Seth Rogen’s leading ladies not amused

How long before Hollywood’s latest king of comedy, 26-year-old Seth Rogen, runs out of leading ladies? The actress Anna Faris, who stars as the object of his desires in Observe and Report, is not the first female lead in a Rogen film to express anxiety about the frat-house level of humour.

As Christopher Goodwin reports from Hollywood for our cover story today, Faris plays the dumb blonde shop assistant who gets date-raped by Rogen in a scene many critics have expressed concerns about.
Interviewed by New York magazine, Faris said: "It's like date rape - that's funny, right?... Or not..."

She continued: "I do wonder if there's going to be a bit of a gender divide on this movie. I think that some guys can see themselves in Ronnie [Rogen's character, a mall security guard], and understand him, I guess. And I'm not sure that women will go along with that."

As more and more critics come out against the film - "If you thought Abu Ghraib was a laugh riot, then you might love Observe and Report," said the New York Times - it is worth remembering that Rogen’s co-star in the film that made his reputation, Knocked Up, also expressed reservations.

Katherine Heigl plays a beautiful and ambitious TV presenter whose career is ruined when she gets pregnant after a one-night stand with stoner Rogen. The actress told Vanity Fair that she thought that film was "a little sexist... It paints the women as shrews, as humourless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys. It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days." ·