Why “High Fidelity” Misses the Boat
So I’m watching “High Fidelity” because I generally like John Cussack. And it gets to the scene where the main character Rob, is talking to a girl he dated in high school, and dumped, because she won’t put out. And guess what? He feels totally justified in not feeling any guilt whatsoever. And that is why the film misses the boat. What’s even more interesting is the girl, Penny, sleeps with another boy shortly afterwards. She says, “I said OK and it wasn’t rape but it was pretty close.” To which Rob has no reaction. NO, gee I’m sorry or you deserved better.
The truth is a lot of girls in high school don’t want to have intercourse, they are scared, and they aren’t ready. But yet, dickheads like Rob’s character think they aren’t worth dating unless they give it all up. And, guess what, when a woman says “it wasn’t rape but it was pretty close,” that means it was a terrifying, painful experience. Maybe the idiots who wrote Rob’s character are shallow, maybe they don’t really think too hard, I don’t know. But thinking every high school girl should have sex right away is stupid, demeaning, and totally cave man like. Grow up!
