The first twenty on the list are accompanied by "blurbs" that I took from the AfterEllen list. For the next 80 I put in my own short thing just for those of you who aren't acquainted with the women. (Because I, admittedly, did not know who everyone was).
#1 Leisha Hailey, age 36
As Alice on The L Word Leisha gets more beautiful every season, and her acting skills have flourished too. Nobody has better comic timing, but she can also make us cry. And before she became our Sunday-night crush, she Murmur-ed in our ears as a pink-haired rocker who dated k.d. lang. Leisha makes it official: You're even hotter when you're out.
#2 Angelina Jolie, age 32
Ever since she caught our eye as the tattoo-bearing tomboy in Foxfire (1996), Angelina has been an undeniable lesbian favorite. It doesn't hurt that she played gay in Gia and publicly admits to her attraction to women. So what if she's shacked up with Brad Pitt? She's still the hottest bisexual actress — and mom — around.
#3 Kate Winslet, age 31
Kate Winslet is practically perfect. A brilliant actress who picks great roles. A beautiful woman who believes you should never skip dessert. A class act who still fancies a dirty joke. Funny. Smart. English. Just go ahead and swoon now and get it over with already.
#4 Lena Headey, age 33
According to the MTV Movie Awards, she gave a "breakthrough performance" in 300, but we've known since Imagine Me & You that Lena is hot stuff. Is it that slow smile, the sexy walk or the hair that can handle any style? Yes — and let's not forget the accent (there's a reason two British charmers made our top five). Watching Lena take down the bad guys in Fox's The Sarah Connor Chronicles next season will just be icing on the cake.
#5 Sarah Shahi, age 27
With an Iranian father, a Spanish mother and a Texas childhood, The L Word's Sarah Shahi is one of the finest examples (and we do mean finest) of multiculturalism we can think of. Shahi is not only a kick-ass hottie, she can kick your ass — she holds a brown belt in karate. Sarah's mother discouraged body self-consciousness in her daughter early on, saying, "Your boob is the same as your hand." Thanks, Mom.
#6 Jennifer Beals, age 43
The producers of The L Word surely thanked their lucky stars when they snagged Beals for the role of Bette Porter, and we're down on our knees too. She's a flawless beauty who knows how to play a flawed character — and how to rock a power suit.
#7 Tina Fey, age 37
Whether she's behind the "Weekend Update" desk or running the show on 30 Rock, Tina is living proof that funny is sexy. And that smart is sexy. And that cool shoes and glasses are sexy. And that cleavage and great hair and lovely brown eyes are sexy. Oh, forget it: Tina is just living proof of sexy.
#8 Jordana Brewster, age 27
She was born in Panama to a Brazilian Sports Illustrated swimsuit-model mother, and we can only hope Jordana follows in the the family tradition someday. Those teeth, those eyes, that luxurious hair. As the fictitious criminal mastermind Lucy Diamond in Angela Robinson's D.E.B.S., and as a real-life Yale grad, Jordana's beauty is surpassed only by her brains. Or is it the other way around?
#9 Salma Hayek, age 40
She's been a head-turner since she first appeared on film, but Salma solidified her lesbian following when she tangoed with Ashley Judd in Frida. And then she threw some power and business savvy into her bag of tricks, turning a Colombian telenovela into the American prime-time hit Ugly Betty. Speaking of which, how about that eye-popping, button-popping elevator scene? Salma's appeal is global in every sense of the word.
#10 Natalie Portman, age 26
"Discovered" at the age of 12 in a pizza parlor by a Revlon agent, Natalie Portman always knew she wanted more than a modeling career. She's played a quirky girl from New Jersey (Garden State), a queen (Star Wars I, II and III) and a fugitive in an Orwellian state (V for Vendetta) — and in the latter, she even had her head shaved on camera. Bald really is beautiful.
