The NY Times had a piece this weekend that echoes my piece in the Guardian last Friday — the double standard for female vs. male actors regarding weight.
It’s pretty simple: Guys can be fat, women cannot.
Here’s what I wrote in The Guardian:
Here we find ourselves in a familiar place of berating a female actor for her skinniness, but isn’t that very skinniness what we demand of them? I challenge you to think of the last Hollywood film where the women looked normal. I guess a better question would be – do we even know what normal looks like any more? Judging by Hollywood standards, I don’t. Thinness is what is expected and demanded of our actors – except when they get too thin, because then they get blasted like Johansson and, recently, Keira Knightley and Jennifer Connelly.
Read the full piece here: Scarlett Johansson takes on Hollywood
From the NY Times:
Based on a close look at trailers, still photos and som
e films already released, at least a dozen male stars in some of the year’s most prominent movies have been adding on the pounds of late.
Hollywood’s women may have weight issues of their own. But it is somehow less noticeable, possibly because actresses who expand do not often get roles to showcase that growth.
It’s less noticeable not only because heavier actresses have less opportunities, it’s less noticeable because all women have less opportunities.
I love this analysis of why we are accepting of heavier male actors:
The change in smoking habits may have something to do with it. Possibly, too, the audience has grown more tolerant of weightier men on screen as the society at large has become heavier.
Why has the audience grown more tolerant of fatter actors but not fatter actresses. Both women and men in the culture have gotten fatter. According to CNN this morning which did a story on the new airline policy on making heavier people purchase a second seat men have gained 25 pounds over the two decades and women have gained 24 pounds.
While the Times talks about the acceptance of the growing male waistline the story pretty much ignores the double standard for women. More from my Guardian piece:
For another example of the double standard, look at Russell Crowe in the excellent State of Play, which opens this week in the US. The man is not thin, in fact he’s quite portly, yet no one talks about his weight as a career hindrance or a monumental issue. I guarantee that if the genders were reversed and Rachel McAdams’s character was the lead, there would be no way that she would have been cast looking the way that Crowe does.
I say it again, guys can be fat and women cannot.
What’s the Skinny on the Heftier Stars? (NY Times)
Scarlett Johansson takes on Hollywood (The Guardian)
Hear, hear. What such utter bullshit. Why is Seth Rogen, a fat ugly guy, always getting big roles and always landing beautiful GFs, but a fat “ugly” actress cannot get a big role and land good-looking boyfriends?
I hate Hollywood so much.
yes it’s true,it’s more painful to watch a fat actress than a fat actor.www.rainyhollywood.com
I always find it odd how stories like this claim that “the audience” thinks this or that when we have little choice but to accept the bodies that are presented to us. If we complain that there are too many underweight actresses on screen we are told that this is what men find attractive. If men say they don’t find it attractive they are told that they aren’t the norm.
If it really were a case of characters on screen representing the changing physicalities of the audience then there would be far more characters with disabilities, more characters of colour and of varying ages and sizes. I am suprised when I see how few characters wear glasses on screen.
excellent post.
in response to the first commenter though, i think we need to redefine our ideas of beauty and attractiveness. though russel crowe has gained a few, he’s certainly not ugly. and some people would disagree that seth rogen is ugly–some people find him attractive. just because someone (man or woman) is fat, that doesn’t make them ugly. beauty comes in all sizes.
I despise Seth Rogen and the type of films he’s in.
Filthy, I’m sorry but I do think Seth Rogen is ugly and I don’t find him attractive at all. For once it would be nice to see an overweight actress with a good-looking guy who has an amazing body and a beautiful face.
I don’t care about what “beauty” means. I would like to see “ugly” actresses get more attention onscreen. It’s not fair that most male actors are butt-ugly and are allowed to get acting roles, while butt-ugly females don’t get any attention, period.
It seems the media and Hollywood like to make women feel bad about their bodies. Not too long ago, US Weekly had a cover story about Candace Cameron. For the “before” picture of Cameron, the magazine actually used a picture of her on Full House when she was a little girl! Give me a break. Inside the magazine was a more recent “before” picture of Cameron from when she was around 20. Funny thing is, she didn’t look fat at all. She looked normal. The magazine noted how the actress felt “fat” at 132 lbs. Seriously! It also said she had “weight problems” when she as pregnant. Um, aren’t you supposed to gain weight when you’re pregnant? Also, the now svelte Cameron said a female director told her to suck it in. The whole article made me sick!
