Tag Archives: pop culture

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Girls Gone White

Photo: HBO

I used to work at a mainstream women’s magazine that tried very hard to be inclusive. We used to take great pains to make sure that the pages (especially in the beauty section) had a mix of women with different skin tones, hair colors and textures—because that’s what America looks like. We used a lot of celebrity photos and sadly, it was often a struggle to find red carpet shots of young black, Latina or Asian women sporting the specific trends we were covering. The new HBO show Girls is the perfect example of why it was so difficult.

The series is bugging the hell out of a lot of people because it features a group of all-white, privileged 20-something-year-old friends who live in New York City, but have somehow managed to avoid knowing any people of color. Even though I think most New Yorkers, myself included, have friends of all different backgrounds, there are people in NYC who roll in non-diverse circles. The writer and star of the show, Lena Dunham, must fit into that category because the story is based on herself and the people she knows. That’s why I’m OK with the cast the way it is. If Dunham’s never had a black girl in her crew in real life, the last thing she should do is write about one. It could be a disaster.

Despite the ethnic void on Girls, I’m sure there are plenty of viewers who will relate to the #whitehipstergirlproblems depicted on the series—HBO is banking on that. I just wish major networks would tell the stories of other just-as-interesting niche social groups, too. Say, for instance, black people that are part of what writer Ta-Nehisi Coates calls “the tribe that doesn’t get down with Tyler Perry, whose music choices tend to put us in places where there aren’t many black faces.”

More diversity on TV would not only be compelling, but it would cause a chain reaction throughout the media world. We would see a broader mix of TV stars in magazines, on talk shows and in advertisements. And those are all places that could use a lot more color. What do you think about Girls? Is all the criticism justified or overblown? 

 

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Jennifer Lawrence Is Nothing If Not Consistent In Her Facial Expressions

Photo: courtesy of Lionsgate

I was lucky enough to be invited to two screenings of The Hunger Games last week. I was excited because I recently read the book and I’ve been a big Jennifer Lawrence fan ever since I saw her impressive performance in Winter’s Bone. Now that I’ve seen The Hunger Games twice, I realize that Jennifer’s favorite onscreen expression is the partially open-mouthed intense gaze. If I had to guess, I would say she kept it up for approximately 122 minutes of the 142-minute film.

There’s not a lot of smiling in the movie. Jennifer’s character, Katniss, doesn’t have much time for laughing, makeup or hair-washing because she’s busy trying to avoid being killed in the woods. So it’s a good thing that Jennifer looks beautiful even when she’s dirty, bare-faced and burning a hole through the screen with her eyes. But what’s up with her half-open mouth? Take a look:

She couldn't manage to close her mouth at the reaping. Blame it on shock? Photo: Murray Close

 

Her mouth was also ajar right before the games began... Photo: courtesy of Lionsgate

 

...and she kept her lips parted while she was hunting, plotting, thinking, crouching and pretty much through most of the film! Photo: courtesy of Lionsgate

Maybe the look can become Jennifer’s signature—kind of like Angelina Jolie’s pout or Julia Roberts’s boisterous laugh. I admit, it’s possible that watching the film twice in the span of four days caused me to fixate on this little detail. But tell me what you think of Jennifer’s love of open-mouthedness. Is it too much? Did you notice it during the film?  Say yay or nay in the comments section below. 

 

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Are you a “Caitlin” or a “Martha?”

I was catching up on my favorite show/the best show on TV, The Good Wife, last night and the latest episode brought up the whole “Marthas vs. Catilins” issue again. If you’re a fan of the show, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For those of you who don’t watch, a “Martha” is…

… a Plane Jane—an average-looking woman. And a “Catilin” is the beautiful girl who always gets the guy, and well, everything. The Martha vs. Caitlin debate started several episodes ago when the main character, Alicia Florrick, a lawyer played by Juliana Margulise, is given the task of hiring a new first-year associate for the firm. She narrows down her search to two candidates: Martha, a whip-smart brunette who gives the impression that she might have been a little dorky in high school, and Caitlin, a striking blond who comes across as a bit ditzy during her interview. Alicia decides to go with Martha. But right after she offers her the job, a senior associate at the firm informs Alicia that Catilin is his niece. He makes it pretty clear that he expects her to get the position, or else Alicia will be burning a pretty important bridge.

Feeling like she has no choice, Alicia reluctantly hires Caitlin. Fast forward to last week’s episode and Caitlin, who as it turns out is much smarter and more ambitious that she seemed, is arguing her first arbitration case under Alicia’s guidance. Guess which lawyer she’s up against: yep, Martha. When Martha greets Alicia in the court room, she looks over at Caitlin and says, “So that’s who you hired instead of me? She sure is blond. Pretty hair.”  She doesn’t even attempt to hide her bitterness.  Her anger probably goes deeper than this particular snub. She’s likely suffered through a lifetime of watching prettier girls get the boys, the jobs and the opportunities she’s equally–and sometimes more–worthy of.

 

This is Caitlin.

 

And this is Martha.

In this episode, they took pains to exaggerate the physical differences between the two women. Caitlin shows up for court in body conscious, bright-colored outfits with her golden waves flowing over her shoulders. Meanwhile, Martha wears drab, neutral-colored outfits with her dark hair pulled back into a nondescript bun. You get the point. But surprise! Caitlin is more than a pretty face—she holds her own in the courtroom, even after Martha’s childish attempts to intimidate her.

I know we’ve seen the pretty girl vs. plain girl storyline a million times in the movies or on TV. Films like In Her Shoes and Just Wright and shows like Glee or even The Brady Bunch come to mind. It’s not the most original plot, but usually it’s focused on romance, not career.  The Good Wife put a different spin on it. This episode brings up the fact that even if you’re not a model or actress, looks do matter when it comes to landing a desirable job. The harsh truth is that attractive people have a significant advantage in life. There is actually data that proves hotties make more money. And a 55-year-old banker recently ‘fessed up to O, The Oprah Magazine that she has had ten cosmetic procedures and that she believes they helped her get ahead at work. That’s a lot to go through for a few promotions.

As women, we learn from an early age that the world is generally kinder to Caitlins as opposed to Marthas. But no matter how others perceive us, we have all have felt frumpy or insecure at various times in our lives. In this episode of The Good Wife, it’s actually Caitlin that lacks confidence at the beginning of the case. As a result, she comes off as weak and unprepared. But as soon she gets comfortable and becomes more of sure of herself, she begins to kick butt. It’s a good reminder about the power of confidence.

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