Fire, I’ll trade you my mop of thin, stick straight, wispy hair that won’t hold a curl until I’ve used a hot curling iron and set it in sponge curlers for two hours…and even then it’s only body. It slips out of pins and clips…and even when there’s static, it clings to my head, and falls limply over my face…
UGH!
I’ve had a very similar Pit thread simmering around in the back of my head for the last few weeks. I was pissed off at that Princess Diaries movie, which has already been mentioned, but it’s the same principle.
For a society that takes so much pride in its political correctness and open-mindedness, Holywood sure seems to go out of its way to reinforce and exploit every single negative stereotype it can get away with. The only exception is when they spew out some heavy-handed trash about how evil some specific stereotype is, usually while still using a dozen others. The whole thing just pisses me the hell off. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen that stupid-ass “pretty girl + glasses + hair tied up = ugly girl” used to teach a supposedly moral lesson.
I mean, take this Princess Diaries movie. What lesson are the young girls who go see this movie supposed to come away with? If you feel awkward and ugly, if you don’t fit in, if you don’t have any friends, you just need someone to teach you about makeup, fashion, and hairdressing. Then, no doubt, everyone who ever teased you will end up envying you, so that you can spurn them as they spurned you. No wonder this country is so fucked up. I loathe popular culture more and more every day.
While I thoroughly agree with the comments here, I thought I should point out that this film is from the Farrelly Brothers, who specialize in pushing buttons. Their movies are always over the top, and when it’s good (e.g., most of “There’s Something About Mary”), it’s very funny.
This one, however, doesn’t sound like it. I believe that if the preview of a comedy doesn’t make you laugh, the movie won’t either.
My thoughts:
We saw the trailer for Shallow Hal today. I was pretty offended by the whole thing as well. The part that really got me was the scene where they’re in an ice cream shop (or whatever) and she sucks down this huge milkshake in about three seconds flat. Yeah, because every overweight person in the world scarfs down their food like a pig :rolleyes:
I’ve probably seen the trailer for The Princess Diaries a billion times this summer (we go to the movies a lot). As a former young girl with glasses and curly hair (okay, mine was due to a perm gone very wrong) I’m insulted. As if I’m not self conscious enough about old pictures of myself, here’s Disney to tell me that my life would have been perfect if my grandma had only made me pretty. I’m shocked that the girl doesn’t have braces as well. Sheesh!
And, as long as I’m ranting, I may as well chime in about The Truth About Cats and Dogs. When we rented that one a while back, Mr. Jeannie commented to me: “Let me get this straight. Uma Thurman, all ninety pounds of her, is a drop dead gorgeous model that any man would kill to have. And Janeane Garofolo is supposed to be ugly??? Riiiight…” (I may point out here that Mr. Jeannie has nothing against thin people, he just doesn’t see why anyone would go nuts over Uma Thurman).
TYG, I don’t see the problem. I read the whole interview, and I really don’t understand what your issue is. Seems pretty clear that she now has some empathy for the experience of fat women in this culture, and she thinks it would be a good thing if all women considered “pretty” by our culture could have that experience, so they too could find a little more empathy for those less blessed by great genes and zippy metabolisms, rather than feeling judgmental and superior.
On the other hand, I wholeheartedly and unreservedly concur with the sentiments expressed in the OP.
stoid
This is the same planet where a role originated on Broadway by Kathy Bates, playing a dumpy, frumpy not-very-attractive waitress was played in the movie by * ** Michele - Fuckin’ - Pfeiffer ** * ( * Frankie and Johnny *) I mean PLEEEEZE.
That is one thing I really appreciate about European films. The people in them look like real human beings.
stoid
In a NY second.
(I’ve never understood that complaint “Alas, I can comb through my hair.”)
But, as to the OP, it is nice to know that there’s another movie I don’t have to feel guilty about not seeing.
Ummm… I think that’s sort of the point, isn’t it? It makes Black’s character all the more hypocritical.
I was still offended, though.
**
I think she’s got a valid point. Do you think that attractive women are treated the same way as ugly women? Or are you just upset that she’s equating overweight with being ugly? I agree that Hollywood has an odd sense of what is fat and what isn’t. But being grossly overweight is not pretty.
Marc
OK here’s a fact people; Thin people are prettier than fat
people!
I can never understand people who want to go thru life candy-coating all the things they don’t like about it.
And another fact; being thin and physicaly atractive
isn’t all there is to life.
So I say: “so the fuck what if your fat. accept it or do something about it. And don’t expect people around you
to pretend that you don’t have a weight problem!”
