Could a Movie Like Norbit Even Exist in 2025?
Introduction
Let’s talk about a movie you probably haven’t thought about in years, but the second I say the name, you’ll either groan or giggle: Norbit.
Back in 2007, Eddie Murphy was on top of the world. His dramatic turn in Dreamgirls had everyone buzzing about an Oscar, and he was still the voice of Donkey in the blockbuster Shrek series. So what did he do next? He put on a mountain of prosthetics to play three characters in one of the most chaotic comedies ever made: the painfully timid Norbit, the eccentric Mr. Wong, and of course, the terrifying, turkey-leg-wielding Rasputia.
The movie made a whopping $160 million, but critics absolutely savaged it. It’s a regular on “Worst Movies of the Decade” lists. And yet, there’s something fascinating about Norbit. It wasn’t just a random flop; it was the ultimate example of 2000s comedy, loud, offensive, and completely unapologetic.
So, was Norbit just a spectacularly bad movie, or was it the last, loudest firework of a comedy era we’ll never see again?
What Was the Comedy Secret Sauce of the 2000s?
Think about the comedies you watched between 2000 and 2010. They all had a similar, chaotic DNA, right? It was the era of excess.
First, you had exaggerated stereotypes cranked up to eleven. From the over-the-top racial jokes in Rush Hour and Soul Plane to the outrageous caricatures in White Chicks and the Scary Movie franchise, subtlety was not on the menu. Villains were often overweight and treated as the butt of every joke, just like Rasputia.
Then came the slapstick and gross-out gags. Thanks to the massive success of American Pie in the late ’90s, the 2000s were filled with people falling through tables, fart jokes, and wild physical comedy.
Finally, it was the age of the one-actor-many-characters spectacle. Eddie Murphy had already done it with The Nutty Professor, Mike Myers perfected it in Austin Powers, and Tyler Perry was building an empire as Madea.
Norbit took every single one of these trends and pushed them to their absolute limit.
Rasputia: The Ultimate 2000s Villain
At the center of the chaos was Rasputia. She wasn’t just a villain; she was a human wrecking ball. Loud, violent, selfish, and controlling, every single one of her scenes was designed for maximum shock value. How you doin’?
The movie itself had a bizarre split personality. One minute, you’re watching a sweet, wholesome love story between Norbit and his childhood sweetheart, Kate (played by Thandiwe Newton). The next, Rasputia is crashing a wedding on a water slide or running people over with her car. It felt less like a movie and more like a live-action cartoon for adults, where the goal was to be as outrageous as humanly possible.
How We Watched Then vs. How We Watch Now
Back in 2007, audiences showed up. That $160 million box office proves that people were laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all. Even the critics who hated it mostly just called it lazy and mean-spirited.
Now, imagine if Norbit was released today, in 2025.
It wouldn’t just get bad reviews; it would ignite a social media firestorm. The hashtag #CancelNorbit would be trending before the opening credits finished rolling.
Rasputia’s entire character would be condemned for rampant fat-shaming and promoting abusive stereotypes. Mr. Wong, Murphy’s Asian caricature, would face immediate backlash for racial mockery. Even the film’s core plot, a timid man being tormented by an overbearing wife, feels deeply out of step with today’s conversations about gender dynamics.
So, Could Norbit Be Made Today?
In a word: nope. At least, not in the same way.
Today’s studios are incredibly risk-averse. A comedy built almost entirely on offensive stereotypes would be seen as a brand-destroying nightmare.
However, some pieces of it might survive. Slapstick is timeless, just look at the success of Jackass Forever. Audiences still love over-the-top villains, like Principal Weems in Wednesday or Will Ferrell’s Mattel CEO in Barbie. And actors playing multiple roles can still be a fun gimmick.
But a character like Rasputia? That brand of humor is locked away in the 2000s vault, and it’s probably not coming out again.
The Strange, Hilarious Legacy of Norbit
So where does that leave Norbit? It remains a fascinating cultural artifact. It’s the movie that proved audiences and critics can live in two completely different realities. It’s the movie that many people claim cost Eddie Murphy his Oscar for Dreamgirls. And, against all odds, it’s the movie that has a bizarre second life as meme fodder, with clips of Rasputia constantly going viral on TikTok and YouTube.
Norbit wasn’t just a “bad” comedy. It was the absolute peak of 2000s excess, a chaotic circus of every single comedic trend of its time. In 2007, we laughed. In 2025, we’d rage-tweet.
And maybe that’s its strange genius. It’s a perfect time capsule of a kind of comedy we may never see again.
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