Kingsman: The Secret Service is a universal hit. The spy flick received a strong critical consensus and gave Fifty Shades of Grey a run for its money at the box office. Many supporters of Kingsman praised its subversion of traditional James Bond tropes and loved how director Matthew Vaughn injected a powerful punch of fun into the action. But almost all of that love was lost thanks to a tasteless "joke" in the final scene that reeked of sexism.
Without upsetting the #spoileralert police, I'll briefly describe the controversial ending: a female character, Princess Tilde offers the male hero Eggsy some anal sex to thank him for saving her and the world. Many critics claim this scene is problematic, as it further objectifies women in film, but Vaughn says they got it all wrong. He meant it to be empowering.
From Entertainment Weekly:
"The innuendo is pretty strong and always comes from the men. I just thought it would be great to turn it on its head by having the woman say it. I actually think it’s empowering. Some bloody feminists are accusing me of being a misogynist. I’m like, 'It couldn’t be further from the truth.' It’s a celebration of women and the woman being empowered in a weird way in my mind, which will cause a big argument again I’m sure. It’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek and crazy."
While there is definitely a rational discussion to be had about whether this anal sex bit falls under a "satire" or "sexist" category, Matthew Vaughn might want to reconsider dismissing anyone critical of his choices as "some bloody feminists" and try listening. That is what will cause "a big argument again", buddy.
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