I was kinda wondering last night how I ended up being included in two Big Fat Carnivals. I don’t consider myself a fat activist particularly.
Here’s the thing: Both of the included blogs were about movies. And this is what fascinates me; the image. The interaction between images and social constructs. The things we see on-screen (or on TV or in magazines) reflect the unspoken and often unconscious prejudices we hold. What is acceptable to see, what is unacceptable to see; what is shown as good, shown as evil, never shown at all. I honestly don’t see how you can watch movies with a critical eye and not notice the sexism and the narrow definition of acceptibility.
What makes The Celluloid Closet a great movie? It’s because it looks at homosexuality in the movies through that lens. Which is to say, it just looks. It looks and asks, ‘What is being shown here? What is not being shown?’ It doesn’t make any activist statements particularly, or issue any answers on right and wrong. It just says ‘Look at this.’ It exercises the intelligence of pattern recognition, and the pattern it recognizes is largely homophobic.
I’m interested in that. I’m interested in what movies say about women and age and size and Teh Gay and Teh Slutness and race and money. All that.
I’m very capable of getting worked up over triviality, because we express ourselves in triviality. The recent blogstorm over the intersection of feminism and femme beautification has everything to do with that. Looking For Mr. Goodbar says more about our reaction to women who have casual sex than any dissertation or politician ever could.
So, yes. I will keep reviewing movies. In case you were wondering.
(A cross-post is worth a thousand words.)
Interesting.
So much of casting is visually based. When I did not get cast as the Cowardly Lion a few years ago, it was primarily because I was too little… the same height as Dorothy. The director wanted a bigger more ferocious lion as contrast. Once I saw the play, I agreed with her choice.
But as Broadway and Hollywood have are going more colorblind, fatblind does not occur.
Why couldn’t I (when I was fatter) have played Sally Bowles, or Nancy in Oliver? It is plausible for fat to be an interesting component to the mix that is either of those women… but no one would have it. No one wants to look at it.
And once again, color me ambivalent, I don’t know if I do either. I suck.
Fat Sally Bowles would actually have worked in the period, too.
Same with fat Nancy. I especially like fat Nancy; bar wench, center of attention, but forgotten in an abusive relationship.
You’re right, fat Nancy would have worked even better. And the only reason is not to have a female lead, center stage, all eyes on her, that was fat.
I KNOW!
I love the idea of Fat Nancy….
Makes you want to run out and produce a play.
It really does…..
I could play fat-ish Nancy in your play! (but she’s got some really low notes…)