Why was Paige Spiranac offended by LeBron James' Space Jam 2?
Almost a year ago, there was massive controversy surrounding NBA superstar LeBron James' Space Jam 2, also known as Space Jam: A New Legacy, and golfing sensation Paige Spiranac.
The film is a follow-up to the 1996 box office hit, Space Jam. The legendary James played the lead role in the 2021 sequel, replacing another legend Michael Jordan. Before the film was released in July 2021, Warner Bros. faced a massive backlash over a character's representation.
When the promotional pictures for the film were released months before the film's release, they were met with a massive backlash for 'de-sexualizing' the character of Lola.
The controversy was spearheaded by Spiranac, who was allegedly offended by the depiction. She claimed that the director tried to take away the femininity of the character to make it appear stronger. That perceived narrow vision allegedly offended the former golfer to the extent that she took to the media to express her disapproval.
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Read on for more details about the controversial case.
Paige Spiranac called out Space Jam 2 for 'taking away feminity'
In the present day scenario, filmmakers have to tread very carefully in their quest for ideal representation. The creators of Space Jam 2 perhaps missed out in their attempt to perfectly represent the characters, ending up facing backlash from Spiranac and other internet personalities.
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Trying to defend their choice of making Lola less sexy, director Malcolm D. Lee said that the design change was "important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters." That was perhaps not the ideal response to the accusations.
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Speaking about de-sexualizing the character in Space Jam 2, Spiranac had said:
"The director wanted her to be less sexy and be seen as more strong. So, what the director decided to do was take away all of her femininity. She has no curves, and her outfit is long basketball shorts with compression shorts and a baggy shirt. I took so much offence to this. They're basically insinuating that you can't be sexy and also strong."
Paige continued:
"And to be seen as strong, you have to be seen as more masculine. And you can't show off your body or curves. I hated that. I don't like what they're trying to say with this new Lola Bunny. All women can be strong and sexy and empowered in their own way."
She added:
"It's a cartoon character, like what the f**k are we actually talking about here? By taking the boobs off Lola Bunny, you are saying you can never be seen that way because women who have large breasts, what do we do about that?"
Her outburst was understandable, especially, as she has suffered from constant criticism for her dressing choices throughout her career, according to sources. Director Malcolm D. Lee broke offered his take on accusations, saying:
"So, we reworked a lot of things, not only her look, like making sure she had an appropriate length on her shorts and was feminine without being objectified but gave her a real voice.For us, it was, let's ground her athletic prowess, her leadership skills, and make her as full a character as the others."
Although the controversy was never really resolved, viewers eventually accepted the new form of Lola. Perhaps Spiranac is still aggrieved about that.