{"id":11783,"date":"2022-03-05T13:14:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-05T12:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1597688"},"modified":"2022-03-05T13:52:08","modified_gmt":"2022-03-05T12:52:08","slug":"benedict-cumberbatch-reacts-to-backlash-and-toxic-masculinity-of-his-netflix-film","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/benedict-cumberbatch-reacts-to-backlash-and-toxic-masculinity-of-his-netflix-film\/","title":{"rendered":"Benedict Cumberbatch reacts to backlash and \u201ctoxic masculinity\u201d of his Netflix film"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Molly Moss\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 05 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Benedict Cumberbatch has responded to criticism from Sam Elliott around the portrayal of the American West in his Oscar-nominated drama The Power of the Dog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday 1st March, the veteran\u00a0actor, who is known for starring in Westerns such as Yellowstone<\/a>, slammed Jane Campion\u2019s movie\u00a0during his appearance on Marc Maron\u2019s WTF podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Elliott said he took the film\u2019s portrayal of the American west as \u201cf***** personal\u201d, comparing the cowboys in the movie to Chippendales dancers who \u201cwear bowties and not much else\u201d, adding: \u201cThat\u2019s what all these f***ing cowboys in that movie looked like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re running around in chaps and no shirts. There\u2019s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie,\u201d he added, appearing to be referring to Cumberbatch\u2019s character, whose toxic masculine traits are implied to be as a result of being a closeted gay man.<\/p>\n

However, speaking at the BAFTA Awards Film Sessions\u00a0with Leading Actor nominees on Friday (4th March),\u00a0the Doctor Strange star<\/a> hit back, explaining why it\u2019s so vital to portray a character like Phil Burbank in the 21st century.<\/p>

Cumberbatch explained that, \u201cbecause there are many [Phil Burbanks] in the world\u201d, in order to achieve gender equality and oust toxic masculinity, we need to \u201clook under the hood\u201d of characters like Phil to \u201csee what their struggle is and why that\u2019s there in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actor paused to make specific reference to\u00a0Elliott\u2019s controversial criticism\u00a0of the movie.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying very hard not to say anything about a very odd reaction that happened the other day on a radio podcast over here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout meaning to stir over the ashes of that [\u2026] someone really took offence to \u2013 I haven\u2019t heard it so it\u2019s unfair for me to comment in detail on it [\u2026] to the West being portrayed in this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd beyond that reaction, that sort of denial that anybody could have anything other than a heteronormative existence because of what they do for a living or where they\u2019re born.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""Yellowstone\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Sam Elliott in Yellowstone<\/span><\/figcaption> Paramount<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

He continued: \u201cThese people still exist in our world. Whether it\u2019s on our doorstep or whether it\u2019s down the road or whether it\u2019s someone we meet in a bar or pub or on the sports field, there is aggression and anger and frustration and an inability to control or know who you are in that moment that causes damage to that person and, as we know, damage to those around them. \u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cThere\u2019s no harm in looking at a character to get to the root causes of that. This is a very specific case of repression, but also due to an intolerance for that true identity that Phil is that he can\u2019t fully be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cumberbatch concluded: \u201cThe more we look under the hood of toxic masculinity and try to discover the root causes of it, the bigger chances we have of dealing with it when it arises with our children.\u201d<\/p>\n