Peter Farrelly apologizes for whipping it out so often in front of coworkers in the ’90s

76th Golden Globe awards

Yesterday, I covered some of the new backlash to Green Book. Someone, somewhere in Hollywood really wants to ensure that Green Book’s Oscar chances go down the toilet in the next few weeks. I’m fine with it. If Mahershala Ali is the only person who comes out of the dumpster fire of Green Book, that will be absolutely cool with me. As we discussed yesterday, it turns out that Green Book’s producer/screenwriter Nick Vallelonga tweeted at Donald Trump, and agreeing with Trump’s false claim (lie) that he saw Muslims on the street in New Jersey celebrating on 9/11. That controversy was caught quickly and Vallelonga deleted his account.

In addition to that, The Cut dug up some old profiles of Green Book director Peter Farrelly from the ‘90s, where he and other people openly discussed how Farrelly liked to whip it out and show people. Farrelly sexually harassed Cameron Diaz this way, and probably many other men and women. Farrelly addressed those old accounts in a new statement:

Green Book director Peter Farrelly is apologizing for flashing his penis in the ’90s in an attempt to be “funny.”

“True. I was an idiot,” he said in a statement, released days after his film won multiple awards at the Golden Globes, including best picture (comedy). “I did this decades ago and I thought I was being funny and the truth is I’m embarrassed and it makes me cringe now. I’m deeply sorry.”

The accounts were detailed in a recent story by The Cut, citing a 1998 Newsweek article, that said Farrelly used to flash his genitals while on the set of his movies — including to celebrities such as Cameron Diaz.

In the Newsweek article, Diaz, who starred in the Farrelly brothers’ 1998 movie There’s Something About Mary, recalled auditioning for the hit comedy. “When a director shows you his penis the first time you meet him, you’ve got to recognize the creative genius,” she said at the time. The actress later recounted the experience again in The Sunday Times, as reported by CNN. “We were in a restaurant and Peter Farrelly showed me his penis. That was enough, really. He got a positive response,” she said. “That was all he needed to know. That was fine by me.” Representatives for Diaz did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

[From People]

Poor Cameron Diaz. I feel like this and probably many other incidents, assaults and abuses in the industry are why Cameron doesn’t work as an actress anymore (by her own choice). As for Peter Farrelly’s apology… I mean, at least he didn’t pull an “I’m sorry if you were offended” or “I was just kidding around!” He owned up, called himself an idiot and apologized. I still don’t think all is forgiven, and of course I think he’s still a terrible person. But I’m glad his apology wasn’t complete trash.

National Board of Review Awards Gala

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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41 Responses to “Peter Farrelly apologizes for whipping it out so often in front of coworkers in the ’90s”

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  1. Eleonor says:

    I wish someone could explain me why this should be considered remotely fun.
    Or why you need to show it around. What is the point?

    • detritus says:

      The 90s were so weird and messed up in certain ways. This seems to typical in that humor.
      I had a friend (he was a teenager at least not a grown ass man) who showed people the ‘gum on his shorts’ all the time. This btw, was his balls kinda squished to look like gum.
      People though it was hilarious…

      So I can’t really explain, but i can corroborate that Farrely wasn’t the only one who thought surprise genitalia was funny.

      I’m so, so glad this is not longer ok.

      • Who ARE these people? says:

        Did your friend show this to men and women equally? Did he do this when in a position to hire someone? Context is everything. People have always had bawdy humour. The difference is in who does what to whom, where and why.

      • Steff says:

        Especially late 90s to early 00s. It was deemed cool to be offensive.

      • Bryn says:

        I dated a guy in high school and went to a shed party with him and his friends one weekend. One of his friends though it was hilarious to get naked and dance around, basically shoving his junk in everyone’s face. The guys thought it was hilarious, the girls that were there were putting up with, i was not impressed. He stood in front of me and the guy I came with and started thrusting his junk probably a foot in front of our faces. I told him if he wanted to keep it to get it out of my face and put some goddamn clothes on. They all called me lame and said I didn’t know how to take a joke. Safe to say I moved on from the guy I was dating and all of his friends lol

        Now there’s a big difference between a 15/16 year old doing this as opposed to a fourty year old man doing it to people who are supposed to be his employees, but boys grow up and become men eventually. So I guess it starts with getting cheered on and goes from there.

      • detritus says:

        WATP, if you’re implying I’m somehow excusing any of this youre on the wrong track.

        While Farrely’s assault is of a greater magnitude than a high school idiot, showing anyone man or woman, your genitalia unasked for is sexual assault. There’s no excusing bawdy humor when it’s strangers, or even friends. If it’s unasked and unconsented, it’s not ok.

        Steff, so much so. And the proliferation of cool girl-itis and anti feminist rhetoric was seemingly at its most intense. Perhaps it was my age tho. This picture encapsulates what I remember of the attitude (from Maxim)

        https://i.redd.it/aplme9ardc921.jpg

        Brynn, totally. And kids figure out it’s acceptable from adults and the cycle continues.

