# Is "lookism" the last acceptable prejudice in movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [December 23, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005 "2022-12-23T14:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/21 "2022-12-23T17:38:42Z")
Fundamentally, if you get a job in acting, it’s because people enjoy watching you. There are a lot of reasons why people might enjoy watching you: It could be because you’re good-looking, it could be because you have great comedic timing, it could be because you have a very expressive face, whatever. But there are an awful lot of people who pursue careers in acting, and very, very few who succeed at it, and even fewer who are stars. And because the field is so selective, casting directors are able to choose from people who are good-looking and funny and expressive and so on. You can still break through if you’re only one or two of those things, but you need to be extremely good at those things to have a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/22 "2022-12-23T17:44:56Z")
Hey, if I want to see an ugly person, I’ll look in the mirror. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/23 "2022-12-23T17:53:54Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > There are a lot of bad actors, especially starring in DC movies. Hey, the DC movies featured a lot of really good actors and Gal Gadot. It was the scripts that were the problem, not the actors. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/24 "2022-12-23T17:55:00Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > If he’s hypnotized (or whatever it was) to believe he’s seeing a _physically_ attractive woman, then he’s not overcoming his shallowness at all. That was the point of the film. He was shallow and never gave women a chance if they didn’t meet his idea of physical perfection. (Which is a bit ironic since he isn’t exactly a perfect physical specimen himself.) He had to be tricked into falling for a woman by not seeing who she was physically. Eventually the hypnotism wore off, and at first he was repulsed by what she really looked like, then he realized that he actually loved her anyway and had to win her back. It’s not a great message, the protagonist practically had to be bludgeoned with the lesson. I liked the movie well enough, and I like Jack Black as an entertainer, but I didn’t particularly find his character in that movie to be all that sympathetic, even by the end of the film. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/25 "2022-12-23T18:03:26Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Hey, the DC movies featured a lot of really good actors and Gal Gadot. It was the scripts that were the problem, not the actors. Not unlike the situation (IMO) with the Star Wars prequels. They actually had a pretty good set of actors in them: - Natalie Portman has an Oscar - Ewan McGregor has an Emmy and a Golden Globe - Hayden Christensen had nominations for Golden Globe and SAG Awards, prior to his work in the prequels But, they were given lousy dialogue to deliver, under a director who was well-known for not giving great direction to actors, and had to act in front of green screens, against “actors” who would be added in via CGI in post-production. It’s no wonder that their performances weren’t great. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/26 "2022-12-23T18:09:35Z")
Are you choosing to ignore that Aquaman movie? Momoa & Amber Heard in the main roles was some epically bad actors showing off their lack of skill. Any movie with Cara Delevingne which included that first Suicide Squad. DC casts looks over skill and doesn’t care if the actor matches up to the role. * * * * * * Give Marvel credit, at least with Thor, they found the only role Chris Hemsworth can play. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/27 "2022-12-23T18:17:24Z")
Interesting, in the Colombian show that Ugly Betty is based on (Yo Soy Betty, La Fea), Betty is pretty homely. Albeit, it’s still mostly the way she is made up-- I have a feeling the same actress could be made to look a lot better. But yeah, America Ferrera was actually sort of cute in a sui generis way. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/28 "2022-12-23T18:27:06Z")
I like Jason Momoa. I’m not handing out any Oscars to him, but he’s charismatic and looks _really_ good without a shirt. Also, he’s playing Aquaman, so it’s not like he can screw up the roll. I’ve only seen Cara Delevinge in one other movie, that space opera by Besson that I can’t remember the name of right now. I thought she was did pretty well in that, particularly compared to the male lead, who was terribly miscast. I don’t recall anything in _Suicide Squad_ that gave any indication of her acting ability one way or the other. She’s basically just a special effect in that film, which is the fault of the writers/director, not the actor. The rest of the casting in the films, though? It’s pretty fucking good. In contrast with almost everything else about them. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Give Marvel credit, at least with Thor, they found the only role Chris Hemsworth can play. He killed as the dimwitted himbo secretary in the _Ghostbusters_ reboot. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/29 "2022-12-23T18:28:29Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Give Marvel credit, at least with Thor, they found the only role Chris Hemsworth can play. Robert Downey Jr. had his whole career revived because of his role as Iron Man. He was a pariah before that. To me he is the perfect Tony Stark. They do a great job casting people. > [@Miller](#): > > I’ve only seen Cara Delevinge in one other movie, that space opera by Besson that I can’t remember the name of right now. _Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets_ Very forgettable name. I really liked her in Carnival Row, that’s an Amazon TV series. They’re finally going to release Season 2 in February. I had thought the show was done after Season 1. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/30 "2022-12-23T18:31:38Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets That’s the one, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/31 "2022-12-23T18:33:34Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > There’s plenty of “not conventionally attractive” character actors out there. No one is hiring Steve Buscemi or Margot Martindale to play the “hottie.” I can’t remember the actress this was about, but she had said something about perfect bodies being a dime-a-dozen in Hollywood, but those who looked like her could almost always find work. It might not be the lead, but it’d be work. