Are You Really Bothered by These Photos From the Set of The Rock’s ‘Jumanji’?

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By Emily Zanotti | 9:08 am, September 22, 2016
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Feminists are angry with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s and Kevin Hart’s upcoming remake of Jumanji and not upset because they’re trying to rework a beloved 1990s-era Robin Williams movie that is perfect just as it is.

They’re mad because The Rock’s co-star Karen Gillan, who plays a character called “Ruby Roundhouse,” is wearing only half of a shirt in the promotional set photos.

Obviously, this is very problematic, not just because what she’s wearing would lead to immediate and serious safety issues in the jungle, but because her costume reinforces “sexist tropes” about women in action movies.

Both The Rock and Gillian herself tried to step in and calm feminist fears, noting that there’s a “good reason” she’s dressed in the tiny outfit, and fans speculated that it’s because she plays a Tomb Raider-style character who, along with the rest of the cast, comes to life when the magic board game puts its players inside its jungle game board.

It was simply too little, too late. The Internet has already suggested that the movie’s marketers switch up the costumes in the next photo, and leave the male cast members practically nude. Some Twitter users also drew up helpful diagrams depicting their revolutionary idea.

Somehow, it appears, they’ve missed most of Jumanji‘s extensive marketing campaign, which has, routinely, featured shirtless or nearly shirtless photos of The Rock, bearing his gigantic muscles. Strangely, Internet feminists did not find such gratuitous objectification nearly as problematic.

There’s this one, where he promises, while shirtless, that the movie “won’t suck.”

It’s OFFICIAL: Love this script! Big movie news that me and my canine gal Shang are excited to share;) To produce, create and deliver original properties to fans like HBO’s #ballers to this summer’s #CentralIntelligence is one of the best parts of my job. But to take great properties that are beloved worldwide like #BAYWATCH and #RAMPAGE and have the opportunity reimagine their stories in dope new ways to a whole new generation is truly an honor. It’s official. We’ll produce and deliver to a whole new generation a title that I love and is one of my all time favs: There’s games you play for fun… then there’s games that change your life. JUMANJI Working on edging up an already very good script with my @sevenbucksprod team. Up next is meeting with our producer Matt Tolmach and director Jake Kasdan. Shooting starts this fall. Promise to deliver something cool and special.. and not screw the whole damn thing up;). As always I’ll keep you posted. Casting this should be fun! #JUMANJI #JungleLife #JustPressStart #SONYPictures

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on

There’s this one, where he’s referred to as “smoldering,” and wearing a shirt that is approximately six sizes too small.

These still photos where his shirt does not appear to have functional buttons.

In fact, it’s rare that The Rock appears in a promotional photo for, well, anything with a shirt on. Twitter is, bizarrely, completely bereft of complaints. It’s probably just because the feminists haven’t noticed it yet.

 

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