story/item. (I spent ten minutes searching for it under various search criteria...zip.) I know I've had at least five or six conversations with women since I wrote this (including two Brazilian women I spoke with during the InFilm tour) and they all said they had strong reservations about seeing The Cove because they don't want to see Flipper harpooned to death.

Cohen told Horn that Roadside Attractions "will revise the film's advertising campaign, showcasing more of The Cove's critical plaudits than some of its more troubling elements, most of which are confined to the film's final five minutes."

Postscript/update: I wrote the following on 7.18 in response to a comment asking why I suspected that women won't be attending The Cove: "Outside of female artists and female edge-junkies and female adventurers and other self-defined X-factor types, have you ever known a woman who didn't instinctively flinch and turn her head away from violence, particularly violence visited upon defenseless animals?"

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 14, 2009 at 5:21 AM

comment #1

ZayTonday says ...

I'm shocked. Of course all guys want to go see this though because it is a very manly film.

Posted by ZayTonday at August 14, 2009 6:20 AM

comment #2

JChasse says ...

But Bela Lugosi said that blood reminds women of childbirth, and if you want to get lucky with your date, to take her to a horror film.

(Or was that Martin Landau?)

Posted by JChasse at August 14, 2009 6:33 AM

comment #3

Brendan says ...

Jeff,

My real-time observation comes from my sister-in-law yesterday. She posted on her facebook account that everyone needs to see this film. She is one of those people that has over 550 "friends" on that thing (we all know there is something off with people that need that much acceptance, but whatever, another day). She had about 50 responses to the post, mainly from woman, thanking her for post this and that they never heard of the film. (I told them to see Food Inc first, which is my favorite of the two.)

My questions, if we accept your observation that woman (coupled) make the decision on the movie of choice, are - why do docus not connect with woman as much and why are their so many 'fan boy" movies ruling today. I know the obvious answer, money, but I want to look past that and that is what I think your latest post is trying to do as well. For docus like The Cove and Food Inc., I believe that the indies releasing these thought provoking films have to get more creative with marketing these films. They need to push and ask themselves how they are going to attract woman (a species that when passionate about something will move heaven and earth to make it so) to these important issue. Why are they not doing this or are they and I am just not aware of it?

Also, these films need to be more accesable and should be playing on more then 5 screens in the Western World. Put them on IFC on demand. Get them out there.

Posted by Brendan at August 14, 2009 6:35 AM

comment #4

Jeffrey Wells says ...

Wells to Brendan: Hooray for your sister-in-law. Please send me her name and/or the Facebook link.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at August 14, 2009 6:39 AM

comment #5

Brendan says ...

Will pass on that one JW, will try to make her a faithful HE reader though. We can't be having anymore of those "An Education" moments that might frighten Jett.

Still - more screens, more marketing, get the message out. I thought Food Inc had a wonderful viral campaign and really pushed it. Where is that for The Cove? Everyone loves Dolphins, this should be an easy. Where is the tie-in with SeaWorld or hand-out on the North East beaches when the flock stand and watch the dorsal fins work their way through the Atlantic?

Posted by Brendan at August 14, 2009 6:48 AM

comment #6

mitchtaylor says ...

In my experience, working at a video store and a movie theater, women are by far the more adventurous film-going sex, willing to expose themselves to a wider variety of experience than the dudes.

Posted by mitchtaylor at August 14, 2009 7:25 AM

comment #7

bildeaux says ...

I pretty much agree with you Jeff. I watch a lot of horror at my household, and whenever any kind of animal violence happens the wife gets mad at me and tunes out.

It's made me realize just how much dog death happens in horror for some reason. Never noticed it before.

Posted by bildeaux at August 14, 2009 7:33 AM

comment #8

thatmovieguy says ...

My sister actually had heard of this film and really wanted to see it, but of course it's not playing within 150 miles of where she lives. She can see "G.I. Joe" or "Aliens in the Attic" or "Bandslam," but she has no access to the film she really wants to see. This outdated distribution system has got to go.

Posted by thatmovieguy at August 14, 2009 7:58 AM

comment #9

Dan V. says ...

The violence might against dolphins might be hard to take, but let's face it, it's not going to be widely seen because it's not widely released... that and it's a documentary, which the general movie-going public associates with the dry, history class nap excuses Gramma watches on public television.

Posted by Dan V. at August 14, 2009 7:59 AM

comment #10

Dan V. says ...

....er....

"The violence against dolphins might be hard to take..."

For shame.

Posted by Dan V. at August 14, 2009 7:59 AM

comment #11

OtownRog says ...

It's terrific. It's also unmarketable. How would you sell it? Trick people with trailers that suggest it's all caper/no killing?
I like the idea of the critical acclaim campaign, but this ain't March of the Penguins. Guys don't want to see dolphins slaughtered either. It's like watching cocker spaniels get their heads bashed in.

Posted by OtownRog at August 14, 2009 8:37 AM

comment #12

Abbey Normal says ...

'when people hear there is violence against animals, it's tough for them to think about it...but the concept...is much more off-putting than the experience of watching it.'

I know you're trying to start a little gender war here and I know how much Wells hates the off-topic stuff, but I must say something: This quote makes no sense. I haven't seen The Cove, but the experience of watching dolphins get butchered, I'm sure, is more off-putting than the vague conceptual aspect.

For this reason, I'll wait until it's out on video so if it gets too much for me I can hit pause, or take a shot of whiskey, or just turn the damn thing off and go for a walk.

Posted by Abbey Normal at August 14, 2009 10:18 AM

comment #13

Jayne says ...

Why the fuck when one of the movies you champion does poorly, is it the fault of women? This is just ridiculous and tiresome, time and time again. Most of the movie going public has a lot of other things to do besides see every new release, traveling far and wide, to and fro, to find the latest documentary playing at the only art house cinema within miles. But...surely, this must be the work of the diabolical subset known as...women. Give it a rest, for Christ's sake.

Posted by Jayne at August 14, 2009 10:38 AM

comment #14

wda says ...

Actually, Wells usually blames teenagers when a film he likes doesn't do well--I'm surprised he didn't do that here.

Posted by wda at August 14, 2009 10:56 AM

comment #15

Terry McCarty says ...

Brendan wrote:
Where is the tie-in with SeaWorld or hand-out on the North East beaches when the flock stand and watch the dorsal fins work their way through the Atlantic?

Unfortunately, the film opts for the way-too-PC POV that all Sea Worlds and other aquariums where dolphins are exhibited need to free all their dolohins into the wild and nevernevernever put another dolphin into captivity again to suffer the indignities of doing tricks and/or being stared at by humans.

I love dolphins too and was outraged by the slaughter which is depicted (from a distance) in the film's second half. But it's too unrealistic to demand the Sea Worlds of the world to close en masse.

Posted by Terry McCarty at August 14, 2009 11:57 AM

comment #16

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

In general you're going to have a hard time convincing anyone to see a documentary on the big screen. I don't think it's women's fault.

I think it's because people are so used to getting news and nature programmes, etc. for free, they just don't want to pay $12.50 to watch one on a big screen. I mean would seeing Super Size Me on a large screen really add to the experience? Not really. And since documentaries tend to come to TV faster than other films, people generally wait.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at August 14, 2009 12:30 PM

comment #17

The Hoyk says ...

Well, none of the women I keep company with will fuck me, so I always get to call the shots on the movie choices, because I know that whether they like the movie or not, I'm not getting laid anyway.

Posted by The Hoyk at August 14, 2009 3:00 PM

comment #18