Nearly 33% Think This Futurama Episode Went Too Far
The work of Matt Groening has always had a reputation for its countercultural qualities, both positively and negatively. Endlessly brutal in its satire of all manner of topics, shows like "Futurama" or "The Simpsons" have never been afraid to cause a little controversy. Even so, some episodes are considered more inflammatory than others. Episodes that deal with more politically charged topics, such as gender or sexuality, are more prone to crossing the line and slipping into territory many would consider to be inappropriate.
In the case of "Furuama," Looper conducted a survey with 637 fans, and found that they consistently consider one gender-focused episode as going too far with its humor. This particular episode is none other than Season 3 Episode 1, "Amazon Women in the Mood," which tells a story critiquing the "battle of the sexes" between men and women. At the same time, much of the episode's humor crosses into borderline misogyny, and even makes light of sexual assault.
What happened in Amazon Women in the Mood?
The episode itself starts out innocuously enough. It focuses on Amy and Leela as they go on a double date with Amy's crush, Kif, and Leela's one-time lover, Captain Zapp Brannigan. Leela hates Zapp, but agrees to go on the date because of Amy's affection for Kif, who is Zapp's reluctant second-in-command. Viewers quickly find out why Leela hates Zapp, as much of the more offensive humor regarding women comes from him. His character is painted as a misogynistic oaf the whole time, however, cluing the viewer in on how "Futurama" really feels about guys with too much bravado.
The episode takes a turn when the interstellar restaurant where the couples are holding their date crash lands on planet Amazonia, a world inhabited only by giant, muscular women. When Fry and Bender become worried about the girls, they rush to planet Amazonia to help, only to be taken prisoner by the Amazonians along with Zapp and Kif. The four of them (except for Kif, who is painted as pleasantly sensitive) continue to rag on Amazonia's all-female society, and are delighted to hear that, as men, they will be forcefully bred to death by Amazonia's population in a ritual known as "snu-snu." Only Kif and Bender (who is a robot) do not consent.
Where does this cross the line?
Though the episode heavily critiques misogyny by painting Zapp, Fry, and Bender as nothing short of jerks when they make fun of or take advantage of the women around them, it's fair to see how an episode filled with jabs at one particular group gets old fairly quickly. However, the sentiment is oddly reversed during the snu-snu scenes, where sexual assault is treated with levity, rather than the seriousness it deserves.
Kif is not the typical "alpha male" that Zapp, Bender, and Fry are in this episode. He really only has it out for Amy, and it gets kind of dark when the entire population of Amazonia literally lines up to perform snu-snu against his will. Luckily, he is saved by Amy just in time, but the fact remains that "Futurama" makes a society who blatantly survives by imprisoning and sexually assaulting any men unlucky enough to land into a joke is a step too far for many people.