      • Who ARE these people? says:

        Detritus no worries, didn’t think that but felt the need to fill out the context. I came of age earlier, too.

      • detritus says:

        WATP, totally gotcha. And my condolences if your high school years were anything like mine. I truly hope kids are better now.

      • Who ARE These People? says:

        Thanks detritus (love your name). I was lucky in high school: Those years were busy and friendly but my school lacked a jock culture, which may have helped. More important in my personal big-picture, school was safer and less sexist than home. In the 90s I still had to deal with idiot sexism and harassment but as an adult and in corporate America. No one escapes.

    • Celebitchy says:

      Kaiser and I talked about this while recording for the podcast yesterday. We lived in the 90s and it wasn’t remotely acceptable then either. I’m sorry for those of you who had to deal with this.

      • bears says:

        I remember when that movie Waiting came out and people starting flashing “the goat” to be funny.. I want to say that was early 2000’s? Could have been a bit later. That’s the type of asinine humor Farrelly was infected with. I’m so glad that period is over and we feel less and less like we have to be the “cool girl” and laugh at it.

      • noway says:

        I lived then too and it wasn’t acceptable then either, but I remember it being a “thing” some men would do to both women and men as a “joke.” I can’t remember why this was a “thing,” cause I don’t remember the movie Waiting and if that was 2000 it started before that. It was kind of like mooning which was huge in the 70’s just a lot more gross. Then we went to phones and dick pics and other nude pics. Yes this was just one of many things that made women feel uncomfortable, although I wouldn’t really put this up there with some of the other harassment and assaults, but still. I have talked to younger women, and they really don’t understand the culture then. So many have asked why didn’t someone say something. First you were ingrained to just get along with the men, and it was kind of obvious in most workplaces when women were given the more menial jobs and tasks and less money and the men had the better career tracks, regardless of ability. You just wanted to be thought of well, and you just didn’t make waves. Also, I know so many women if they didn’t bruise badly or were physically penetrated, you just didn’t consider it an assault. Plus, some men who could have and may have ended up more “enlightened” got caught up in the men’s culture too, so it was a double whammy. We really are sometimes just a bunch of stupid sheep. I appreciated his apology, as he’s right it is beyond embarrassing. I’m kind of caught with what do you do now with this kind of thing too.

        As far as Cameron Diaz is concerned, I know everyone feels bad for her, but she may have truly not been affected by it as you did honestly get used to it. Now you may look back and go yeah that was gross and harassment, but at the time I’m guessing she may not have felt that way. I personally think she left her career as good parts dry up for the older women crowd, and sometimes you just say screw it I’m not fighting for it anymore. She seems like that kind of person.

      • Ama says:

        Ladies, keep the dick pics and keep them for the moment they “grow up” and become politician, CEOs etc… 😉 hehe

    • Nanny to the rescue says:

      I remember late 90s and early 00s as “Jackass era”. While showing your junk to people was frowned upon, it was also constantly done by dudebros on drunken parties. (That plus hurting themselves Jackass-style because apparently, that was hilarious or something.)

      I’m talking teenagers and students on alcohol. Not sober adults seeing their potential employees for the first time in a job interview (which is what auditions are). Pretty sure that was never considered normal.

      ETA: Eh, that was an answer for Celebitchy above me. Sorry for the confusion. To answer Eleonor’s question, I think it’s a mixture of voyeurism and breaking social norms.

  2. grabbyhands says:

    In what universe was this supposed to be funny???

    Why wasn’t he sorry about it before?

    Oh, that’s right – his Oscar chances weren’t be threatened then.

  3. Who ARE these people? says:

    Same. Why would it be funny? Did it have a clown face painted on it or something?

    If revealing one’s private parts in a professional encounter is hilarious, then why haven’t women responded by pulling up their skirts? Why don’t the men whip it out in front of other men for the same yucks?

    Either these men are saying they are stuck in a childish mentality about their wee-wees or it’s. ..sexual harassment.

    I vote for the latter.

    • smcollins says:

      Exactly. I worked at a Pizza Hut in college (this was mid-90’s) and one of the assistant managers flashed his penis to one of the waitresses, making some comment about dipping it in honey. She just made a snarky comment and walked away. She did report it and he only got a warning to never to it again and had to apologize to her. Rumor had it he was transferred to our location because he had a sexual harassment complaint at another one.

  4. Notyouraveragehousewife says:

    I’m no prude but there is never an appropriate or funny enough time for anyone to expose themself in a professional environment. Not even the Holllywood professional environment. I feel like Cameron acted like she was cool with it at the time b/c she could have been blacklisted otherwise. I read not long ago that she was sexually assaulted on the set of her last movie and that’s why she retired from acting to live a semi-normal life. I don’t blame her. I can’t even imagine what she’s seen and been through.

  5. Flying fish says:

    Just because it occurred in the 80’s or 90’s he should get a pass. No.

    • Pandy says:

      Agree, no pass because why the hell does anyone think this is fun? HOWEVER, I do accept his apology. I don’t think he needs to do much more than that really. Own up to being an idiot and say you’re sorry.

