Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon appeared on The Ellen Show this week… just to drop the first trailer for The Spy Who Dumped Me. The movie doesn’t come out until August! People are making talk show appearances just for trailers. Anyway, here’s the trailer – the spy who dumped Mila’s character is played by Edgy Justin Theroux.
It looks… okay? It reminds me a bit of that Melissa McCarthy movie, Spy, which worked as a spoof of so many spy movies too. It’s a delicate thing – either it will really work or it really won’t. As for Mila and Kate’s appearance on The Ellen Show, they have a lot of chemistry together and it’s very cute and funny. Towards the end of this clip – around the 5-minute mark – Kate and Mila start talking about Mila’s kids, Wyatt and Dimitri.
Mila says, about her kids:
“They’re incredibly different. My boy’s like a sloth. He’s wonderful, and I love him — ’cause one day he’ll probably watch this and be like, ‘Why did you say that?’ — but the truth is, women are smarter than men. And I have this evident from my two different humans that I created. Girls are just on it and boys are like, ‘Dum da-dum da-dum da-dum.’ They’re more like little linebackers going through life, and like … Neanderthal-ish…There’s just a huge difference.”
Many parents say similar things when they have boys and girls: little girls are more organized, they’re smarter, they develop language and social skills faster than boys. I hear it over and over again, from celebrities to regular people. Part of it is how we expect girls to socialize and use language and we don’t expect the same things from little boys. Or maybe boys are just dumber. Who can say.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Nonsense.
to be honest, if the only children I knew where my stepkids, and all my nieces and nephews, I would say that this is accurate haha.
Yeah I’ve seen kids of both sexes both ways. Each kids just develops at their own pace.
Of course it’s not true but it’s amusing to hear the opposite of what men have been telling women for centuries ( and continue to do so in many countries today)coming from a woman. I think men can take it. We women did 🙂
I like your take Rhys! Also going to take this moment to brag on my daughter whose results from her first standardized testing were phenomenal! 98th percentile on a test that does rolling averages! Of course testing isn’t a true measure of her intelligence I’m just glad for her that she can do it well–opens many doors.
No, actually not nonsense. Intelligence is a broad and difficult thing to measure but as the conventional method appears to be test, lets go with that.
https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-a0036620.pdf
This is a meta analysis aggregating studies going back a hundred years and spanning different countries, cultures and races. It finds that girls generally outperform boys regardless of subject. This advantage appears to dilute at late adolescence and its been postulated that this is where the social conditioning starts to kick in. Where girls begin to internalize messages about gender roles and how not to intimidate potential partners or try to hard. And of course to cede authority especially intellectual authority to boys. The boys are meanwhile being instructed to conquer the world, think outside the box and aim big
I think another aspect might be that even little girls on some level realize that they need to be on top of things because boys are treated differently. I distinctly remember that feeling of somehow being second class even in primary school. I couldn’t put my finger on it then of course but I worked harder to be better than the boys because only then would I be “just as good”. It was fun competing with my girlfriends over grades but with the boys it was somehow necessary.
That is great link Krill. Thanks.
@Littlemissnaughty, I felt that way too. I couldn’t figure it out, but for some reason boys were “better”. Boy stuff was cooler, more interesting, more practical, and rewarded far more than girl stuff. The phrase “… for a girl” was thrown around very casually, like girls were by default not smart, strong, capable, or interesting. If girls like boy stuff, they were cool. If boys liked girl stuff they were shunned and mocked without mercy. I decided, without understanding why, very early on that being a boy was better.
@Wren, it wasn’t that explicit for me. But I had the “good fortune” to have a primary school teacher who was at the time nearing retirement. In 1990. So you can imagine her attitudes and teaching style. I was quiet and got really good grades so I was fine. But man did she not like rambunctious girls. Tomboys. She was less strict with the boys in terms of behavior and that continued after school. My mom worked so we went to day care, or whatever it was called. These two were also older women and pretty much the same. I couldn’t stand any of them and was glad to go to high school. Where the result of these teaching styles became apparent when boys thought they were the sh*t and we were stupid and at best decoration.
I think it didn’t affect me too much when I was little because I had a sister and my parents were the complete opposite. I never appreciated my mom’s truly genius parenting style until a few years ago. She never spelled it out. She was just a working mom who taught us to speak up and to work and ask for things. That was so important. You’ll never get anything handed to you, ever. So ASK. If you think you deserve something, speak up. She never framed it terms of girls vs. boys but we got it anyway.
But yeah, I didn’t seriously compete with the girls because they didn’t count as much. Ouch.
Gah. This is giving me traumatic flashbacks to a male colleague who always insisted girls excelled in school because school is designed to create followers. Like…maybe but stop blaming women for the social norms men created.
