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How BoJack Horseman Convinced an Entire Family to Trust Him

Leelee

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When BoJack Horseman arrives at New Mexico in "Escape from L.A.", he’s the fun sitcom star who brings excitement to this quiet family. The family trust him, welcome him into their home, and lower their guard only to later regret it.

Let's break down the motives of the "safe predator." How the "I'm just a flawed guy" defense allow predators to hide in plain sight.

We also take a look at how this plays out in real life, discussing commentary of the Alex Meyers review of the movie Obsession and why people can easily fall for the illusion of the "safe" predator.

Thanks for watching! :D

Alex Meyers Obsession Review (For context):
Alex Meyers Is a Weirdo

DISCLAIMER:
All footage and clips shown in this video are used for the purposes of commentary and criticism and are protected under the Fair Use Act, Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research.

20 Comments

@LeeleeIRL Creator 1 month ago Pinned

Hi friends!! There is a render issue between 4:54 and 6:20 causing the clips to glitch. I apologize! Thanks for bearing with me I appreciate you all for tuning in! 🩷

@PurpleUnicorn17 1 month ago (edited)

BoJack also showed up at Penny’s college when he and Sarah Lynn were high, causing Penny to have an anxiety attack. It happened a year or so after prom

@jadenpotts4389 1 month ago

the voice actor for charlotte popped off when she delivered the "i will fucking kill you" line. you can feel the protective motherly rage

@tjsmith5276 1 month ago (edited)

Abusers tend to do this thing where they claim that their victim is just as bad as (if not worse than) they are.

@alexvaughan1013 1 month ago

It just hit me. When BoJack and Penny agree on, "Do not tell your mom/my parents", it's similar to this little tidbit with Butterscotch.

When teenage BoJack catches Butterscotch cheating with a woman at work, Butterscotch gets BoJack drunk, and tells him that they should both keep quiet about their mistakes that night. Another great lesson BoJack got from his brilliant father.

@green_olives924 1 month ago

the one thing that always got me about the bojack and penny arc is the fact that he was even allowed to go to that prom. my old high school wouldn’t let you go with a student if you had been graduated for two or more years, and even then you had to be a graduate of the school. so the fact he, a 50 year old with no real relation to penny, was allowed in? terrifying

@SyanaSylwia 1 month ago

I'm still mad how Bojack treated Sarah Lynn and Penny.

@asmolgaytree 1 month ago

"because he's not outwardly a creep like you think of for stereotypical creeps/pedos/abusers, he can't be that bad. Also he's good looking/famous 👍" This is how so many abusers get away with what they do.

@cherie2861 1 month ago (edited)

the worst thing that can happen about grooming, is that you can realise you were groomed far in the future, when you suddenly remember it and recontextualize everything.

that is what happened to me. i was groomed by a 18-year-old when i was 13-14 and didn't realise something was wrong until, like, the age of 20. i just remembered it, started to think and was like "hey, wait a second...". re-read all the texts he sent to me back then and was HORRIFIED.

i relate to penny a lot because of this. when you don't realise you're being groomed until you're older, and suddenly you feel broken, used and terrified.

@Mavvery 1 month ago

I really think this show is a great test of media literacy. Bojack is the main character, so obviously the audience is posed to be very sympathetic towards him, but the more you watch the show the more unforgivable his behaviour becomes and is revealed to be. I appreciate your refreshing take on how whether he realises it or not, he IS a predator to everyone in his life! It's why I'll never understand people who are like "oh, I'm literally just like Bojack!"... because that is really not a good thing to be.

@imagiccion 1 month ago

I don’t think Charlotte was telling her not to talk to reporters simply from shame, but because Charlotte understands that “speaking your truth” may not give you closure, especially because reporters sharing what happened may not go the way you want. Charlotte is older, she’s seen the way that news media will tear women and girls apart, blame the victim, I think she was worried about that happening to Penny and it simply compounding her trauma.

@t3h05h1k1 1 month ago

Even if he isn't planning these things in advance, he still understood how everything would pile and the end game of it. He originally came for the mom and gradually did shit that piled up that ended up where it did.

@k8tieisjusthere 1 month ago (edited)

bojack is an interesting predator because he doesn’t actively plan to have sex with her, but he grooms her family into accepting him into their home and grooms her into feeling their relationship is special and he understands her. he listens and love bombs her a bit, his surrogate daughter AND his close friend. at the time time. he’s ‘like no one else’ because he tramples all over boundaries and that is what LEADS to the horrible stuff. his lack of premeditation doesn’t excuse what he did before, during, and after what happened

@bleistiftkritzler7275 1 month ago

10:51 Important to note he doesn’t say " go away " . He says " Go to bed penny " . Coupled that with him purposefully leaving the door open…..yeah

@AnneBananie 1 month ago

not to mention he had sex with his TV daughter as well and while he isn't fully thinking things through it doesn't change the fact he caused harm and just because he feels bad doesn't mean he didn't cause harm to others and doesn't mean he doesn't need to fact the consequences of his actions. and because he feels bad a lot of the fans excuse his actions which breaks my heart

@dandelion2942 1 month ago

I always thought it was so creepy how bojack almost contradicts everything charolette says when shes trying to comfort penny. Shes trying to encourage her daughter to be more mature and calm, but bojack is gaining her approval by validating and appealing to her teenage pettiness. Its like he knows he can gain her trust and approval while feeding into her insecurity. And on top of that it isolates penny from her mother by acting like she "doesnt understand" them or their bond. Really gross

@PujFudge 1 month ago

What always made it clear to me that Bojack was a groomer was the fact that for a split second before Charlotte comes in, he is smiling as Penny takes off his bow. He did not look shocked or like he did not want this to happen. I took this as Bojack being completely ok with having intimacy with a CHILD!!!! It was not subtle, he is a predator and he did groom Penny.

@seeleunit2000 1 month ago

Bojack wasn't "safe" so much as Charlotte chose to overlook his flaws.
And even more messed up part about this whole situation, is the fact that Bojack didn't even want Penny, Penny was the substitute.

Bo Jackson have never done what he did, but what he did was done out of a bruised ego because the woman he wanted, had no interest in leaving her family for him, so just do his own pathetic ego, he decided to sleep with Penny, but was interrupted.

And nobody is invincible to manipulation.

@bluebutterfly5062 1 month ago

The reason Bojack is surprised when Penny kisses him is because at that point he's no longer in control. He doesn't want a confident person that knows what she wants, he wants a vulnerable person that he has to manipulate in order to be with her.
As said in the video, it creates a plausible deniability where things "just happened" instead Penny was a teenager acting like a teenager and he was an irresponsible adult who took advantage

@AlpiineSnowGriffin 1 month ago

Honestly that episode really highlighted that its not always a random nut job in a white van or alley way that can prey on kids. Sometimes it's someone the child and the family trusts using said trust to get close to a victim, I'm pretty sure slthat some predators that for interviewed clarified they don't look for victims by finding a random ass kid on the street. They look for a family that may be easy to get to and manipulate.