  6. Sayrah says:

    Yes this “cool girl-itis” where if you don’t accept someone sexually harassing you, you’re out of the club. Sarah Silverman put up with Louis CK, Cameron put up with Peter Farrelly. Eliza dushku gets thrown off a job because she was sick of it. I’m so over this shit.

  7. MCV says:

    I don’t think flashing is a 90’s or 80’s thing, few years ago when I was going to school with my friends a man came to us and did it. I just don’t understand why they think is funny or why they do it just like catcalling they know we don’t like so I assume is to humilliate us?

  8. diana says:

    I don’t think flashing your dick was ever acceptable but like other in the comments, I too knew more than one dude who would do exactly that. There was a guy who used to do that on our way home from school. Whenever I’d call him out everyone would scold me. Boys and girls. I ended up taking a different route home for about 3 years until everyone split up to different high schools.

    As for this guy’s apology…it’s ok I guess. I know Mahershala probably wants this awards season to end asap. I love Viggo but he’s been quite the let down lately. So I hope he won’t be defending any of that shit.

  9. maggi says:

    I’m not sure if this is a confession or just a moment in time in the 90’s but I remember a guy at a houseboat party doing his impression of a flying squirrel (scrotum spread, accompanied by high-pitched squirrel sounds ?!?!?)
    The confession? I laughed my ass off, thought it was the funniest thing my inebriated self had ever seen.
    Drunken shenanigans by the bonfire aside, I cannot imagine how one would do that sober or in daylight.
    but I did laugh at the flying squirrel

    • Pandy says:

      That’s the thing. Humour is subjective (and beer goggles help sometimes). Maybe Cameron did find it funny too. We don’t know the context. Would imagine alcohol was a factor as they were at a restaurant.

      • noway says:

        Plus during those years, I would have taken the “stupid frat boy show me your penis but give me a good job guy” over the “condescending, women are inferior to men, and don’t deserve the job guy” any day. There weren’t a lot of choices out there then, and still not that many now.

  10. Svea says:

    Egads another one. Why do men (like Bezos) think women want to see it? Years ago found the d–k pics of a friend on the shared computer of a group summer share house. The idea of him gleefully emailing them to women he met on dating sites made me never look at him the same again. Plus I suspect he puriently wanted someone to find them.
    It’s some twisted “Mommy look at me” isht.

  11. Lady Keller says:

    It’s been my experience hat a lot of men are proud of themselves for having a penis. Like they want a pat on the back for having genitals. So they need to show it off to anyone who will look, like an over zealous preschooler who drew a picture or made a craft in class.

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      I know, it’s like they’re all those cherub fountains whizzing into the public square (near the church). This is some weird fertility rite shit, like they should all put on codpieces already.

    • Aren says:

      I think you’re absolutely right! It’s like they think it’s a glorious object that should be admired, worshiped, and praised.

  12. Cay says:

    This isn’t just from the 90’s. Dax Shepard had publicly stated that while making the “CHiPs” movie a couple of years ago, he directed it naked. He’s never been called out for that by any news outlet. Here’s a 40-something man who wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the movie. He’s setting the tone and the tone he chose was to be naked while on set. If he’s the star, director, and producer, who does one to turn to to complain?

    • Who ARE These People? says:

      Seriously? Ew. Wipe down that director’s chair and maybe check his thyroid.

    • Bluthfan says:

      Chips was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Just genuinely terrible. And the humor was all at Dax’s stupid level. Not surprised he shot the movie naked at all. What a tool.

    • Cay says:

      And it seems to me that no one in Hollywood cares. Like I said, he stated this publicly. He isn’t ashamed of his actions. And what are the consequences? None. Big names go on his podcasts. Lots of outlets carry stories about what is talked about on his podcasts. He’s been hired as the star of a new ABC comedy with Lake Bell. He isn’t suffering because of his actions. Nope. In fact, people think he and his wife are #couplegoals.

    • Harryg says:

      I cannot stand Shepard, he is creepy and always looks manic.

  13. minx says:

    What?! Oh, brother.

  14. lucy2 says:

    Gross. WTF is wrong with some men? And can we stop using “it happened a long time ago” as an excuse for awful things?

    I hate that Cameron had to act like this was ok and funny. I’d like to hear her take on it now that she doesn’t have to worry about her career anymore (but she is not obligated to speak on this if she chooses not to).

  15. Fluffy Princess says:

    What is it with these men who whip it out in front of co-workers or employees?? Why does anyone over the age of 3 think that would be okay in any way, shape or form?

    I. don’t.get.it.

  16. phlyfiremama says:

    How did he make himself a “victim of the times”???

  17. Oliviajoy1995 says:

    Wtf?? Why do these men think its okay to just whip their junk out to any person hanging around? Mainly women. So effing gross.

  18. A says:

    Honestly, I’m surprised at this apology. It’s actually not half bad. It could be a little bit better, sure, but it’s a good start and at least he owned up to it and recognized that it was terrible and cringe and not in good taste.

    That being said, our bar for what is a good apology is so low, it makes me sad. ):