Another similar phenomenon:
Men on TV often let go a little once they’ve got a good gig, while the women get tinier and tinier.
I can relate to this article as I know from my own personal experience just how hard it is to lose weight. I wrote a book called “Alone in the Storm” which is about an overweight woman who is unhappy with her life and she struggles to lose weight. After a series of events in her life, she comes to realize some important lessons, including one of the most important lessons of all; in order to be loved in life, you have to first love yourself.
Carla Cunningham, Leeds
Published Author of Alone in the Storm (I am on Fbook)
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/AloneInTheStorm.html
I am all over the place on this one. While I don’t know if I agree with the examples perse, I think the over-arching point is dead on. As Melissa said, “It’s less noticeable not only because heavier actresses have less opportunities, it’s less noticeable because all women have less opportunities.”
That’s what stood out to me because Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington are considered some of the top actors working these days(I happen to think they are very good as well). Maybe they get afforded a little more room than other actors. Would someone lower on the totem pole be able to chunk on the weight perpetually? Someone who hasn’t used it as comic relief like Seth Rogan – for example Josh Duhamel or Brenden Frasier? I don’t think so. But Russell and Denzel get way more roles than Emma (Thomspon) or Kathy (Bates), who I think would be their counterparts in terms of acting chops.
Again, this points out to me the weirdness that goes on when people are going to see films. I think a lot of guys don’t mind the weight, but a lot of women do. I remember hearing a little brouha about Denzel when he was in Inside Man. But if they are still catering to guys, then they’ll show that in film. When I tried to think about average-sized women I couldn’t think of any in film, but I could think of quite a few on tv, which of course, is considered more of a women’s medium. I know women shrank in the past on tv, do they still? Maybe I’m just not watching those shows. Even the cheerleader on Heroes looks like a healthy weight.
It’s funny too because I thought about another comic book adaptation Scarlett did a while back: Ghost World. I loved that film. And she was good in it; but I also liked Thora Birch; I mean it was really her movie – although that didn’t stop them from putting Scarlett first on the poster. And I really liked Thora in American Beauty! But somehow, Thora’s been working but seeming not in the limelight, while Scarlett has blown up. Perhaps she has a better agent? More winnable personality? But I just can’t shake the feeling that somehow it was because Scarlet played the cuter, thinner one and resembles more closely what society sees as beautiful. I could be wrong.
The reason why I guess I am a bit on the fence is that it just seems natural to work out for a comic action film. Ideally the actors are doing a lot of their own stunts. Robert Downey had to endure a pretty intense workout (as did Christian Bale, Tobey Maguire, etc…), so I would expect Scarlet to do that and lose a lot of weight. I can see why she would be annoyed.
Sounds to me (and again, this is just based on what I am reading here) that she may have lost weight without gaining muscle. Jennifer Garner is a good example. In Daredevil she buffed up. In Elektra she wanted a more lithe look. The problem was she’s already thin, so she ended up looking like a waif! As opposed to in Daredevil she looked pretty ominous in her outfit with her sais.
I REALLY HOPE she looks more like Linda Hamilton, or even Halle Berry (who looked noticeably more buffed than usual in Catwoman). It’s funny, we know that women are discriminated because of their weight. So when I read the post my first thought was “Scarlett is doing Black Widow? Oh no.” Without some muscle gain she is going to look pretty puny compared to Robert and Mickey – which will be another possible female hero down the drain. I hope she proves me wrong, and does a great job, and looks like she can kick a little but. But if all these rumors are flying about her weight loss, and she already looks quite petite, it gives me pause.
Oh, and here’s something we women can stop doing: how about not reading those magazines!?! Every time I hear about some scandal that US Weekly, or People, or some other celebrity gossip mag is stirring up, I just wonder who is reading it. If it didn’t sell issues, this wouldn’t be an issue at all, would it? I know we have to do so much more, but that could be a step.