#11 Eliza Dushku, age 26
Her butchy turn as a former gymnast-turned-cheerleader in Bring It On (2000) gave chain wallets a good name, but Eliza's role as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer — with all of her swagger and deadly, seductive skill — firmly cemented her role as a lesbian icon.
#12 Scarlett Johansson, age 22
Her ample curves may invoke the pinup girls of the 1940s, but Johansson's unbridled carnality places her firmly in the 21st century. Whether she's wrecking homes (Match Point), taking it on the run (The Island) or inadvertently breaking hearts (Lost in Translation), she does it all with a slow-burn sexiness that would make Marilyn Monroe proud.
#13 Piper Perabo, age 30
Whether she's falling in love with Lena Headey (No. 4) in Imagine Me & You, or dancing on a bar in Coyote Ugly, Piper embodies the vulnerable but sexy girl next door. It's almost enough to make you forget her disastrous jump off the roof with a falcon in Lost and Delirious.
#14 Kate Walsh, age 39
The 39-year-old redhead first caught our attention playing Sandra Oh's lover in Under the Tuscan Sun, then captured our hearts on Grey's Anatomy as the sexy ex-wife with a heart of gold. Why does she have such a large lesbian fan base? Kate said it best herself: "I guess the chicks just dig me!"
#15 Keira Knightley, age 22
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise may have made Keira an international star, but the Oscar-nominated British actress was a hit with lesbians long before that. Why? Four words: Bend It Like Beckham.
#16 Jodie Foster, age 44
What makes Jodie Foster so sexy lies beyond the empirical. Sure, she has the great graveled voice, the ice-blue eyes, the sharpened-hatchet cheekbones. But what is so inherently hot about her is her undeniable intelligence. Well, that and the fact that she perhaps was cinema’s cutest little tomboy ever.
#17 Kate Moennig, age 29
From playing a teenage girl pretending to be a boy in Young Americans (2000) to a woman on The L Word who gets all the girls without even trying, Kate makes androgyny cool — and hot, all at the same time.
#18 Elizabeth Mitchell, age 37
Many of us first fell in love with Elizabeth Mitchell in Gia. Who can forget that sexy chain-link fence scene with Angelina Jolie (No. 2)? As if that weren't enough to earn her a lesbian following, she went on to woo Dr. Kerry Weaver on ER — a romance that continues to inspire fan fiction. Her recent turn as the enigmatic Juliet on Lost has reminded us that sometimes blond-haired and blue-eyed can be really badass. And what's sexier than a hearty, infectious laugh?"
#19 Halle Berry, age 40
We don't always get her movie choices (Catwoman? Really?) but Halle brings old Hollywood glamour to even the most bloated of modern blockbusters (Die Another Day, X-Men). So it's no surprise that when she turns up in a decent movie (Monster's Ball), she brings home Oscar gold. Yeah, she's talented, and yeah, she's beautiful. But it's all of that combined with her special brand of vulnerability that makes us sigh …
#20 Simone Lahbib, age 42
As Helen Stewart in the U.K. prison drama Bad Girls Simone Lahbib faced physical threats, infuriating injustices and a fascinating personal journey that included falling in love with lifer Nikki Wade. When Simone says "I want a woman" in her last Bad Girls episode, you believe her — and you rewind it over and over and over. Lahbib went on to star in Monarch of the Glen and Wire in the Blood, but to us, she'll always be the sultry Wing Governor with the swoony Scottish accent, not to mention the cutest gap-toothed grin ever to grace the BBC.
#21 Emily Blunt, age 24
Best known for The Devil Wears Prada and My Summer of Love.
#22 Evangeline Lilly, age 27
Best known for role in TV drama Lost
#23 Erin Daniels, age 33
Best known for role as Dana in seasons 1-3 of The L Word
#24 Michelle Rodriguez, age 28
Most recently known for role in Lost. Also known for films Girlfight, Blue Crush, Resident Evil and The Fast and the Furious.