The trailer makes perfect sense to me. And i would
venture to say that it has a good moral msg. as well.
oops what I ment to say was “and don’t expect others around
you to pretend that fat is just as pretty as thin”
I wrote this in a hurry.
First off, learn how to spell. Second, don’t make assumptions about what I find beautiful. That can be harmful to your health. Now why don’t you go play out in the street where it’s safe?
Mrs.darian isn’t thin. I don’t expect her to be thin. I like her the way she is. If she wants to change her appearance, that’s up to her. If she doesn’t, well…I like her the way she is. Fact is, you can’t speak for everybody. Just yourself. Everyone has different definitions of beauty. Some prefer their women like Gwyneth Paltrow, others like them to look like Pearl from the Drew Carey show. Who the fuck are you to judge someone’s opinion? Asshole.
A good friend of mine won’t even look at a woman unless she’s at least a size 15. My best friend’s girl is an 18. In some parts of Mexico beautiful women are said to be “the earth”. In other words, they’re round. I think the OP was lamenting the culture that we live in in America, namely you have to be a stick to be beautiful. That’s just not the case to everyone. You like your women to be sticks? That’s fine. That’s your preference and no one can judge you for that. I like them to be “like the earth”. I like Mrs.darian just the way she is. Don’t make blanket assumptions like that.
Ok so I guess PLAYBOY being a top selling magazine is just a fluke then. Not to mention how many years its been in bussiness.
I think its safe to say my opinion reflects that of most.
I think it’s safe to say you didn’t read darian’s post very closely. Just a few points:
-
Standards of beauty vary by culture and over time. As is pointed out above, people in some other cultures find curvier women (even “round” women) more attractive than thin ones. And most of the women portrayed in Playboy for at least the first half of its existence would be considered overweight by Hollywood’s standards.
-
Even within American culture, it is possible to be thin and ugly, or “not thin” and beautiful.
-
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that people should pretend people aren’t the size they are, only that “big” does not necessarily equate to “ugly”, and that there are other criteria that are far more important in judging people.
That being said, I’m having a hard time with the concept of this movie. I haven’t seen the trailer yet so correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like this guy is attracted to people he sees as beautiful, and is thus deemed a shallow person for that. Then something happens so that he sees inner beauty or ugliness. And he still goes for the pretty thin person. The fact that she’s not really pretty and thin is irrelevant; he sees her that way. So he’s learned nothing, and we get to laugh at him – ha ha, you loser, you’re really going out with the fat chick. So where’s the moral in that?
If you want to write nasty things to actresses making anti-fat comments, try Renee Zellweger for her various post-Bridget Jones statements about how fat and ugly she was as a size 12. Sheesh.
This reminds me of Soul Man, where C. Thomas Howell becomes black (for fairly ridiculous reasons) and suddenly experiences all the stereotyping and discrimination black people face daily (set out in a series of comic episodes :rolleyes: ); in the meantime, all the actual black characters are shallow caricatures. Gee thanks, Hollywood, that’s straightened out that problem…
It’s spelled “Business” there, cupcake. Remember, girls won’t get intimate with boys who’re illiterate ;). Neither will other boys. 
Now then. As I slip on my nitrile gloves in preparation for ramming my fucking arm down your throat and ripping out your lungs straight through your oropharynx to prevent you from ever spewing your filthy distorted meanspirited racist sexist vile again, I do pause to offer this one thought. Sit still now, I’ve already got you by the bronchii.
In your narrowminded little schism of a world, Playboy magazine is all you can off us, huh? Does it not occur to you that if one is to purely discuss such prurient media, one has to include imagery of all body types? Additionally, ( and this is from my teenage years so things may have changed some ), when I was scoping out my father’s Playboy magazines in a vain attempt to learn from the interview each month ( :rolleyes: ), I did indeed notice that none of those women exactly looked emaciated. Miss October typically equalled perhaps 2-3 Callista Flockhart’s ( spelling? ). Aside from that one publication, you fuckwrench, the world is filled with people who find all kinds of people to be
A) Sexy,
B) Beautiful,
C) Alluring,
D) Desirable,
E) Bone-Jump-WorthY,
F) Sensuous,
G)Breathtakingly stunning,
H) Tasty,
and last but not least, I) Suffused with a beauty that radiates from within as well as without. Your vision is so dimmed that you’re almost blind. To steal a line freely from Garry Trudea from a Doonesbury of at LEAST 20 years ago, " Even in Utopia there’s Myopia". I pity the woman or man who becomes your significant other.
