If Pepe Le Pew promotes rape culture, what about the date-rape plot in Eddie Murphy's 'Coming 2 America'?

The New York Times reviewed Eddie Murphy’s “Coming 2 America” which premiered on Amazon Prime on Friday, calling it a “genial, mostly inoffensive, sometimes quite funny sequel to a beloved comedy from way back in the 1980s”:

Will fans of "Coming to America" like the sequel? Our chief film critic A.O. Scott on what he calls a "genial, mostly inoffensive, sometimes quite funny sequel to a beloved comedy." https://t.co/D4yEAFKY7o

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 7, 2021

And here’s how they’re describing the plot which involves Eddie Murphy’s character, Akeem, discovering he sired a son during his visit to Queens during the events of the 1988 original film. According to the NYT, it was a “not-even-one-night-stand”:

Back then, it seems, there was an oat that got away — a not-even-one-night stand with Mary Junson (Leslie Jones) that resulted in Lavelle.

Except this isn’t what happened. At all. In this movie, we find out that Leslie Jones’ character drugged Akeem and then had sex with him, making it literally date rape. Via Slate:

. . .Akeem was drugged by a woman (played by Leslie Jones) who he and Semmi (Arsenio Hall) invited back with them from the bar—a woman who then proceeded to have sex with the prince and become pregnant with his son. That this scene depicts a pretty clear-cut date rape (Akeem doesn’t remember any of this, except that he encountered a “boar”) while playing it for laughs is one of the movie’s first and most harrowing choices.

And since we spent the entire weekend canceling Pepe Le Pew, shouldn’t the New York Times and Charles M. blow be at least as equally as concerned with an entire movie based on date rape?

If the NY Times says Pepe Le Pew adds to rape culture, what will they say about the Coming 2 America sequel where the entire plot is based Leslie Jones' character date-raping Prince Akeem?

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) March 6, 2021

I started with what I liked because it was a long day. It provided some form of joy. I came into it with low expectations. Here's some critique of #Coming2America which others in my network have said beautifully: 1. Leslie Jones's playing tropes associated with dark-skinned women

— we have power, socially distant too (@loveartjustice) March 7, 2021

2. Why Leslie Jones's character could only have had sex with Akeem through date rape essentially 3. Also this was date rape essentially and very glossed over 4. Some jokes did run flat, but I laughed a couple of times 5. Greatest suggestion I heard was hire African writers

— we have power, socially distant too (@loveartjustice) March 7, 2021

Watched it, was hot garbage they tried recapturing the magic of the first movie but failed terribly. Like most new movies based of cult classics. Chemistry between Eddie Murphy and Arenio Hall wasn't there. Also the date rape subplot was cringe as fuck.

— Eric Draven (@DravenHrok) March 7, 2021

that used to be a grandson.” And the movie uses rape, specifically date rape of Eddie Murphy’s Akeem, as a plot device for laughs, with it being excused because it gave him a son. The rapist is even welcomed into the family and it’s never addressed how wrong it is. (2/3)

— Matty ???️‍⚧️ (@MattyLamour) March 7, 2021

TW: rape

Also, the main premise of the story relies on the fact that they made Eddie Murphy's character get retroactively date raped during the club scene in the first movie and the rapist has his son, who now has to be the future king.

Like???????????? HELLO???????

— Caeyen??‍? (@Caeyen) March 7, 2021