#25 Mariska Hargitay, age 43
Plays Detective Olivia Benson on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
#26 Guinevere Turner, age 39
Out lesbian director, producer, writer and actress. Guin Turner has made appearances on The L Word as well as lending her hand as a writer for the series.
#27 Rachel Shelley, age 37
Plays the role of Helena on The L Word
#28 Kate Beckinsale, age 33
Acted in Pearl Harbor and The Aviator among other films.
#29 Mary Louise Parker, age 42
Played role of Ruth in classic film Fried Green Tomatoes. Most recently can be seen as the lead role in Showtime's hit series Weeds.
#30 America Ferrera, age 23
Plays the lead role in hit TV series Ugly Betty
#31 Helen Mirren, age 61
Most recently won an Oscar for her role in The Queen
#32 Lauren Graham, age 40
Best known as Lorelei Gilmore on TV show Gilmore Girls
#33 Carly Pope, age 26
Played role of Sam on now-cancelled teen series Popular. Most recently played role of Garbo on series Dirt.
#34 Portia de Rossi, age 34
In addition to being Ellen's girlfriend, also known for roles on Ally McBeal and Arrested Development.
#35 Gillian Anderson, age 38
Best known for role as Agent Scully on The X Files
#36 Lucy Lawless, age 39
Best known for role as Xena on TV show Xena: Warrior Princess.
#37 Pink, age 27
Singer
#38 Jessica Alba, age 26
Played role of Max on TV show Dark Angel. Known for movies Fantastic Four and Sin City
#39 Kristanna Loken, age 27
Most recently played part of Paige on The L Word as well as Jane on series Painkiller Jane. Also known for role in movie Terminator 3.
#40 Clea Duvall, 29
Has acted in a variety of films including Girl, Interrupted, But I'm a Cheerleader, and Zodiac. Also played the role of Sofie on TV series Carnivàle.
#41 Jessica Biel, age 25
Played role of Mary on TV's long-running show Seventh Heaven. Also has acted in films such as The Illusionist and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
#42 Drew Barrymore, age 32
Known for many films including Charlie's Angels, 50 First Dates, The Wedding Singer, Ever After, etc.
#43 Charlize Theron, age 31
Known for films Monster, AEon Flux, The Italian Job, and Cider House Rules.
#44 Rachel Weisz, age 36
Known for films such as The Constant Gardener and Runaway Jury.
#45 Maggie Gyllenhaal, age 29
Acted in films Secretary, Mona Lisa Smile, Happy Endings and more.
#46 Gina Gershon, age 45
Has recently made guest appearances on Ugly Betty. Acted in films such as Face/Off, Bound and Showgirls.
#47 Meryl Streep, age 57
Best known for roles in The Devil Wears Prada, The Hours, Adaptation, The Bridges of Madison County, Sophie's Choice, Kramer vs. Kramer and more.
#48 Cate Blanchett, age 38
Known for roles such as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth, Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator and most recently for her Oscar-nominating performance in film Notes on a Scandal.
#49 Mandy Musgrave, age 20
Known for her role as the lesbian teenager Ashley Davies on show South of Nowhere. Can also be seen currently on director Angela Robinson's new lesbian noir webseries, Girltrash.
#50 Ellen Degeneres, age 49
Host of TV talk show The Ellen Degeneres Show. Played leading role in TV series Ellen and lent voice to film Finding Nemo.
#51 Famke Janssen, age 41
Best known for appearances in the X-Men films. Has recently made appearances on popular TV show Nip/Tuck.
#52 Naomi Watts, age 38
Known for appearances in films King Kong and I Heart Huckabees.
#53 Olivia Wilde, age 23
Best known for role of Alex (the love interest of Mischa Barton's character Marissa) on teen drama series The O.C.
#54 Penelope Cruz, age 33
Recently known for role in film Volver as well as performances in films Vanilla Sky, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and other Spanish language films such as Todo Sobre Mi Madre and Abre Los Ojos.