‘School is designed to create followers’
I agree. But then again so is advertising and the media.
Shapalled,
Absolutely! But I take issue that 1. Girls are more compliant than boys and thus better students (uh…a zillion years of male-only military forces suggests boys have just as much capacity to follow rules) and 2. That school is somehow designed to favor girls.
Hey Krill, here’s some information I thought you might want to look at. From what I had known there are more females in the average intelligence range but more males outside of that range, both lower and higher. So I looked it up and this is what I found. Pretty interesting stuff.
http://iqcomparisonsite.com/SexDifferences.aspx
Until they date Wilmer Valderama. Gah she bugs.
And MARRY her DB husband. Lol, good point!
I don’t feel like watching the video this early but hopefully she’s saying this in a joking manner, surely she wouldn’t say that seriously basing it off of her two kids.
I think she’s just joking, not seriously evaluating male vs. female intelligence.
Ahhh…yup
I can easily believe that Mila is smarter than any of the men she hangs around. Look who she dates. Look who she’s married to.
+1
Amen to that. She dated the kid from Home Alone and is married to a douche. My son was taking algebra in grade school and had a college prep reading capacity, but maybe her kids home school with Ashton and they learn to punk each other. We’re supposed to be equals, even though woman are trying to catch up financially in the workplace. In her case, intelligence is a toss up.
Lol! But maybe there’s more to her husband behind the scenes that we don’t see!
Perhaps his vehement campaign against child pornography? Or his testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on issues of slavery and human trafficking? Or his investment in new technologies that help international law enforcement in identifying trafficking victims, especially minors? Or his support of sting operations that have apprehended scores of sex criminals in the last few years?
He seems decent to me.
Ashton Kutcher has been one savvy investor since his 20s and invests in very early stages of companies that he believes in, ike Airbnb. He even partnered up and created a venture capital fund five or six years ago. I consider Ashton intelligent. I once read he has a high IQ. I don’t know whether it’s true or not. He has been invited to speak at tech conferences, etc. And I admire all he does as far as human trafficking as a cause he really supports. An organization he helped set up has identified several of human trafficking victims.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2016/03/23/how-ashton-kutcher-and-guy-oseary-built-a-250-million-portfolio-with-startups-like-uber-and-airbnb/#37ae39f11175
Steven Colbert talking to Ashton about his investing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYD07kGeNAM
I meant several thousand of children trafficking victims. I left out thousands.
He is using technology with a company Thorn he is part of on many fronts to identify victims and also to combat child sex trafficking and human trafficking.
https://thenextweb.com/insider/2017/02/16/how-ashton-kutcher-is-using-tech-to-fight-child-sex-traffickers/
I really don’t like Mila Kunis. She just rubs me the wrong way. I can’t really put my finger on it.
She has an abrasiveness to her. But it’s not an awful person abrasiveness like a chelsea handler – it’s harmless, like she just wants to present a dry wit with a toughness. Maybe it’s her Ukrainian/Russian background.
About this movie, I think it’s hilarious Justin Theroux has been trying to make a Mr and Mrs Smith for the last 12 years. He did a lifetime tv one with Alyssa Milano, now he’s moved on up (sorta) to playing an undercover spy boyfriend to Mila Kunis (who played a pre-teen Angie in Gia) in an actual wide releaser. Well done Justin.
I’m starting to see why Jen couldn’t handle his burgeoning film career.
I mean, “women are smarter than men” doesn’t even hold up for so many reasons. During childhood, girls grow faster. They generally start puberty earlier. So developmental differences, like Mila talks about, is not out of ordinary. I hear this BS from parents so much.
Thank you Una!
PS – she looks like a teen Jolie.
She played Gia/Angie as a child in the film ‘Gia.’
She’s 35+ now so she doesn’t really look like a teen, and isnt that much younger than Angie. But her eyes are similar. Doesn’t have the lips or cheekbones though.
Edgy Justin Theroux, lol I love it. Can that be his unofficial name for now on?
Oh, and ps, I think what she says about her kids is mean and she sure jumps to conclusions. Her son is 2 years younger than her daughter, so OF COURSE her daughter is more advanced. Ugh. Use your brain, Mila. Of course, this on a talkshow, so she’s probably just spouting off in that bubbly way that she does that aggravates me.
Plus, my son and daughter are also different from each other – because they’re not the same person! HELLO.
Oh, relax. She is saying it in a joking manner. She compared her son to when her daughter was the same age and spoke about the differences. No one should be offended by what she’s saying.
I agree Red, I just watched the video and she’s clearly joking around comparing her own two kids, not making some grand scientific statement.
