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as an actor and agreed that he
should be allowed to criticise
his work. Others did of course
call him ungrateful, but the
response was nowhere near
as dramatic as Zegler’s, and
one can in no way claim he
was cancelled. Actor Robert
Pattison has also made fun of
the Twilight franchise and was
praised for it by the media.
So why were they allowed to
criticise the films they acted in,
while Rachel Zegler was not?
It‘s because it breaks our
internalised view that women
should be grateful, quiet,
and most of all humble. By
criticising a film, it’s almost
as if an actor puts themselves above it, claiming that their work
is superior to the quality of the film. Rachel Zegler, only 21 years
old at the time, was probably deemed as a young naïve actress,
while Elordi and Pattison were deemed rational and charming, for
daring to be honest about their experiences. Of course, the fact that
the casting of Rachel, a Latina woman for the role of Snow White,
was already controversial in certain fan spaces, gave the critics
even more reason to shame her. Rachel Zegler did everything she
in the public eye should not have done. She voiced an opinion
the people did not want to hear. Rachel Zegler was practically
cancelled for making a critical comment, while there are people
in Hollywood who’s thriving, while having violence and sexual
assault accusations against them. Is that fair?
The Golden Globes versus Barbie
“Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies. The key moment in
Barbie is when she goes from perfect beauty to bad breath, cellulite
and flat feet. Or what casting directors call character actor!”.
The Golden Globes proves just why one could say that we somehow
hate women in Hollywood, by having jokes about the Barbie film
be central to the award show’s comedy. Barbie is seen as many,
as a film representing what it’s like to be a woman in today’s
society. Thus, the golden globes’ jokes about the film received
varied reactions. Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig sat there with
an awkward smile on their faces, while actress and singer Selena
Gomez, went viral for putting her face in her hands with second
hand embarrassment. Joking about a film that was defining for
women in 2023 is of course not forbidden, but most people can
agree that the jokes at the Golden Globes were borderline sexist.
The Barbenheimer phenomenon characterised the summer,
and the rivalry led to both films performing extraordinary well.
Undermining the achievements of Barbie because of the concept
it is based on, strictly ignores the important message of the film.
That whatever women do in today’s society, there will always be
someone who claims you’re doing it wrong.
The same is clear when
looking at the reactions
to the cast and director’s
reactions. The jokes made
news outlets all round the
world, but in the comments
of these articles you found
the same thing once again.
People tore into the cast of
Barbie’s reactions, judging
them for every move. Even
Greta Gerwig, who sat
there with a polite smile
on her face, received hate
comments. They should be
able to take a joke, people
said.
A few months later when the
Oscar nominations were announced, leaving Margot Robbie and
Greta Gerwig without individual nominations, the hate resurfaced.
Many claimed they were both snubbed, including Ryan Gosling
and America Ferrara, who both received a nomination for best
supporting actor/actress. Most of the comments I read were about
how the film wasn’t even that good, it was superficial, and that Ryan
Gosling was the only good part (he did great of course). Although
you can argue that the Oscar nominated many great actresses for
main lead, one could say that the exclusion of Greta Gerwig, who
directed the highest grossing film in 2023, might be a bit more
controversial. However, the comments changed when Robbie and
Gerwig both said they were just grateful to a part of the film and
were happy for their co-stars’ nominations. Suddenly, people loved
them both, even though they had hated on their performances a
few weeks earlier. Why? Because they did what was expected. They
were humble, they acknowledged other people, and they didn’t feel
entitled to an award.
But I don’t hate women in Hollywood?
This article is not a generalisation of everyone’s perception of
women in Hollywood. It’s more of an attempt to discuss some of the
hypocrisy many women in Hollywood face. Of course, the title of the
article is a generalisation, mostly to attract attention. Sadly, I think
many of us have internalised some of the perspectives highlighted
in this article, from many years of experiencing hidden gender
roles in society. I am guilty of many of the things I’m accusing
others of. While we might not hate all women in Hollywood, we
should all be cognizant of the bias we bring into our perception of
other people. It’s easy to think of celebrities as merely the job they
do, and forget that they are actual people with their own minds
and feelings. So, if you felt guilty of some of the things from this
article, fear not.
At least it’s not 1937 anymore.
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