#55 Queen Latifah, age 37
Singer, Covergirl and actress known for roles in films such as Bringing Down the House, Set it Off, Chicago and most recently Hairspray.
#56 Kristen Bell, age 26
Actress known best for leading role in television series Veronica Mars
#57 Maura Tierney, age 42
Actress best known for role as nurse Abby Lockhart in ER.
#58 Rachel McAdams, age 30
Known for roles in films The Notebook, Mean Girls and Wedding Crashers.
#59 Demi Moore, age 44
Known for many movie roles in films such as Ghost, A Few Good Men, and G.I. Jane, and The Scarlet Letter.
#60 Jorja Fox, age 38
Actress played role of Dr. Maggie Doyle in ER and has portrayed a leading character in TV's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
#61 Catherine Zeta-Jones, age 37
Played opposite Antonio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro, also leading roles in Chicago, Traffic and many other films.
#62 Carmen Electra, age 35
Former Baywatch actress has played parts in many films such as Scary Movie, Starsky & Hutch, Date Movie and Epic Movie.
#63 Renee O'Connor, age 36
Best known for co-starring role in Xena: Warrior Princess.
#64 Sandra Bullock, age 42
Actress known for roles in films such as While You Were Sleeping, Miss Congeniality, and Crash.
#65 Katherine Heigl, age 28
Best known for portrayal of Dr. Izzie Stevens on TV's Grey's Anatomy. Also played role of Isabel Evans on TV series Roswell. Stars in film Knocked Up.
#66 Karina Lombard, age 38
Appeared in Legends of the Fall, but is best known among gay women for her role as the seductress Marina in Season 1 of The L Word.
#67 Jennifer Garner, age 35
Claim to fame is her leading role in TV show Alias.
#68 Monica Bellucci, age 42
This Italian actress has appeared in The Matrix trilogy as well as playing the role of Magdalen in The Passion of the Christ.
#69 Emma Thompson, age 48
Although she can most recently be seen playing Professor Trelawney in the Harry Potter flicks, she has had a long career in film appearing in Howard's End, Mucho Ado About Nothing, Sense & Sensibility, and Love Actually among others.
#70 Sarah Michelle Gellar, age 30
Some may remember her as the manipulative Kendall on All My Children, but SMG's big break came with her seven year stint as the heroine in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
#71 Stockard Channing, age 63
Her lengthy resume includes the role of Rizzo in Grease and the First Lady in the TV series The West Wing.
#72 Lucy Liu, age 38
Lucy Liu is best known for her roles in the TV series Ally McBeal and films such as Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill: Vol. 1.
#73 Rose Rollins, age 29
Not yet well-known outside the lesbian world, this former model joined The L Word cast in the 4th Season playing Tasha Williams. She can also currently be seen alongside Mandy Musgrave (see #49) in the webseries Girltrash.
#74 Alyson Hannigan, age 33
Alyson spent 7 years playing Willow, everyone's favorite Wiccan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she is also known for her role as Michelle in the American Pie movies and can currently be seen on the TV show How I Met Your Mother.
#75 Neve Campbell, age 33
Neve Campbell entered the scene playing the role of Julia Salinger in the long-running Party of Five. She is also well-known for her contribution to the Scream films.
#76 Jennifer Connelly, age 36
She won an Oscar for her performance in A Beautiful Mind and has also made contributions to films such as Requiem for a Dream, Little Children, Blood Diamond and the cult-classic The Labyrinth.
#77 Kelly Clarkson, age 25
The first-ever American Idol winner, Kelly has had much success in the music world, especially with her second album Breakaway.
#78 Lauren Lee Smith, age 27
She is best known for her role as Lara, the sous-chef girlfriend in Seasons 1-3 of The L Word.
#79 Lindsay Lohan, age 21
Now known as every celebrity blogger's favorite target, Lohan made her first major appearance as the twins in Disney's remake of The Parent Trap. Other notable films include Mean Girls and Freaky Friday.