I am relaxed, Red, but thanks for the condescension.
I’m not offended, I just think it’s a shallow comment made by a shallow person on a shallow talkshow.
And it isn’t clear at all she is comparing her kids at the same age.
Exactly. And, it’s pretty common for the firstborn to develop a little quicker than the second born, because generally they get more one-on-one attention. I usually like her, and she probably said this in a joking manner, but I really don’t find it funny at all.
i like the trailer. It looks pretty funny, hopefully they have not packed all the jokes into the trailer.
Same here, the trailer looks good, but I hope that’s not all there is. I really like Kate McKinnon and want her to have a career worthy of her talent. I also like Mila, so I will probably see this.
Apparently, the film tested through the roof with several screenings they’ve had in the last month or so. Maybe that’s why they’re hyping it so early. The trailer looks “meh”.
I’m guessing part of the plot revolves around how Justin Theroux’s character dumps her because he and his spy friends thought they were simply too cool and edgy for Mila Kunis.
Kate McKinnon is the only reason I’d see this.
That’s hysterical it tested well, I really hope Justin’s career takes off after this in a big way. Next phase, Oscars! Finally, the always a bridesmaid at the Oscars Jen (presenter) can have her tabloid ‘Showdowns!!’ with nominee Justin, and not winner and nominee Angelina. Lol
It might at least save Theroux ‘s career if he can get out from under Huvaniston ‘ attempts to bury him.
I think she was joking…sort of. At least near the end, she seemed to be.
Her husband is a neanderthal so I guess I can see why she’d form that impression of men. He even sounds like one when he talks.
I’m amazed by her success because her voice is really annoying.
Ashton Kutcher is actually pretty dang smart, he just doesn’t always get that respect.
I know he’s smart with money and investments.
Some of his behaviour has been kind of Neanderthalish (her word), though. I don’t think the two have to be mutually exclusive.
Yo, I hate that I’m up and down this thread defending Kutcher, but I totally don’t get this perception of him as an ass? He’s outspoken (politically, legally, monetarily, and physically) about supporting some of the most vulnerable populations on the planet, internationally sex trafficked children. It’s not just being smart with money and investments – it’s using that savvy to help innocent people and apprehend slavers.
I just posted the same above.
And Angelina gets all the airtime on here about her humanitarian activism, not many other celebs. but Ashton Kutcher is really involved in what you are talking about, human trafficking and child sex trafficking. He is very vocal and very much an activist coming at the issue from many different angles.
A simple google search of his behavior the past…oh 15 years…should pretty much sum up why people think he’s an a**. Yes, he’s smart, he did manage to get into the University of Iowa before he dropped out, and yes, he does work to help end human trafficking (let’s not forget that THORN used to be called the DNA Foundation – Demi and Ashton Foundation) but let’s not pretend he’s Elon Musk/Warren Buffet type smart. He lucked out by hobnobbing and getting to know the power players in Silicon Valley. His friendship with billionaire Ron Burkle is what helped him figure out how and when to invest in tech companies properly unlike his earlier days with random tech investments that flat out crashed and burned.
I know people who will see this just because Sam Heughan is in it.
I think she is doing “parent” half joking exaggeration. We all laugh about the differences in our children, and she only has two so she puts it down to gender. I don’t believe she meant anything more than being entertaining and being a little provocative.
Since I reject society’s gender expectations, I don’t find this true for mine.
Smarter? That’s very hard to quantify with small children. In my experience as a preschool teacher little girls are much more capable, across the board. Teaching four year olds, I would have extra challenges ready for my girls as they flew through activities, while my boys would need a lot of assistance to do the things the girls could do.
Time to go outside? Little girls put their coats on and zip them up. Little boys need assistance. These kind of differences are undeniable when the kids are very young. But I would not say that one or the other is smarter, there’s just a capability gap that exists for a little while.
She was probably joking, but do celebrities ever stop and think how certain things they say in public could affect their children one day in the future? My father said some horrible things to me when I was a child, but with the exception of my ex and a few close friends and a therapist the whole world does not know what he said. Today a comment or posting on social media/ internet stays there FOREVER. Children can be cruel and can easily take a comment they found online and tease a classmate.
Again, I am not saying Mila was being mean towards her child, but everyone has been teased at one time by peers in school. Why give future bullies material to use against a child?
Um. No.
My daughter has more emotional intelligence than my sons. For her it is innate. She showed empathy and compassion at auch younger age than her older brothers and we were very careful not to impose gendered expectations on our kids at young ages.
But she’s not smarter. One child has what used to be called Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s brilliant, compulsively organized, and just has social difficulties. My other child is a mix of the two. Smart and social.
