Olivia Munn Describes Being Hit as a Child on Conan

[STer]

I was on CNN.com yesterday and they had a little image linking to a video with the headline "Olivia Munn Talks About Being Slapped"

 

So I click the link and it goes to a video of her on Conan O'Brien's show with the headline "Olivia Munn Talks About Being Spanked" and under it "Actress Olivia Munn talks about growing up with the wrath of her mom."

 

So I watched the video and what a strange and telling thing it is. She is talking about her and her sister being hit all the time by their mother when they were growing up. Of course, being Conan's show this is supposed to be comedic and so people are laughing, but there's really nothing funny about it and the laughter is kind of stilted and awkward. It's as if they aren't even sure why they're laughing. It sort of embodies the mixed feelings and psychology people have when faced with this topic.

 

You can see the video here. It's interesting CNN chose to feature this clip. I'm told there is no way at this point to embed videos from sites other than YouTube so I'll just put the link.

 

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/07/19/conan-olivia-munn-spanked-by-mom.team-coco.html

[Pepin]

The laughing is a release of anxiety, especially from members of the audience who haven't dealt with their past, and even more from those who reenact it. They are very eager to find a joke in it, to find an opportunity to dismiss the reality of the situation. The laughing is more to do with them than it is about Olivia.

 

I think another factor is that though it seems like she has dealt with the issue to a decent point, the self-defense are still present.There is for the most part an emotional distancing and dry description of the events. There is also a willingness to laugh will the audience, to smile, and to make light of the situation in the portrayal. If there was a real emotional tone and dictation to what he said, the audience likely wouldn't be able to laugh, rather they would experience a very uncomfortable silence.

 

Despite the last paragraph, I'd say she did a really good job in talking about it. Anyway, that is my analysis of the video.

 

When I talk about issues in my past similar to these, I have a tendency to smile and to take a tone that people decipher as being non-serious, or being manipulative. I also have a strong bias to dismiss what I am saying as dramatization, over-reaction, or as being kind of funny. When people see this, it isn't something they really understand.

[vze57564]

Yeah, video is pretty intense.  I am not sure I hear the awkward laughter, but I think she is holding back a lot of emotion.

[MysterionMuffles]

I just watched this clip wanting to share it too. It is a horrible display of denial. Good for her for being successful but jeez how lightly she can tell the story with the crowd laughing. Its a denial fest. I really hope Conan doesnt hit his kids along with the other celebrities whose work i enjoy. It really makes you wonder who does or doesnt.

[Rob_Ilir]

That was painful to watch, especially with the two stooges to her right projecting their own beaten trauma to dehumanise her.