#80 Sara Ramirez, age 31
Although she is most widely known for her role as Dr. Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy, Sara has also appeared several times on Broadway, winning a Tony Award in 2005 for her role in Monty Python's Spamalot.
#81 Mia Kirshner, age 32
She can currently be seen in all four seasons of The L Word as the slightly wacky Jenny Schecter. She also appeared in a number of episodes of 24 as a terrorist and in the film The Black Dahlia as the unfortunate murder victim.
#82 Angie Harmon, age 34
This former Baywatch star appeared for three years as the Assistant District Attorney Abbie Carmichael in Law & Order.
#83 Elisha Cuthbert, age 24
Best known for her role as Kim in the popular TV show 24.
#84 Katee Sackhoff, age 27
Known for her role as Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on TV's Battlestar Galactica.
#85 Stephanie March, age 32
Best known for taking over Angie Harmon's (see #82) job with her role as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
#86 Evan Rachel Wood, age 19
Played the role of Jessie in TV's Once and Again. Also well-known for her role in the films Thirteen, Pretty Persuasion and Running with Scissors.
#87 Michelle Pfeiffer, age 49
Oscar-nominated for roles in films Love Field, The Fabulous Baker Boys and Dangerous Liaisons. She has contributed to various other films such as I Am Sam, What Lies Beneath and the current release Hairspray.
#88 Parker Posey, age 38
Has acted in numerous films such as The House of Yes, Personal Velocity, You've Got Mail and Best in Show.
#89 Michelle Williams, age 26
First known for her role as Jen in Dawson's Creek. She was also nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role in the film Brokeback Mountain.
#90 Amber Benson, age 30
Amber is best known for her role as Tara, the stuttering lesbian witch and girlfriend to Willow (see #74) in seasons 4-6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She has also written, directed, produced and acted in two films Chance and Lovers, Liars and Lunatics. She can currently be seen alongside Mandy Musgrave (see #49) and Rose Rollins (see #73) in Girltrash.
#91 Deanna Casaluce, age 21
This actress can be seen playing the role of Alex on the Canadian television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.
#92 Liv Tyler, age 30
Daughter of rocker Steven Tyler, this actress's resume includes the cult classic Empire Records, Armageddon, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
#93 Sandra Oh, age 35
Despite a lengthy resume, Sandra Oh's name didn't become well-known until she took on the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy, a role which won her a Golden Globe award in 2006.
#94 Nicole Kidman, age 40
She won an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours and was nominated for another for Moulin Rouge. She can also be seen in other films such as The Others, Eyes Wide Shut, and Cold Mountain.
#95 Susan Sarandon, age 60
In addition to her political activism, Susan Sarandon has contributed to numerous Hollywood films throughout the years, garnering four Oscar nominations (Atlantic City, Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo's Oil and The Client) and one win for Dead Man Walking.
#96 Jackie Warner, age 38
As a personal trainer, Jackie Warner can be seen on Bravo's reality TV series Work Out.
#97 Allison Janney, age 47
Although she has contributed to such major films as American Beauty and The Hours, Allison Janney is best known for her performance on The West Wing, for which she won 4 Emmys over the years.
#98 Amelie Mauresmo, age 28
This French professional tennis player has won two Grand Slam singles titles and was the former World No. 1. In 1999, at the age of 19, she came out as a lesbian to the international press, securing her position as an inspiration for gay women worldwide.
#99 Carrie-Anne Moss, age 39
Best known for her role in The Matrix films.
#100. Catherine Deneuve, age 63
This French born actress was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film Indochine. She has lent her talents to numerous French-language films as well as other English films, such as Dancer in the Dark and the cult-classic lesbian vampire film The Hunger, opposite Susan Sarandon (see #95).