And by no means do I want to put the editorial staff out of a job. Maybe they could instead print news news. :D
Thanks as always for highlighting stuff that I would have otherwise missed Melissa. And thanks for the comments all.
Thanks, Mel, great article/discussion.
Obviously since Hollywood is still run by insecure, white men, this double standard will continue. As stated, since we women are basically being FORCED out of the movie theatre and home to our TV’s, I’m increasingly not missing movies and enjoying reading, TV, the outdoors, music, etc.
I agree with the Seth Rogan comments, by the way. Why is he famous? Why is he in movies? According to what I’ve read, it’s because he’s friends with Judd Apatow. Great decision making, Hollywood. What-EVER.
Having said all of this, I need to acknowledge the fact that genetically, men just ARE more visually stimulated when it comes to sex; women are less so. SO — we will TO A POINT tolerate a slightly pudgy and slightly older Russell Crowe…TO A POINT.
Speaking for MYSELF, what I WILL NOT TOLERATE and will not pay to see (are you listening, Hollywood?!?!?) is overweight, craggly OLD MEN with HELLOW TEETH (sorry Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro) have sex on screen with gorgeous, young, fit, sexy, smart, attractive young women 30 years their junior.
BLECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What y’all said. I am indignant.
Show business is a business. It’s all about box office returns. If movies about overweight, middle-aged women made millions, Hollywood would be making movies like this in droves. But the most movie goers these days are teenage boys, who don’t care if the male lead is fat but do want the female characters to look like fantasy babes. Especially in a time when movie attendance is in decline, moguls aren’t going to make movies that don’t make a profit just to make the few people who do see them feel better about themselves.
“men have gained 25 pounds over the two decades and women have gained 24 pounds.”
Except that women are on average quite a bit shorter than men. I’m 5′2″ and my DH is 5′9″. He would be significantly better able to hide 25 extra pounds.
“genetically, men just ARE more visually stimulated when it comes to sex; women are less so.”
Uh, where are you getting this from? Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus?
Great article!
It always amazes me when I see headlines about some actress’”hot new body” and how she went from a size (US) 4 to a size 2. Seriously? Explain to me how a size 4 could be considered fat?
Over the years I’ve also noticed the lack of talent in some of these skinny actresses and it drives me insane. I cringe every time they speak. I agree with your statement that women have less opportunities, and many of the opportunities that we do have are given to skinny pretty girls who can’t act to save their lives just so little boys will go see a movie. It makes me laugh when they complain that they aren’t taken seriously as actresses. Gee, maybe if you took an acting class or ten! No wonder the movie industry is losing money.
That was my rant for the day.
this is a good article i’m glad that someone is taking a stand against this double standard crap
it’s pretty insane how they want them to be thin than blast them for it
so…
seth rogan is funny, and he’s not a bad lookin guy. it’s a matter of opinion though, right? and why does it matter if he’s ugly or handsome if he’s talented.
and did anyone know that marilyn monrone was a size 13? hmmm
Marilyn was a yo-yo dieter like all the other hollywood starlets. Only at her heaviest was she a size 13. Her pant size was mostly a size 8, which might sound large until you realize that they have been making women’s sizes smaller and smaller over the years as women have gained more and more weight. It’s a marketing scheme that works quite well. So today’s size four could easily equate to a size 8 back in those days. Meanwhile, her stats were 36-24-36, damn near close to perfect.
Hey, and yeah i totally agree! Why can’t everyone be looked at as their insides, without freaking out about their insides? I sure don’t get it. It sets a bad example. I think it is right to take a stand. (:
“Men on TV often let go a little once they’ve got a good gig, while the women get tinier and tinier.”
Great point as well, that I missed. Desperate Housewives is a perfect example.
I don’t go to many movies because like another writer I am sick of seeing men of all ages and women under 30…simple as that. I know that the cinema is about fantasy..but whose? Just males? I actually think more women are interested in going to the movies but there aren’t any films catering to us..just those chick flicks which also have ordinary looking men in them…that’s cos women don’t discriminate. If the man is a nice person, it doesn’t matter what he looks like which is a good thing for men because if we were like them..no man would get a look in! The so called beautiful women on the screen are often very stupid and annoying yet the men like them because they look good! Go figure.