As far as movie releases go, Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr.'s Let's Be Cops came out at a terrible time. With all the terrifying events going on in Ferguson, Missouri at the moment, and the despicable actions of the police force there, maybe releasing a movie that glorifies life as a cop isn't the best move at the moment — out of respect alone.
Before you roll your eyes and point out that Hollywood has nothing to do with real life, I should note that this isn't even just the musings of someone who's paid to blog about deeper meanings behind pop culture — the subject has been bought up a few times (and I mean a few), and was even mentioned to star Johnson himself when he tweeted out the simple film promotion, "Who is going to see #LetsBeCops tonight?" User @LaurenBans responded with an equally simple statement of her own: "Bad timing."
It's an important question to ponder, not only because of what's going on in Ferguson, but also because of the way that cops are portrayed in the film versus how we've seen them act in eyewitness videos. NYPD put a man into a choke hold and he died. An innocent bystander near a protest against the violence going on in Gaza was just maced in Seattle a few days ago because he was black. Officers arrested a brother and sister in Times Square who, as bystanders yell, "didn't do anything" — again, because they were black. These are not events we can ignore, even for a two-hour movie that's supposed to be a comedy.
It may be too early to tell whether or not ticket sales will be affected, but honestly, the movie's release should have been postponed.
It may be too early to tell whether or not ticket sales will be affected — we'll know by Sunday, at least — but honestly, the movie's release should have been postponed.
Image: 20th Century Fox