Sunday, July 8, 2007
The AfterEllen Hot 100 List (and a tribute to strong women in media)
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
The Subtleties of Sexism
This entry might make me sound like I'm verging on hyper-feminism, but it's something that has been bothering me for quite a while. I'm talking about a show on the Oxygen network, called Snapped. The first time that I saw this show, something about it made me feel uncomfortable. I watched it again another time and my feelings of discomfort continued.
Here is the premise of Snapped, taken from Oxygen's website:
Each year, approximately 16,000 people are murdered in the United States. 7% of the killers are female.*
Who are these women and what drives them to kill? Oxygen's hit true crime series Snapped in its 5th season, profiles the fascinating cases of women accused of murder. Did they really do it? And, if they did, why? Whether the motivation was revenge against a cheating husband, the promise of a hefty insurance payoff or putting an end to years of abuse, the reasons are as varied as the women themselves. From socialites to secretaries, female killers share one thing in common: at some point, they all Snapped.
The show begins with various images of women across the screen, many of them mugshots or family polaroids. Text flashes alongside the images: greed, lust, adultery, etc.
The show produces a very anti-feminist discourse: women are dangerous. Women, when given the taste of freedom or independence, will "snap" -- they will become decidedly unwomanly. The show, when watched, almost seems to be like a warning to men (and to the world). Women are becoming too independent and too ambitious. They are no longer content to be wives and mothers -- they want more. And this desire to have more leads them to "snap." It is strangely similar to the "hysteria" myth of the Victorian period -- women who have too much autonomy or education will suffer from hysteria. In Snapped, the women are almost consistently portrayed as manipulative and calculating -- bordering on sociopaths, while the men are shown as unassuming, innocent victims of their malicious partners. Never mind the fact that a huge number of women on the show were victims of years of intimate partner abuse -- both emotional and physical. Many of them were married to wealthy, controlling and womanizing partners. I'm not trying to make excuses for murder, but to shove something as complex as battered woman's syndrome into a half-hour television show is demeaning and exploiting to these women. The show itself has earned much criticism from organizations such as Free Battered Women and the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women who explain that the show sensationalizes and trivializes the lives of women. They cite the facts that over the past 30 years, the number of women who have killed their partners has declined (perhaps due to the increased amount of resources for victims of domestic violence and the abilities of women to free themselves from dysfunctional and abusive relationships), while the same is not true the other way around. Currently, about one third of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner, whereas only 3 to 4 percent of men are killed by their female partners.
But instead of the focus being on the many women who are victims of controlling and violent men (because is that really interesting to anyone?), we get a show like Snapped which places men in the role of victim and leaves everybody feeling more ready to restrict women's freedoms. Rather than portray the women as desperate, isolated and abused (which most of them were), the show portrays them -- as I said before -- as manipulative, calculating and sinister. So maybe some of them are. But is that any different from men who kill? Why is it that when women murder someone they've "snapped"? "Snapped" means that they have become unwomanly -- they have deviated from their gender's acceptable standards. Women are not supposed to kill. When a man kills, no one says that he "snapped." Violence and aggression is not so surprising in men. In women it is more scary. The show plays on people's fears of the "maternal" figure turning on her husband and children and becoming violent. It is also in line with the anti-feminist discourses of the 1980s which showed the "free woman" as castrating, infertile and abortion-loving.
For a network that claims to "put a fresh spin on television for women", its portrayals of them are surprisingly offensive and archaic.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Mothers safeguard your young daughters! (Updated: 7/8)
FOX News, always ready to bring us the important issues, has recently run a short story on The O'Reilly Factor uncovering the lesbian "gang movement." According to Bill O'Reilly and "Fox crime analyst" Rod Wheeler, gangs of lesbians (such as DTO -- Dykes Taking Over), are attacking men, raping young girls and indoctrinating people into homosexuality. And these are not isolated instances, oh no, according to Wheeler it is all over the country -- over 150 networks in DC alone.
