"Once a fat kid, always a fat kid. Because you always think that you just look a little bit wrong or a little bit different from everyone else."I wasn't a fat kid. I was a kid who had gone through skull operations and other stuff that other kids didn't understand. So I, too, always feel a little bit wrong and a little bit different. I think this is a result of a) bullying and b) a culture that pushes us to be "normal" and "beautiful", and I'm sure this is a familiar feeling to even the prettiest kids. I don't know what could be done about it, because as far as I know, the pressure to be the same as everyone else has always existed, both among children and adults. Only few people have had the courage to really break away from that, whether that means coming out of the closet, going against dominant beliefs, or indeed being fat acceptant in a fat hating culture.
I don't like how this article connects this feeling of "being different" to being fat. Yes, fat kids and adults have it hard, and it's good to bring that up. But fat is not the only kind of different, and I wish there was more of an admission of that. I don't like the tone of "awww, poor fat person". It's not very empowering.
Another interesting quote:
Well, yes - we've all had those moments, and slim women have them too. But what I don't get here is whether she thinks this feeling is a bad thing and something she struggles against, or a feeling she agrees with. It sounds to me like it might be the latter, but maybe I'm underestimating her."And I still sort of have that. I often look at women who wear great jeans and high heels and nice little T-shirts wandering around the city and I think, I should make more of an effort. I should look like that."
Kate Winslet is one of those actresses that I feel a bit ambivalent about, because I've heard statements from her back in her Titanic days - when she was putting on a bit of weight - that she wants to be different from the standard actress - eat and enjoy life. There was a somewhat rebellious tone to it all, it was accepting and brought out the hypocrisy of Hollywood when it comes to women and weight. Later, she was saying that she's still accepting but wasn't getting any roles, so she had better lose a few. Major cop-out or necessity? I'm still not sure what to think. I know it might be hard, even impossible, to get major roles when fat (or even just Hollywood fat), and if you believe this is something you can affect, I guess you want to change to get the roles, instead of having your career stand in one place while you eat whatever you want.
Only I don't think it's that simple. I think it's about sending a message too. If all Hollywood actresses refused to be skinny, the execs would have no choice except to accept a few heavier women into the major parts. On the other hand, does one woman's silent rebellion help and should she sacrifice her own career to encourage others? I'm really not sure what to say to this. I want to be a writer/translator, and no matter what my weight, I still can be. But what if my career hinged upon the loss of ten or twenty pounds? It's easy to say now that I'd persevere and never lose weight for that purpose, but I doubt that would really be the case if I really wanted that career. If I could lose the weight, maybe I would.
Would I rather have seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, my favorite movie ever, with someone else in the lead because Kate was too fat for the part? I don't think I would have. Ideally, I would have liked to see her in that part and chubby. But the way she does that role... I don't know. The world would have lost a lot if she hadn't lost weight, I guess. But this is where it gets complicated: the world's already lost a lot when extremely talented, chubby/fat actresses are being turned down left and right, and extremely talented slim actresses are being told to lose a few and then try again. Everyone doesn't have the choice to lose the weight, because everyone doesn't just get slim if they try hard enough. That's where it gets unfair.
UPDATED: "Lady Vengeance" has posted the full quote in the comments:
The full quote is, "I often look at women who wear great jeans and high heels and nice little T-shirts wandering around the city and I think, I should make more of an effort. I should look like that. But then I think, They can’t be happy in those heels.”
Thank you. And you know what, this is very interesting. This gives the quote a completely different slant. It sounds like, "I have moments of weakness when I think I should be somebody else, but then I realize I'm fine the way I am." The question is: why did imdb news dedide to report it as "awww, poor Kate, she feels so bad about herself looking at those pretty women"? I guess we know the answer - it gives enough lip service to "big girls have it hard", but doesn't rock the boat too much. Because implying that prettier women might not be happier after all - that's just too much.
This restores my faith in Kate a bit. I'm not saying she'd be a totally terrible role model if she wanted to go by that feeling and "make more of an effort". She's a great actress whom I admire, and I've enjoyed the nuances she brings to every role she's been in. So I wasn't meaning to slag her off either way.
But I'm still very relieved about that full quote.
0 comments:
Post a Comment