Now, sit the fuck still while I rip your lungs out.
The arrogance of the film described in the O.P. isn’t just the plot, but the assumption that the trailer would get a laugh. Or, many. I find it grotesque in a way much deeper than whatever kind of physicality you may find grotesque in your teeny weeny little mind.
My belief, based on the posting of yours that I’ve quoted at the head of this, is that you will never make love in your entire life, you’ll simply have genital contact with body parts. Clearly you’re incapable of seeing a whole person. The most frightening thing is that if this film is that image-biased, then a lot of America is as skewed as you are.
God help us all :mad:
Cartooniverse
What sells Playboy[sup]R[/sup] is the nudity. Put naked females anywhere and I guarantee you’ll draw a croud. I don’t dispute the fact, however, that it has helped define the modern image of beauty. And regardless of whether or not your opinion is representative of the majority, you stated that thin people are prettier than fat people. You stated that as fact. Seeing as beauty is a subjective quality, that fact cannot be proven. As such it is not a fact, but an opinion. As an opinion, it is valid because it is yours and you have every right to it. However, I have a dissenting opinion that is just as valid because it is mine. When you choose to throw your opinion at mine and attempt to invalidate my opinion and proceed to tell me my wife is ugly (though you did have sense enough to not do that directly), I will take issue with that and call you out on it. Period. My wife does not feel she has a weight problem. Fine. I leave her alone about it because she’s okay with herself. Who am I to tell her otherwise?
And while your opinion may or may not be representative of the majority, that does not make it right. And that does not mean that I will substitute mine for yours. And I think it’s fair warning to tell you not to make blanket assumptions or generalizations here. The people of this community are generally highly educated either through schooling or by their own desire to learn. It insults their intelligence to make blanket assumptions and/or generalizations about anything. They will proceed to blast your argument into little bitsy pieces and pummel you into oblivion for making that argument. That said, think before you speak. If you have a good argument, by all means, bring it on. Just make sure you can defend it.
I haven’t seen the trailer yet, and I agree with the overall tone of your OP and the thread. But given your description here, it sounds like Irishman’s interpretation might be correct. That is:
–Black undergoes hypnosis transformation
–Walks in to bar, scopes the action
–Sees a bunch of hotties sitting at the bar
–Does double-take: “Hey, these are really all fat girls!”
It’s equally offensive either way. Under your intepretation, beautiful women are all ugly on the inside, and that ugliness is expressed as fat. Under Irishman’s interpretation, it takes hypnosis for the average schmoe to see a fat woman as beautiful.
Personal to “ZRUDEDOG13”: Grow up, and learn that your opinions are not facts.
Hope nobody minds, but I’ve just elevated Cartooniverse to the status of demigod, in charge of the Righteous Treatment of the Terminally Screwed-Up. And darian00 isn’t far behind. All hail :D.
…and now getting back on track…
Actually, nothing to say but “me too.” This whole fat = ugly, unlikeable, unloveable thing really, really pisses me off. Farrelly Brothers or not, sly dig at Hollyweird and poopular culture standards or not…
:mad:
You are talking about Hollywood and its movies. I have an example of a soap opera. It’s called “Betty, la fea”(Betty, the ugly), and those of you that know Spanish probably have heard about it. It was one of the top rated soap operas, and finished recently. The premise? Betty is ugly because she has all the stereotypes that you people have mentioned:
- Glasses. Big, ugly glasses.
- Curly hair.
- Braces, don’t forget the braces.
- The character has a “weight” problem(yea, right).
- Of course, the most important of all… THE ACTRESS IS IN NO WAY UGLY.
GRRR…I hate that soap opera. It was so predictable and full of stereotypes. And imagine how I felt when all around me the people are saying it is the best novel, so realistic, so true to life. NO WAY!!!
PD. I have big ugly glasses I want to change. I have wild hair. I have some big issues with my “weight” problem. During half of my teen years, I was not the girl guys would drool over. I don’t need this stereotypes, all they do is damage what self-esteem I have found. DAMN THEM ALL!!
well i won’t be seeing that movie.
point…
bridget jones diary…renee zellweger looked better in it then at the premiere…30 pounds lighter.
kate beckinsale looks like a twig in pearl harbour, and a bit more human (and prettier) in shooting fish.
and showing inner beauty/ugliness with actual beauty/uglyness stereotypes sorta ruins the point of it.
i mean what about him seeing the stick thin flatchested ms paltrow as a playboy pneumatic pamela anderson?
inner beauty = large breasts. bet that would go down well.