As Sarah Warn, editor over at AfterEllen puts it, "Yes, it's true, we're just one cell short of being a full-fledged terrorist network. Don't bother asking us where bin Laden is — we'll never tell!"
Interestingly, if one were to head over to NBC and read the coverage of the story there, a different picture emerges. In addition, the few news stories put out about these alleged "lesbian gangs" have been painfully one-sided. As one blogger states, when Eyewitness News put out a report on this supposed issue, "When they finally interview two women who actually claim to be in Gays Taking Over (both in prison for robbery), the women seem confused by the allegations that GTO members assault or rape other women — or even that it’s a gang."
The legitimacy of Rod Wheeler as an actual crime analyst is also questionable and one has to wonder when he states that "These are lesbians that actually carry pink pistols ... They use these. They commit crimes, and they cause a lot of hurt to a lot of people." Apparently Rod has gotten his facts confused with an organization called The Pink Pistols -- which is not a gang, but rather a queer pro-gun rights organization which is dedicated to protecting “the legal, safe, and responsible use of firearms for self-defense of the sexual-minority community.”
If one reads up on these supposed lesbian gangs which some claim are "infiltrating" schools across the nation, it seems to be more a case of sexual minority students actually standing up for themselves. As this article from Arcadia University suggests, lesbian aggression may just be cases of young girls standing up for themselves or lashing out at those who show them intolerance. According to GLSEN (the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network), four out of five lesbian, gay or bisexual teens had been physically or verbally harassed in school. And according to one teen interviewed in AU's article, the DTO acronym is merely a symbol, such as the rainbow flag, and not a sign for a formal organization. "It lets people know who we are, and we're proud of it."
It's just like conservatives to treat any open displays of homosexuality as attempts to "recruit" people into an alternative lifestyle. One would hope that if this type of aggression truly is going on in schools, it can serve to highlight the need for more awareness of the issues faced by LGBT teenagers and not as a means to further persecute a vulnerable minority.
I hope that Bush has heard this important report from O'Reilly because it looks as though the War on Terror needs to be expanded to protect freedom-loving Americans from those scary lesbians with their pink pistols.
Here's the full report (if you can manage to make it all the way through)
UPDATE: While the O'Reilly "report" was good for a few laughs, overall, it really just made me angry. And that anger was only refueled after reading this intelligence report from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Ad Campaigns Target Body Image
A new ad campaign for the Brazilian yogurt, Itambé, has been garnering much criticism. At first glance, the ads seem to promote positive body images. They are recreations of famous movie scenes, featuring plus-sized women:
But one only needs to take a look at the fine print to realize that these ads for the Brazilian lite yogurt actually continue to enforce the same old ideas. The translated caption reads, "Forget it. Men's taste will never change." The ads are of confident-looking, beautiful women being told that they should wipe those smiles off their faces and start losing weight.
Most bloggers that I've read seem to be fairly outraged over this ad campaign, while reader comments seem to be mixed. One anonymous comment stated, "uh, heads up -- it is unhealthy to be obese. and it is not insulting to suggest that people lose weight be more attractive. i dont think it is backwards thinking to suggest that someone who is overweight ("over" = exceeds what is healthy) should attempt to lose that weight. the only unfortunate issue here is that it doesn't target men, too." Another says, "good someone had to speak the truth! fat is unhealthy and gross." Someone else comments, "It's disgusting to see marketing firms catering to the obese. Instead of promoting fitness and healthy lifestyles, the world seems to be accepting obesity. Who cares if she has a beautiful face, she is overweight and not an image that should be used in advertising."
On the other hand, there are comments such as these: "These women are beautiful, luscious, confident women -- how dare their modeling agency accept this kind of negative, hate spewing, misogynist work! It just goes to show that even when corporations profess to be changing their attitudes on weight issues and body image, they are still selling women out" and "the pictures are great, esp the last one. She is beautiful! But the tag line is awful & compeletly offensive. If you are overweight & want to do something about it, do it for yourself not to get a man." Finally, one reader states, "I think the tagline is sick but those women look fabulous!"
