The audience going into a SXSW screening of Get Hard was excited. They were cheering and laughing at the introductory antics of stars Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart (who told them to get online and tweet their thoughts on the movie, “And if you don’t like it, what I want you to do is go out in the middle of the street and kill yourself.”) But once they watched the movie, things took an awkward turn.
After the film screened, only director Etan Cohen stayed for a Q&A session. When the audience realized Ferrell and Hart wouldn’t be taking part, people started leaving in droves. Of those who stayed, several asked about the film’s potentially offensive nature. There’s a scene where Hart makes Ferrell say the n-word and hang out with gangs and white supremacists, and there’s also a scene where Ferrell’s character is prepared for the possibility of prison rape by hanging out at a gay bar and attempting to give a man a blowjob.
“This film seemed racist as …,” said one questioner, using an expletive.
“That’s not a question,” Cohen replied.
“I’m not done,” the filmgoer said.
“Soon you will be,” Cohen retorted.
“Were you nervous — and/or how nervous were you — presenting this in front of a live audience being completely, absolutely and unapologetically … racist and hysterical at the same time?” the questioner finished.
Seeming flustered, Cohen admitted the film’s tone had been “a really hard delicate balance to find.”
Cohen said that the events in Ferguson had an impact on the film’s testing, and that his goal had been to make people think about stereotypes. Another question was asked about the film’s reinforcement of racial stereotypes, and Cohen said, “When you do satire, that’s a big problem. Because it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between satire and what you’re satirizing. So that’s a dangerous thing.”
Source: L.A. Times
