I’m not going to dig up the threads unless upon request, but in the past I’ve argued that blaming the media for holding up a too thin standard of beauty is bullshit. I’ve argued that the media does give credit where credit is due and lauds women such as Salma Hayek for how drop dead gorgeous they are, and that the size 0 runway models aren’t sexy.
I might have been wrong.
I’ve just read this damn article about Nicole Kidman’s remake of Marylyn Monroes’ How to Marry a Millionaire. I know they’re just trying to talk up Ms. Kidman but this quote just kneecaps my original argument about the standard of beauty in Media:
That’s right. He said Marilyn Monroe was too fat. What the living God Damn Fuck? She was the icon of sex for a generation. She was the epitome of the ideal. She never did much for me 'cause of the bleached blonde hair and the vacant eyes, but she was sure as hell not fat. She had a gorgeous body. “Fat?!!!” Fuck off, Mr. Producer. It’s Marilyn Fucking Monroe!
Now go sleep with a mop if that’s what turns you on.
Actually, no. I didn’t read the site. What I read was an associated press article printed in the Georgia Times Union on Monday. I did a google search today to find the article, but the link was the first one I saw with the quote - so I went with that.
My point still holds. I’m not pitting the article. I’m pitting the asshole producer who said that Marilyn was fat.
I think you were whooshed, Monkey. I’m pretty sure no real person actually said that. Read some of the other items on that page, and then see if you still take it seriously.
Personally, I agree with him. Not only was she a sex symbol from a bygone era, but she was a bit bigger than many of her contemporaries. I prefer Nicole Kidman’s body type to Marilyn’s any day of the week. I’m pretty sure most people do, too or there’d be a lot of chunky Marilyn types gracing the covers of everything.
I don’t particularly have a problem with wanting skinner-than-monroe women for representations of beauty within the media. To my eyes at least, it is true that the camera adds at least 15 pounds.
But I imagine if I saw them in person I’d much prefer monroe to the uber-skinny runway types of today.
So please, when you say “fat”, you media types, make sure people know the context. For my own sake, I don’t really want people running around trying to fit into size 0. Even not considering the psychological effect of body image issues.
Nah, she ain’t really skinny. She’s thin granted, but she’s not a stick like Nicole Kidman. Salma has breasts, hips and a great ass. (She’s gained a bit of weight in recent years, which is why I held her up as an example - because it’s not too much, it’s accentuated her curves and I think she’s even hotter now.) That’s neither here nor there, though.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I agree with Kalhoun in that Nicole Kidman is hot. But she’s skinny. Tall, skinny, and nothing but bones. Gorgeous face, but what’s her cup size? A minus? Does she even have an ass? Is this the standard of beauty? A woman that’s built like a six foot tall eleven year old boy?
Not in that shot she’s not, but I don’t think that early shot is representative of her body throughout her career, either. She fluctuated in weight quite a bit. She wasn’t always fat, but there were many “Marilyns” who I wouldn’t trade places with, body-wise.