They’re all different, but neither is “smarter” than the other.
Feeling sorry for her son. He’s going to have major self-esteem issues with the mother he got stuck with.
Oh give me a break! She’s clearly joking.
God, that trailer was painful. I couldn’t watch the whole thing. And right out of the gate leading with the classic, Oh funny! Haha! Women can’t drive stick shifts!
The helpless woman trope is so tired. This looks surprisingly unfunny, even with Kate McKinnon.
I’m pretty sure she is joking and all parents I know, myself included, make jokes about our children. I have two boys and from my observation they are more physical in expressing themselves then girls the same ages. At 2 and 3 they are still developing language skills.
I do not agree with talking about children like this. I also do not agree with generalities like this. Get a grip Mila.
Absolutely! SOME are. Others aren’t. But wait, there’s more – some MEN are smarter than women, too. Others aren’t.
Let me guess, she has a movie to promote. Time to talk about the kids, then when she doesn’t have a movie to promote, whine about people, fans, or the media asking about her kids. I think what she is saying is ridiculous. Every child is different.
Shut up, Meg
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I only had one kid, a son. He’s 24 now. Speaks 4 languages, tested at genius iq level, perfect SAT scores etc. But as a baby?
He really didn’t talk or walk early. It was 15 months before he took a step…..but then he walked across the entire room and I never recall him falling.He didn’t talk until he was 2; but @ 18 months hold up a book and ask him to point to the letter “A” (or B or Z…) and he got them right every single time.
All kids are different and unique. Early development may or may not be indicative of future abilities, And abilities and outcomes aren’t the same thing,
Another Hollywood-er who has kids and is now an expert on kids. 😏
I had a girl first, then a boy. And then many, many years later another girl. Honestly, their genders didn’t really seem to me to be the sources of their differences. My youngest daughter and her brother are incredibly similar. I call BS on this stereotype.
Megan, I could have wrote the same post. Young teen daughter, eleven year son and year and a half yr old daughter! I think girls mature a bit quicker and even potty train quicker, but past toddler, basically the same developmental patterns. Mila will learn or not!!
She’s clearly joking. Of course girls aren’t smarter than boys and boys aren’t smarter than girls. There are a million factors that go into the equation.
Mila’s outfit is giving me LIFE. I want it now!
Also, Ashton is very active in social issues. Look it up and you might be surprised!
Mila’s outfit is giving me LIFE. I want it now!
I love it as well! She looks stunning and chic.
Silly comments to make on television. Would we laugh if Ashton said his daughter was less intelligent than his son and like a Neanderthal? We don’t need to fight sexism by perpetuating it the other way, especially against children.
I know these parents who love to brag about how much their young son hates school, like “you’d rather be playing football, right son?” Kid’s like 4 years old. He s not super verbal yet, as can be the case with boys, but he’s also learning fast that intelligence isn’t manly. Ugh.
Granted I don’t have girls, but… I’m one! And out of three sons, each different, I can tell you the stereotype may generally apply, but not conclusively. Son number one was an enormous handful and emotional. Son number two was sent to me from another planet. He was perfect. Straight a’s, kind, gentle, athletic, aced everything, hell…the dude’s teachers would shed tears at the end of shool years as they said goodbye. And sometimes, say in grocery stores or out and about town, parents and teachers would approach me to compliment; made me uncomfortable! Son number three has been making noise since birth. He literally climbed walls as a youngster. Flew everywhere, jumping from furniture piece to furniture piece in his superhero costumes. “Hey mommy. Mom. Mom. Mama. Mommy. Mama. Mom. Hey Mom. Mommy. Mommy.” Both he and my first have had to study. But number three doesn’t put much effort into school and manages a’s and b’s. Imagine if so many boys could pull heads out of butts and focus!
I also think any woman married to Ashton Kutcher would come to the conclusion that women are smarter than men.
Wow Mila is harmless. What’s with the negativity? What she is trying to translate is that girls develope at a faster rate than boys, but I guess it came across wrong. She was trying to be funny. And say what you will about Ashton, but he’s a good investor. I also really respect Mila’s work ethic. It’s phenominal.
I think she’s just joking, so I don’t see the big deal. I was reading and talking and potty trained at a much earlier age than my brother. We both grew up to be of very comparable intelligence. My oldest son was reading when he was about three, my younger son didn’t read well until he was about seven (I was getting pretty worried) but it happened almost overnight and now he reads just fine. All kids develop differently at different times. I’m sure Mila knows that and was just making a mom joke. When my older son was still at home, whenever one of them would be driving me crazy, I’d tell the other one he was my “favorite son of the day.” It was a total joke, and was taken as such.