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. 36
Ta master? Du har kanskje flere muligheter enn du vet om! uia.no/master MARS 2024 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 3 37
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