Heh....I have a serious problem now with Pretty Woman. I used to love the movie and after I got a DVD player, I went out and bought the DVD since I hadn't seen it in a long time. While watching it, all I could think of was what an awfully misogynistic movie it was. For 90% of the movie, he uses her. Her treats her just like a prostitute, buying his way into her pants, and all the while, she thinks (and most of the audience thinks) he's this super nice guy. Everytime he looks at her or touches her, all he sees is a woman he wants to fuck. He just doesn't get it. That's why he doesn't care when he tells Stucky that she's a prostitute and why he doesn't see the problem when he says he'll set Vivian up in her own apartment. He DOES want to "rescue" her, but not for the reasons one would hope. He really is a disgusting character. HOWEVER, before everyone jumps down my throat for it, I personally believe that he DOES change. You see glimmers of his TRUE caring for her AS A PERSON (not a sexual object) throughout the movie. At the end, he finally does get it, and that's why he goes back for her. But like I said, they are only glimmers throughout the movie, he's still an asshole for at least 90% of the movie.
I guess most people get sucked in because they know it's a "romantic movie" so they don't think about his darker motives. However, if you step back and look at the movie in a critical light, it comes out being a lot less "pretty". My sister never realized until I pointed certain things out and then her reaction was, "oh my god! You're right! He is SUCH an asshole!!!!"
Bah, she could do better! Then again, maybe the things I learned in college just ruined it for me.
But the good thing about the movie.....it taught my sister the meaning of the word "misogynistic"

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