Dwayne Johnson starred in quite a few hit-or-miss movies before he found his stride in franchises like Fast and Furious and Disney's Moana. One of those films was The Rundown by Peter Berg.
The Rundown mirrors Johnson's film track record in that it has both ups and downs. The action is on point, the performances are stellar for bit roles, and the Hawaiian locale serves as the ideal backdrop. One character, however, delivers some cringeworthy dialogue in the movie.
During an exchange between Beck (Dwayne Johnson) and Billy (William Lucking) regarding their previously arranged deal, Beck makes the mistake of sassing his boss. Billy doesn't take kindly to the word usage, particularly, Beck's tone, and what follows crosses the line.
Audiences probably anticipated the kingpin character to snap back at his employee, but his response lacks tact. Billy replies with "Is that sarcasm? You want to be sarcastic, you do it to your monkey friends. You do not do it to me! Do you understand?"
Difficult Not To Interpret As Offensive
Whatever context the sentence had—no matter how endearing it was supposed to be—the use of "monkey" sounds very inappropriate. Billy could've referred to Beck's friends as anything else and the comment would've gone unnoticed, but referring to them as monkeys raises red flags.
Before diving into why the dialogue is offensive, bear in mind that the actor, William Lucking, did not write the scene, nor is he to blame for its execution. Additionally, there's no need to rush to social media or incite more cancel culture because of a singular scene that hasn't aged well.
The scene is arguably offensive because "monkey" has been used as a derogatory term to disparage people of color, specifically African Americans, for decades. Given that Johnson is of mixed-race descent—he was clearly the target of said slur during the exchange between Beck and Billy.
In today's more socially conscious society, such an offhand comment would never go in a movie. No matter how abusive a character may be—or how despicable they're portrayed as, using racial slurs doesn't fly anymore. Occasionally, there are exceptions when directors utilize them to depict figures from historical periods accurately, but that wasn't the case in The Rundown.
Sadly, society is pushing back on the standards we set for the media that general audiences consume. Instead of calling people out for using offensive slurs, specifically ones aimed at children, some groups glorify how liberating it is for them.
For these reasons, it's essential to remind ourselves that referring to anyone of color as a "monkey" is unacceptable. Such comparisons are dehumanizing, and as a society, we've evolved to treat one another with greater respect.
The Rundown is currently streaming on Peacock App.