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/32 "2022-12-23T18:33:55Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > They do a great job casting people. To me, one of the biggest heroes of the MCU is Sarah Finn, Marvel’s casting director. RDJ, Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, etc. were all just perfectly cast. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/33 "2022-12-23T18:34:01Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Robert Downey Jr. had his whole career revived because of his role as Iron Man. He was a pariah before that. To me he is the perfect Tony Stark. They do a great job casting people. I fervenytly hope he’ll do one last bit as Iron Man- a public service announcement on the dangers of alcoholism. Downey has had struggles with addiction. It’s been canon since at least the seventies that Tony Stark is an alcoholic. Downey could make a powerful statement about how low drugs and alcohol can take you and that there is still hope for a new start. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/34 "2022-12-23T18:39:29Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > He killed as the dimwitted himbo secretary in the _Ghostbusters_ reboot. He was perfect in RUSH: sure, to an extent, he’s just there to give Daniel Brühl stuff to interestingly play off of; and, sure, most of the rest of what he does is, uh, come across as a guy who uncomplicatedly enjoys having a good time. But on top of that one-two punch, he brings _just_ enough more to the movie to really make the whole thing work. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/35 "2022-12-23T18:40:39Z")
I also liked him in _Cabin in the Woods_, which admittedly wasn’t a hugely demanding role, but he was still good in it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/36 "2022-12-23T18:41:23Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I fervenytly hope he’ll do one last bit as Iron Man- a public service announcement on the dangers of alcoholism. Downey has had struggles with addiction. It’s been canon since at least the seventies that Tony Stark is an alcoholic. Downey could make a powerful statement about how low drugs and alcohol can take you and that there is still hope for a new start. I agree 100%. I think one of the reasons why Downey worked as Stark is that both characters have been through the same thing. And he could serve as an example of how both he and the character he played were able to overcome addiction and get their lives back. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/37 "2022-12-23T19:21:32Z")
I thought that Momoa did a fine job as Aquaman. I don’t know how versatile an actor he is: It might be one of those cases where that’s the only role he’s good at (I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything else). But for that specific role, he was right. I will admit, though, that he and Amber Heard had exactly zero chemistry together. I don’t know how much of that is on him, how much is on her, and how much is on the specific pairing of those two, but the “romance” just fell completely flat (it wasn’t even clear that there was supposed to be a romance there until the climactic kiss). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/38 "2022-12-23T19:33:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It might be one of those cases where that’s the only role he’s good at (I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything else). He was also Conan the Barbarian. [![](https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MCDCONA_EC024.jpg) ](https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MCDCONA_EC024.jpg) He’s perfectly fine as an action star. Flex a lot and toss out one-liners. I thought he was also a decent Duncan Idaho. [![](https://uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/jason-momoa-dune-feat-copy.jpg) ](https://uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/jason-momoa-dune-feat-copy.jpg) He fills the “brooding buff cool dude with a good heart” role in movies. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/39 "2022-12-23T20:06:39Z")
> [@2\_More\_Bits](#): > > I once started a thread here asking if people would enjoy movies as much if the actors looked like every day folks. The consensus was a definite “no.” Largely due to escapism being a big part of the whole point. Mileage varies. I’d enjoy them more. It gets in my way when nobody looks the way I’d expect most actual people to look in whatever the situation is. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005/40 "2022-12-23T21:15:16Z")
The whole history of American show business was to attract the most beautiful people and find a way to put them on stage or screen whether or not they could act. If they could, that was a real bonus. If not, that’s what the chorus was for. Show business was escapism, just as @2_More_Bits said, long before movies, long before vaudeville, long before America. People left their houses and paid money to escape the ordinary dull drab reality and the dull drab people who lived in it. They paid more to see beautiful people, especially women. (The sad flip side of that reality is that actresses were therefore expected to sell themselves as much as the show. That everyone in show business was a crook or a whore lived as a trope well into the 20th century.) Merging reality and fantasy used to be a bad sell. The closer to reality show business got, the lower the returns and the narrower the audience. Ryan Murphy did a miniseries called Hollywood that tried to give happy endings to the stories of marginalized people in postwar Hollywood. All the younger ones were still conventionally beautiful. You can make Agatha Christie’s husband black, as the recent movie _See How They Run_ did, but nobody would believe homely black and gay people succeeding. Or fat white people. Or fat anybody. Adele lost major weight. So did Rebel Wilson. Jennifer Hudson. John Goodman. Janet Jackson. Kelly Osbourne. Kirstie Alley. Melissa McCarthy. Randy Jackson. Al Roker. Ricki Lake. Rosie O’Donnell. Even Gabourey Sidibe, famous for playing an ultra-fat role, got bariatric surgery. For every Lizzo, there’s 50 skinny singers baring as much flesh as acceptable. People want everything both ways. Unfortunately, there’s only so much reality you can mix into escapism before it stops becoming escapism. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lookism-the-last-acceptable-prejudice-in-movies/977005.md?page=3)