Itambé's website has a statement concerning these advertisements. The statement is of course in Portuguese, but thanks to my language skills I am able to bring you a loose translation. The company states that the ads were created by a Publicity Agency for some type of fair and that they were not approved by Itambé nor do they reflect the company's values. The company claims to be outraged by the ads and states that they value and respect all of their consumers. I find their claims to be somewhat questionable, but at least they made a statement. I also think it is nice that so many people have spoken out against these ads. It seems to me that we are at least starting to move towards a broader definition of beauty -- albeit at a painstakingly slow pace.
In my opinion, what we really need to start seeing is more publicity over the fact that there are a wide variety of shapes and sizes that can be considered "healthy." Obviously someone that is 400 pounds is not healthy, but whose to say that a 180 lb woman isn't healthy? Scientists and nutritionists are now beginning to ask the question, "Can you be fit and fat?" This 2004 article from The Washington Post explores this issue. Steven Blair, scientist and CEO of the Cooper Intitute in
One might even argue that it is more dangerous to equate a thin body with healthiness. Because our society does equate thinness with health, the focus seems to be completely on losing weight -- no matter how it may be done. Women are told to eat nothing but "Special K" cereal for two weeks straight to lose 10 lbs -- reality weight-loss shows make a competition out of becoming the most thin. After one of these shows ended, a contestant immediately gained back something like 15 pounds just from drinking water. Clearly whatever they were doing to lose weight could not be considered healthy. Many thin people walking around today are probably not very healthy either because rarely are nutritional diets or healthy lifestyles ever promoted. If we were just to promote healthy (and I mean, actual healthy and balanced diets) eating and moderate levels of fitness and uncoupled it from weight, things would be much better. First of all, one could no longer look at someone and assume that they were either healthy or unhealthy based on their weight. Secondly, setting up a healthy lifestyle as the ideal would target everyone and would take pressure off of those who are overweight -- pressure that might cause one to take no action at all. After all, eating healthy and exercising regularly would naturally result in weight loss for many, but it wouldn't set anyone up for failure. Adopting a lifestyle change as opposed to working towards a possibly unattainable goal is better for morale.
Some parts of the media are actually beginning to contribute, as I've said. Back in the late 90s, The Body Shop started a campaign to "activate self-esteem." It developed the character "Ruby" for an ad campaign to promote healthy body image.
More recently, Nike has begun an ad campaign which promotes a more healthy view of women's bodies.
In the world of celebrities we have also been seeing more full-figured women. This past year we saw Jennifer Hudson win an Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls while America Ferrera has been honored several times for her role in the show Ugly Betty. Queen Latifah is one of the new faces of Cover Girl, Tyra Banks featured two plus-sized models in the last cycle of the popular America's Next Top Model and Sara Ramirez of Grey's Anatomy is featured in this new Milk ad, which celebrates her curves:
And Dove brand has begun what it calls its "Campaign for Real Beauty." Dove's campaign focuses on the self-esteem of girls, the promotion of healthy body images, and the celebration of aging bodies. Dove-sponsored workshops for girls ages 8-12 focus on beauty, self-image and self-esteem. This campaign ad was featured during the Super Bowl:Here's another short Dove film about self-esteem:
Dove also put out a film for their Real Beauty campaign which shows what they call "The Evolution of Beauty."
Finally, Dove's pro-age ads show that women do not stop being beautiful once they pass the age of 40. This ad was banned in the U.S. because it supposedly showed too much skin. Nevertheless, the print ads can be found in magazines across the country:
It certainly would be nice to see more corporations following Dove's lead and sponsoring issues such as these. I'm so happy to see this actually being discussed and talked about. It's time for women to take pride in their bodies. Only then can they really find the motivation to care for them and keep them healthy.
