The Men In Black Scene That Aged Poorly

Will Smith is a giant in the realm of acting, leaving a large enough footprint that it can be easy to lose track of how many great films he has appeared in. While he has established himself in many unforgettable performances, surely his role as Agent J from "Men in Black" deserves some emphasis. In a compelling story where Earth serves as a neutral zone for extraterrestrial refugees, Agent J and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) work together under the titular clandestine institution. They're tasked with keeping the peace, which means handling aliens that misbehave as well as erasing the memories of common human witnesses. This was the first and only franchise to combine Smith's impassioned charisma with the stoic intensity of fellow legend Jones, and if box office sales are any indication, it was the right call to make. Released in 1997, the imaginative, action-packed legacy of "Men in Black" has diminished little.

However, just as few actors with lengthy and prolific careers manage to avoid controversy, not every movie ages without noticeable flaws. "Men in Black" is no exception, and one scene in particular did not age well.

When the Bug dressed in its Edgar suit (Vincent D'Onofrio) kills Rosenburg (Mike Nussbaum) in the diner, his body — and cat, named Orion— ends up in the city morgue under the care of the coroner, Dr. Laurel Weaver (Linda Fiorentino). During Agent J's second trip to the morgue to pick up Orion, he doesn't realize that the giant, interstellar cockroach he's been hunting is hiding under a table right in front of him, holding a gun to the leg of Dr. Weaver. She tries to casually get the oblivious agent to take her with him, which he interprets as a sexual proposition. Dr. Weaver then tries more directly to alert J to the danger, pointing down and saying "There's something I need to show you" with a pointed and uneasy look, but he mistakes her warning for further innuendo and responds, "Slow down, girl. You ain't gotta hit the gas like that."

Dr. Weaver shouldn't be the only one uncomfortable here. Innuendo can be both funny and harmless, but J's air of amusement as he assumes the coroner's interest in him is a bit too playboy and his failure to be aware of her discomfort and the danger adds an uneasy tint to everything. It looks pretty misogynistic and doesn't get any better when J responds to Dr. Weaver's later reproach by saying she was "coming on like some drunken prom date." This scene has some serious cringe factor.