Avengers movie insult adoptee

reelworld

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http://www.change.org/petitions/marvel-comics-marvel-comics-apologize- to-adoption-community

Marvel Comics - with one line that you carelessly failed to edit out of the script for the Avengers movie, you have insulted adopted children, adult adoptees, and adoptive parents!

In your new movie, The Avengers, the character Black Widow says "He (Loki) killed 80 people in 2 days." Then the Thor character replies, "He's adopted."

Sooo..according to your scriptwriter, the fact he was adopted is the reason he is a bad guy!

Being adopted is NOT something to use for the butt of jokes! Marvel, immediately cease using adoption as the butt of jokes AND issue a public apology to the adoption community!

These bloggers - and commenters - have already voiced their objections:

http://73adoptee.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-why-is-making-fun-of-adoption.html (adult adoptee)
http://adoption.about.com/b/2012/05/04/the-avengers-movie-offends-some-adoptees.htm (About.com guide to adoption)
http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2012/05/avengers-review-for-parents.html (adoptive parent)
http://www.ofmasksandmen.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-joss-why-avengers-spoilers.html (adoptive parent)
http://rsgeo007.blogspot.com/2012/05/avengers-and-adoption.html (adoptee)
http://www.drbethrobinson.com/2012/05/avengers-joke-does-impact-kids-waiting-for-adoption.html (professional)
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/that-hes-adopted-one-liner-in-the-avengers-not-funny/ (adoptee)
http://communities.washingtontimes....ers-attack-adopted-children-mean-and-unfunny/ (adoptive parent)
http://www.declassifiedadoptee.com/2012/05/why-i-found-avengers-line-offensive.html (adoptee)



In addition, Disney's own boards have an active discussion, "Disney, Adoption, and the Avengers:" http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2922029

Update: Some people think this petition is calling for a boycott. It is NOT calling for a boycott. In fact, I saw the movie (and it is a good movie, so don't miss it just because of this joke). I am merely requesting an apology from Marvel and asking that they permanently stop using adoption as the punch line of a joke.

Furthermore, you have to consider how children think. A child doesn't know the history of Thor and Loki. Plus, a child does not understand context the same way adults do. A child who is adopted only hears those lines above. So the child thinks to themselves, "I'm adopted. The bad guy was adopted too. Does that mean I am bad too?" One parent actually posted a comment along these lines on a certain forum, stating that their adopted child had actually made a very similar statement after seeing the movie. This statement is now posted under petition updates.
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err.. I don't even know what to say to this.. some people just need to grow a sense of humour
 
Its funny because that's not what the joke meant anyway. It was more Thor making a wise crack about trying to absolve himself from anything to do with Loki. Not blaming Loki's craziness on him being adopted. But I'm sure everyone on here already knew that...
 
:lol:

That's ridiculous, and actually totally false.

If I recall, Thor first states "He may be insane, but he's still my brother" or something like that, then Black Widow says that line, to which Thor replies "He's adopted"

The implication therefore is clearly that him killing several people is not the normal behaviour of his family, as Loki is adopted, thus explaining his different mind-set. It's not a slant on adopted people, rather making a joke about the fact that he's not actually part of their family.

I've clearly put way too much thought into that.
 
Haven't you heard? It's cool as hell to mock adoption....

 
Anyone, literally anyone, who gets offended by that line is a fecking idiot... of the highest order.
 
Annihilate Now! said:
:lol:

That's ridiculous, and actually totally false.

If I recall, Thor first states "He may be insane, but he's still my brother" or something like that, then Black Widow says that line, to which Thor replies "He's adopted"

The implication therefore is clearly that him killing several people is not the normal behaviour of his family, as Loki is adopted, thus explaining his different mind-set. It's not a slant on adopted people, rather making a joke about the fact that he's not actually part of their family.

I've clearly put way too much thought into that.
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I think that's kind of the point of why it's so offensive to some people...

You're saying that adopted people aren't actually part of the family.

On the one hand, I can see why people might raise their eyebrows at this if they are adopted, adoptees or know someone who is either, but to genuinely take offense? Hell, if we're taking offense at these things then why are all the main characters (bar Nick Fury the token black man) white? Why are they all (bar Black Widow, the token busty, catsuit wearing woman) men? There are plenty of things to get offended at if you want to go looking, but you need to be of a particular mindset to actually seek out offensive material to complain about.

I'd say they need to grow a thicker skin, truly. Their plight is hardly a terrible one.
 
Count Orduck said:
I think that's kind of the point of why it's so offensive to some people...

You're saying that adopted people aren't actually part of the family.

On the one hand, I can see why people might raise their eyebrows at this if they are adopted, adoptees or know someone who is either, but to genuinely take offense? Hell, if we're taking offense at these things then why are all the main characters (bar Nick Fury the token black man) white? Why are they all (bar Black Widow, the token busty, catsuit wearing woman) men? There are plenty of things to get offended at if you want to go looking, but you need to be of a particular mindset to actually seek out offensive material to complain about.

I'd say they need to grow a thicker skin, truly. Their plight is hardly a terrible one.
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Well, by "not part of the family" I meant in terms of character/personality traits... the humour lies in Thor trying to distance his family from the deaths of 80 people, but I see what you're saying.

Thing is, if an adopted person takes offence from the suggestion that Loki isn't actually part of Thor's family because he's adopted... he probably has bigger mental issues of probably not feeling like he belongs to his family, so has bigger problems then complaing about the Avengers.
 
Annihilate Now! said:
Thing is, if an adopted person takes offence from the suggestion that Loki isn't actually part of Thor's family because he's adopted... he probably has bigger mental issues of probably not feeling like he belongs to his family, so has bigger problems then complaing about the Avengers.
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In this case the comment obviously has nothing at all to do with any real life adoptions, so any taking offense is probably looking for reasons to be offended.
 
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