“I know they can’t stand it”: the divisive scene Will Ferrell considered the benchmark of a good movie
In 2004, a comedy movie was released that would change everything.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (although nobody ever uses its full title) is widely regarded as one of the funniest films of the 21st century. Starring Will Ferrell in the title role, with supporting performances from Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell and others, the film was an instant hit and is still quoted by millions of fans more than two decades later. For years, people called for a sequel, and in 2013, those requests were finally answered.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues reunited the legendary Channel 4 news team for one more ride. This time, Ron and his crew leave their beloved San Diego (which means ‘whale’s vagina’ in German, if you didn’t know) and head to the big city. There, they must contend with an obnoxious colleague, Ron’s failing marriage, and a news fight containing more celebrities than you’ve ever seen in the same place at the same time.
While the sequel was mostly received well by fans and critics, it was far from perfect. Harrison Ford, who had a brief cameo as a veteran broadcaster, said he wouldn’t have minded if his scenes were cut entirety. There’s also a cringe-inducing scene in which Ron can’t get over the fact that his boss, played by Meagan Good, is African-American. I’d say it hasn’t aged well, but I remember squirming in my cinema seat watching it at the time.
Something else that divided opinion among viewers is a brief subplot in which Ron goes blind. After suffering a head injury, the sightless journalist retreats to a secluded lighthouse, where he undergoes such mishaps as drinking a bottle of ketchup and rubbing his shin for 20 minutes while trying to masturbate. In an interview with The Guardian, Ferrell revealed that he knew this particular part of the movie was going to ruffle a few feathers.
“There was a debate about that,” he said.
Adding, “We really discussed, ‘What do we think about this, if we’re really being judicious?’ But Adam said, ‘You know, we’re budgeted for it, let’s go shoot it and see what happens.’ A lot of people say, ‘That’s my favourite part’ and other people, well, I know they can’t stand it. I think it’s good – you’re on to something good when it’s divisive like that.”
While there’s plenty of funny stuff in this scene – Ferrell repeatedly yelling “I’m blind” in various cadences is silly fun – it does disrupt the flow of the movie. It feels like a scene from a completely different story and is resolved with just a few scenes, begging the question why it was even included in the first place.
Regardless of this discourse surrounding the blindness scenes, Anchorman 2 is still a great movie. While it may not live up to the lofty heights of the original, it most certainly did not disappoint. When it comes to legacy sequels – especially in comedy – that’s really all you can ask for.
