One of the things that has always frustrated me in life is the need to look beautiful. What I mean by this is the obsession we have as a society to look trim, sexy and drop-dead gorgeous, like the girls in fashion magazines. I think the only time I see models that look healthy rather than skeletal is when you look in catalogues for women's clothing sizes 16-22, and the models are still on the small side then.
In British theatre and film, however, this doesn't seem to be a problem. Notice I said British. Time and time again you see healthy looking actors and actresses perform on stage and film looking as they do, not much trimming down and looking rather confident with themselves, yet across the water, this seems to be forgotten about. I feel there is more of a pressure on young actors and actresses to look a certain way, rather than looking healthy. Take the programme F.R.I.E.N.D.S for example; even though the characters in that show are relatable and lovable, all the actors are still stick thin! If that show was produced in the UK, however, I could almost guarantee there being a slightly chubby character who ends up having a problem with the way they look, but then blossoming out of this feeling and loving who they are (OK that's probably a very shortened version of what would happen, but you catch my drift).
I love seeing curvy, healthy girls on television and thinking "that could be me!" because there doesn't seem to be a lot of pressure in that area, but then if I think about the possibility of being on American television I instantly feel a weight of pressure to look good and look skinny. I've always had a bit of a problem with the way I look (just like so many other women in this world), but seeing curvy actresses on screen actually inspires me more to become an actress and makes me feel good, rather than the stick-thin actresses who are supposed to be there to aspire towards.
I wish I could get this message across the water to tell people that you don't need plastic surgery to look good! So many models, actors and actresses have completely RUINED their iconic looks and beauty for vanity and the pressure to constantly look beautiful.
What doesn't help is the new craze of 'reality' television with bimbos and air-headed 'studs' apparently looking "reem" (whatever the **** that means) and saying they're "real" when they obviously are a creation of silicone and liposuction. In my opinion, we need to stop this type of programming getting through to the public, wipe off all that foundation and fake-tan and have a good look at ourselves in the mirror and LOVE what we see.
Performance is life. You can't get away from it. Why constantly try to be something you're not if your life is one big stage? You are the character of your own little play. Yes, you can mould yourself to be whoever you want to be, but when you start inching away what is part of you, and start feeling the pressure of the need to be skinny and "beautiful", you're just becoming a puppet of social convention.
As you can see I feel very strongly about this issue, but I want to hear your ideas too. What do you find beautiful? Is there a need to be skinny on stage and film, or can we deal with being curvaceous and lovely? Leave me comments, I would love to hear your thoughts on this!
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Agree with this. There is nothing worse than watching a "reality TV" show (full stop) but let alone a show that supposedly takes a cross section of society with includes Blonde bimbo, Bodybuilder guy, Gay/Lesbian, Ethnic, tourettes sufferer etc. Not often you get average joe/jane bloggs. How many cases of eating disorders are due to people being told they need to look like so and so. How many psychological problems and self harm issues have their roots in the fact people feel they need to conform to stick thinness and americanised beauty. Ironically America is one of the "fattest" nations, but to look at their tv you wouldnt think so, does their tv reflect what they want to be, do they have such poor self esteem that they feel they need to hide away real people and use these so called "perfect" bodied actors? Sounds cliche but people need to learn to love themselves how they are, for who they are, because if they can't how will they think others will.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of American TV reflecting what americans want to be. They are known to be one of the 'fattest' nations so having skeletal actors/actresses on screen seems a little wrong...
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