I'm no "fan" of the subject of corporal punishment, even in fiction (when you're not a parent, you can either think it's a hoot, or be all the way at the other extreme), but that spanking scene has always made me laugh, for the obvious reason - because it CLASHES so well with everything leading up to it. It reminds me of the great Carol Burnett version of Mildred Pierce, where the mother is mildy aggravated at the murder committed by the daughter.