Save the Little Swimmers! What's Appropriate Content for a Movie Trailer?

Hmmmm, which one is better suited for a general audience?

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Monday, December 21st 2009 at 5:22 PM

Jennifer Lopez in The Back-Up Plan
Photo: CBS Films

Now, before you read any further realize some of what is described going forward may be considered a bit salty for workplace or sensitive consumption, but considering we are discussing the content of an MPAA approved trailer it can't be too bad? Right? Well let's find out…

Today the trailer for Jennifer Lopez's upcoming film The Back-Up Plan, in which her character wants to become a mother and decides to go the route of artificial insemination, debuted online. This is where the discussion comes in based on the question posed in the headline, and also where I am going to hand it off to the perceptive eyes of Vince over at Film Drunk. Here's what he brought up in his posting of the trailer and I have included the same image he references at the top of this post:

I'm a big fan of the Adam Carolla podcast, and one of the stories he likes to tell is how the MPAA told him he couldn't put a shot of a guy trying to pee with boxing gloves on from behind in the trailer for his movie — only to see Cameron Diaz [Ashton Kutcher] peeing in the sink in the What Happens in Vegas trailer a few weeks later. He's probably going to be even more pissed when he sees this trailer for The Back-Up Plan featuring the above shot of Jennifer Lopez walking through a sperm bank. She's keeping her legs together to keep the semen she just bought from spilling out of her vagina, you see. I am not making this up.

I had never heard the Carolla story, but I find this fascinating. Perhaps the MPAA believes the above image involves too much thinking for little children to understand what's going on, but what about the shot below from the trailer for Couples Retreat or the one after that, the shot described by Vince from What Happens in Vegas?

EDIT: Vince commented below and thinks it may have been Amy Poehler peeing in the sink in Baby Mama that Carolla was referring to so I've added that as well…. just for kicks.

Couples Retreat
Photo: Universal Pictures

What Happens in Vegas
Photo: 20th Century Fox

Baby Mama
Photo: Universal Pictures

I'm not a prude so I couldn't care less what was in a trailer as long as it doesn't spoil the movie, which is basically the reason I don't watch trailers anymore anyway, but if you are going to have a rule let's stick by it.

If you are still interested in watching the trailer for The Back-Up Plan you can catch it below or watch it in high definition right here.

The Back-Up Plan hits theaters on March 12, 2010.

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