Hathaway as Fantine in Les Mis
Because she's famous and because she has a film coming out Anne Hathaway has been carted out a lot in the press lately. I have been aware of Hathaway but other than seeing The Devil Wears Prada and her hilarious Sisters song on Saturday Night Live I can't say I have ever really paid much attention to her. I was made very aware of her extreme diet in order to play the emaciated Fantine in Les Miserables thanks to various media outlets and I was given no reason to believe (post Vati-Con scandal) that was not the most interesting thing about her.
Hathaway didn't really talk about her weight loss because it was done in order to emulate a starving woman driven to sex work in revolutionary France. YAWN. There were only so many articles to squeeze out regarding her cropped hair (her character sells her hair and teeth), what to do, what to do?
Hathaway didn't really talk about her weight loss because it was done in order to emulate a starving woman driven to sex work in revolutionary France. YAWN. There were only so many articles to squeeze out regarding her cropped hair (her character sells her hair and teeth), what to do, what to do?
Then it finally happened. That occasion starlets dream of. The making of Britney, Lindsay and Paris and finally Anne. No, not a sex tape, this requires even less work, more timing, but it will really cement your name in celebrity. Hathaway got out of a car knickerless. You might think this requires little to no skill, depending on how long you can withstand a breeze, but many have been much lauded for their talent for doing so.
Yeah, jokes. Avoiding VPL is not a talent, but rather wonderfully it seems no one is more aware of that than Hathaway herself. It's been covered before as the eXXXposure occurred a little while ago but Hathaway handled it incredibly well when the subject was broached in an interview: “Well, it was obviously an unfortunate incident. Um, I think— It kinda made me sad on two accounts. One was that I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment and, rather than delete it, and do the decent thing, sells it. And I’m sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants, which brings us back to Les Mis, because that’s what my character is—she is someone who is forced to sell sex to benefit her child, because she has nothing and there’s no social safety net. And I— Yeah, so, um, so let’s get back to Les Mis.”
Yeah, jokes. Avoiding VPL is not a talent, but rather wonderfully it seems no one is more aware of that than Hathaway herself. It's been covered before as the eXXXposure occurred a little while ago but Hathaway handled it incredibly well when the subject was broached in an interview: “Well, it was obviously an unfortunate incident. Um, I think— It kinda made me sad on two accounts. One was that I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment and, rather than delete it, and do the decent thing, sells it. And I’m sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants, which brings us back to Les Mis, because that’s what my character is—she is someone who is forced to sell sex to benefit her child, because she has nothing and there’s no social safety net. And I— Yeah, so, um, so let’s get back to Les Mis.”
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
| I bring this incident up now because in a recent interview with fancy magazine Harper's Bazaar Hathaway discusses being, or rather not being sexy. “For a long time it was me and [my manager] against the world. I was seen as this bizarre-world good-girl cartoon that I in no way identified with – very vanilla, very sweet, very accessible and not interesting...I had no grit, no sex appeal.” | In Hollywood the binaries are hyped up even more. You're Young or Unemployable. |
We all know sex sells. But as from 2001 onwards Hathaway has forged a very successful career without being overtly sexy why is this a matter to be brought up. Had she been deemed (or even cursed) a sexy starlet it is less likely she would have won the role of Fantine. In spite of a vanilla impression Hathaway was still cast as Cat Woman. Could lacking sex appeal have created the impression of a more versatile actress – working in Hathaway's favour?
It has taken a while but it's finally struck me that – even if no actual choice has been made – women are always being presented with Ultimate Decisions. Wife OR Career woman. Briefcase OR Baby (thanks Daily Mail!). Pretty OR Hard worker. Sexy OR Sour. Married OR Bitter. In XOJane.com s.e. smith discussed a 'scientific study' that was covered by the Daily Mail in typical scientific style regarding attractiveness in the workplace as a woman. “Think you’re ugly? You’ll be more dedicated to your career, according to the Daily Mail.”
In Hollywood the binaries are hyped up even more. You're Young or Unemployable. You're likely to be confused with the parts you play, typecasting can be great for regular income and bad for artistic challenges. In a way by being 'accessible' and not having much 'grit' has worked in Hathaway's favour, but it appears from the interview there's still the conviction that sexiness might be the key to success while she's young.
If you're a young woman in Hollywood you should probably be sexy. But not too sexy. But also not too plain. If you're The Actress Formerly Known As Young Sexy Thing and you want to continue on in your career you might want to consider taking a part that requires a prosthetic nose.
Squeamish Kate
It has taken a while but it's finally struck me that – even if no actual choice has been made – women are always being presented with Ultimate Decisions. Wife OR Career woman. Briefcase OR Baby (thanks Daily Mail!). Pretty OR Hard worker. Sexy OR Sour. Married OR Bitter. In XOJane.com s.e. smith discussed a 'scientific study' that was covered by the Daily Mail in typical scientific style regarding attractiveness in the workplace as a woman. “Think you’re ugly? You’ll be more dedicated to your career, according to the Daily Mail.”
In Hollywood the binaries are hyped up even more. You're Young or Unemployable. You're likely to be confused with the parts you play, typecasting can be great for regular income and bad for artistic challenges. In a way by being 'accessible' and not having much 'grit' has worked in Hathaway's favour, but it appears from the interview there's still the conviction that sexiness might be the key to success while she's young.
If you're a young woman in Hollywood you should probably be sexy. But not too sexy. But also not too plain. If you're The Actress Formerly Known As Young Sexy Thing and you want to continue on in your career you might want to consider taking a part that requires a prosthetic nose.
Squeamish Kate
RSS Feed
