Woe Is The Loneliest Number
Feminist Quote of the Day: Brit Marling
When talking to the Salt Lake City News about the whole “it girl” thing:
“When women enter the scene, they’re a commodity, and when men enter the scene, they’re actors.”
She hit it right on the head. All her interviews have been so interesting.
It would be a great quote if it were true.
Men and women are commodified differently, but both are commodified.
And when actors are not measured in dollars and cents, they are all seen as actors who can’t open movies, male or female.
Yes, there are few Brooklyn Decker careers for men, mostly because women don’t tend to attend movies to see a man’s pecs. But the truth is – we’ve had this conversation before – men don’t really go to movies to see boobs either. When Gerard Butler is used as bait for women, taking of his shirt is not the pitch and Katherine Heigl being manipulated to an unwelcome orgasm by a 9-year-old is. But in that movie, for instance, the studio is trying to sell the movie to men and to women and both elements are part of that.
And, in fact, I think Marling has acquitted herself quite well, reaffirming that she is a filmmaker who happens to be beautiful and not a beauty who has been given a break by cynical men.
And three Oscar nominees are playing The Hulk, Hawkeye, and Iron Man in The Avengers. Or is Scarlett the only one being commodified because, like Hemsworth and Evans, her suit will emphasize her upper torso?
In my short time chatting with Ms Marling, I have to say, I thought she showed more intelligence than to simplify this issue or any issue down to a soundbite. But media tours can wear people down.
I was skeptical of Another Earth, even halfway through the damn thing. But the scene where she comes clean to Mapother is devastating. She should be a Best Actress front-runner, especially with the new (Much to her chagrin) “Indie It Girl” tag.
DiscoNap, your post should have come with a spoiler alert. The trailer seems intent on making that AMBIGUOUS.
Wait, how exactly is Brit being commodified here? All of her career decisions so far have been of her own accord. Another Earth is the first time anyone has ever heard of her, and she wrote the movie… Who exactly is taking advantage of her? In fact, I’d say she is pretty convincing evidence to the fact that actresses and female filmmakers can avoid being a commodity by simply keeping their dignity and making good career decisions. Look at Natalie Portman, Greta Gerwig, Diablo Cody, Nicole Holofcener, Carey Mulligan, etc. Women are faced with the old expectation to “commodify” themselves in Hollywood maybe, but that doesn’t mean they have to. “The Man” certainly isn’t forcing them. Just stay above the pressure and people will respect you.
DP, how much of your post is your reaction to Melissa Silverstein’s nearly contextless blog entry (consisting of provocative headline, quote, and “go, girl!”) as opposed to what Brit Marling actually said?
In truth, it only gets more confusing as you chase the embedded links. The more Marling talks about what she thinks “It Girl” means, the harder it gets to pinpoint what her problem with the coverage she has received really is. Where, for example, does she get the idea that the appellation is “flash-in-the-pan?” Is that the nature of the relentless publicity and news cycle, or does she think it’s shorthand for “cheesecake,” as she seems to?
Her argument seems kind of tired, to be honest. She reminds me of Julie Delpy or Melanie Laurent or Sarah Polley or even Jodi Foster — not actresses one would characterize as lacking agency or taking roles in which they are commodified — as well as actresses who do a lot of acting with faces you could look at forever, as Cahill makes sure everyone knows that Marling can do, too.
Anyway, I’m curious as to whether you’re more annoyed because she makes kind of a half-baked statement about being an “It Girl,” or because a feminist blogger took her statement at face value, uncritically.
NBD – 1000% the quote, which is all the context that was offered.
I don’t even know what Brit said. And if I read the story from the paper where the quote was pulled, I have no idea whether I will know what Brit said in full.
Like I wrote… I don’t think this is really her argument. I think she has a much more nuanced view of the world.
The second issue is whether the naked male torso is as much of a draw to women as the promise of naked breasts might be to a certain segment of men. You seem to have taken Kim Voynar’s line that the naked male torso is less sexualized than the naked female torso. But very few of these superhero movies of late do NOT feature their ripped and buff leads stripped to the waist.
Surely half-naked men are supposed to be sexy to female moviegoers? Could you not have just left it at “Men and women are commodified differently, but both are commodified?”
Thanks for the clarification. If you read the Salt Lake City Tribune piece, you’ll scratch your head more. If seems like the author was fishing for an angle, actually.
I could have, but I would have been half-assing it.
Those superhero torsos are aimed at the boys too.
I am not saying that women are not interested in men’s bodies. I am saying that they express their interest differently than men and that how that is manipulated is different.
300 is, of course, the exception that proves the rule, bringing together geek boys, women, gay men, and ultimately, people who thought they needed to see what was new at the cineplex regardless of whether they were really interested.
Yes, everyone recognizes glamorous femininity is a basic element of movies, but it seems less recognized how glamorous masculinity has a basic appeal to all moviegoers. And this goes from guys who are jacked to H. Bogart and J. Wayne’s incarnations of the fantasy of total male self-possession to Jakey G’s dreamy smile.
Back when the first M:I movie opened, an L.A. Times writer quoted Cruise’s line, “You’ve never seen me very angry.” He then added, “Now imagine Lee Marvin saying that line, and you can see the problem.”
“women don’t tend to attend movies to see a man’s pecs”
LIES! Monstrous lies. Although women do prioritize great faces over cut bodies. Nevertheless, a beautiful male torso is a thing to revere, which is why Marvel is the best production company on Earth! They understand what women want. Bah to all those comedies about women shopping. It is all about Thor wandering around half naked. This brings up the conundrum of how they will arrange for Dr Strange’s extended shirtless scenes. Perhaps he runs afoul of some cloth-eating magic spell?