Although I agree that in general we put too much emphasis on looks, especially of women, isn’t it true that Judd’s looks are part of the product she is selling, as a professional Hollywood actress?
I would have considered her looks much like, say, the ability of a software developer to program in a specific language. If I’m trying to get job that involves programming in C++, but I haven’t used the language professionally in 15 years, is criticizing me for my lack of recent experience any more or less appropriate than criticizing an actress’s appearance?
Of course it is appropriate, if it is relevant. Casting directors do all the time, if silently. Call sheets do all the time also, by excluding those who don’t fall into the proper category. (And actors get this also, maybe not as much.) The sheet you fill out when joining SAG contains questions which would be totally illegal if applied to most jobs.
Even child actresses get divided into classes of roles depending on their looks - in New York it was “beautiful child” versus “quirky kid” for the character roles. Beautiful children were blondes.
There’s no excuse for meanness or cruelty, and there’s no reason to be insulting.
But CAN it be legitimate to point out that an actor or actress isn’t good looking, or is a little too heavy? Yes, depending on the role.
If a role calls for a stunningly handsome leading man or a strikingly beautiful woman, it’s NOT unfair for a critic to point out that a given actor, however talented, is all wrong for the part.
If the next guy to play Superman has a pot belly, and looks silly in blue tights, it’s legtimate to say so.
To use one real life example… I think Sofia Coppola is a perfectly attractive woman. But she was NOT attractive enough to play her role in The Godfather III. I just didn’t buy Andy Garcia risking his shot at being a big shot in the Mob for her. A better looking actress was required. Much of the criticism she received was malicious and excessive… but the criticism wasn’t entirely wrong.
This nitpicking and mindless gossip is why Ashley Judd has a job that nets her a pretty good paycheck for very little effort. If Hollywood and TV hired based on talent alone would she really command the salary she does? I don’t think so and I like Ms. Judd.
She is not a victim of the hypersexualization of girls and women, she is one of the perpetrators when she has her primped, made up and photoshopped face and body plastered on billboards. She is perfectly fine with setting the beauty bar as high as possible, using any means possible, as long as she is on top and making a profit. Once her beauty falters she is suddenly opposed to this kind of objectification? Too late to start complaining in my opinion.
Sometimes. They’re in the public eye, so it’s bound to happen and isn’t to their face. However, make sure aren’t living proof of this internet meme. SFW despite the URL, and it has nothing to do with Jessica Biel for some reason…
Actress? We are talking a movie star here! Does she seriously believe she would have stood a snowball’s chance in hell of succeeding in that hugely rewarded (not just in monetary terms) career if she had not been lucky enough to be born with extraordinary good looks? It was all hard work and talent I suppose, looks don’t matter! Tell that to the thousands of talented, hard-working actresses who never got past a freaking audition. Tell it to all the lonely women in the world who not only do not get paid millions of dollars for a few weeks light work, but can’t find themselves a boyfriend!
This is the voice of enormous privilege, baying for more. Lady, you should be hugely and eternally grateful that, unlike the vast, vast majority of the human race, you once briefly in your life received hugely excessive amounts of cash and public adulation, largely because you looked exceptionally pretty. It does not come with an entitlement that it should last for ever, or that people should pretend not to notice that you have lost what got you where you are. There are plenty of other talented and hardworking women, who look as good as or better than you once did, ready, willing and able to take your place.
Yes. An actress’s looks - especially a young female lead actress’s looks - are part of her job, but everyone’s allowed time off from their job. I’d include premieres and interviews as part of her job, not just the movie roles.
I mean, you are not exactly asking a small question here. On the one hand I don’t like the vapid mindless gossip about celebrity faces and weight, and think it not only reflects poorly on us, but also note how much worse it is for women than men.
On the other hand, i think, well, they are in the public eye, and working at least partly off their looks.
On the next hand, I think, well, this is why actress is such a short-lived career, unless you age beautifully.
On the other hand I think, well, again, this is why no one in this country knows how to age gracefully. It’s all fighting old age.
By the time I am done thinking about it I turn into an octopus with all these hands, and I prefer just to think about how much I like turtles.
When they do something really stupid regarding their looks, like fake duck lips, shaving their head, etc.
When … turtles.
And I don’t buy steroids for sinus infection. Sinusitis (inflammation) maybe, but infection no. Steroids suppress the immune system and would make a bacterial infection really take off. I am not a doctor but I do get sinus infections.
I think if an actress ONLY has looks to bank on ala Meagan Fox, there’s not much else to discuss. I mean, ‘Academy Award Winner, Meagan Fox’ is just not something I expect I’ll ever hear.
For people who actually have acting ability, baring some seriously wackaloo plastic surgery, nit picking comments about appearance just seem petty and small. For both sexes.
For Ms. Judd - eh, I have to admit I wondered what the heck was going on with her face, and I assumed it was a health thing. It sure as heck doesn’t look like plastic surgery gone wrong or something.
What’s odd to me is that so many people complain about how Hollywood makes people have poor self esteem (that ol “I’m not a Hollywood size 0!”) yet for some reason people feel that being great looking is part of their job description.
I’m not naive, I realize people like to look at beautiful people. I am no exception. Still, maybe a little less focus on looks and a little more on talent? In a recent Cafe Society thread about the American vs British version of “The Office” people got in a pinch because someone was called unattractive. It seems like people want it both ways. They want to demand actors and actresses be beautiful as part of their jobs, yet want to bitch if people say someone is not attractive enough.
The more I watch international films the more I realize that it is mostly America demanding their actors be super young and attractive. I find this demand in many cases means prettier person, crappier acting job.
