In the words of Jennifer Lawrence: “If anybody even tries to whisper the word ‘diet’, I’m like, you can go f- yourself”.
As the Internet’s darling, Jennifer Lawrence is celebrated not just for her acting talents but also for her frank and funny attitude towards fame, Hollywood, and the coveted institution of celebrity. In that world of stick-thin models and actresses who starve themselves for roles, Lawrence is the girl who trips over her own dress when trying to receive an Academy Award and orders McDonald’s on the red carpet, disregarding the unspoken rules that dictate the behaviour of both her famous and non-famous peers – rules that determine what a woman’s size should be, what she should eat in order to be that size, how any excess weight should be a woman’s small and secret shame.
The discussion on whether their body weight is “normal” and what this emphasis means for girls misinterprets what this new wave of celebrity is pushing for: though their body weight is as yet the topic of discussion, what these women are saying is that body weight is not what it’s all about
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In the face of this, Lawrence and her contemporaries – actresses like Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling – shuck this longstanding norm in favour of something new. Lawrence is “never going to starve herself for a part”. Deschanel says her healthy weight is “weird” for Hollywood. As refreshing as it is to hear the thin obsession acknowledged, there’s something troubling about the fact that these girls are not exactly pushing the boundaries of the “ideal” weight. Sure, Lawrence isn’t a size zero, and – as she says – she may even be considered a “fat” actress in Hollywood. But the weight of these girls is not a weight that is in any way unhealthy, or derogated by our society at large; the “normal” body type that they are portrayed with may be normal in terms of health standards, but it isn’t the norm for a large proportion of young girls. In fact, the obsession with these upcoming actresses fails in many ways to take into account that they don’t dare deviate far from Hollywood’s strictest rules.
Except the point is that that’s not the point anymore. The discussion on whether their body weight is “normal” and what this emphasis means for girls misinterprets what this new wave of celebrity is pushing for: though their body weight is as yet the topic of discussion, what these women are saying is that body weight is not what it’s all about. They aren’t defined by their waist measurement, and their message is that the women who admire them shouldn’t be either.
She’s not loved for her body, despite being gorgeous, and she’s not revered for being thin, even though she’s not overweight – she’s a new breed of celebrity
It’s a revolution that’s been long-anticipated in Hollywood, this rise of a tangible personality within celebrity, an emphasis on the contents of your mind over the contents of your dinner. As the media still obsesses over fatness, as the magazines still crop and blend and photoshop to give the public what they think they should have instead of what they want. This new wave of celebrity is giving the public something to talk about that isn’t what they wore. In interviews, Lawrence discusses being the “fastest pee-er ever”, her life motto of not worrying about the bitches in school, and wanting colouring books on first-class flights; she’s hilarious and honest, doesn’t censor herself, lets her personality out when so many celebrities rein theirs in. And the fact that this is so new and refreshing and unexpected is why she’s so widely adored. She’s not loved for her body, despite being gorgeous, and she’s not revered for being thin, even though she’s not overweight – she’s a new breed of celebrity, ringing true with her fans because the things she does are not constructed to create an ideal, but are the true actions of a an awkward, funny, real person.
Jennifer Lawrence refuses to be hungry to make other people happy, and she’s not alone. Many of the upcoming actresses are marketing this new-and-improved version of celebrity, eschewing the Barbie-perfect unrealistic proportions but making up for that in spades with larger-than-life personalities. As Mindy Kaling put it, “being called fat is not like being called stupid or unfunny”. Being fat is no longer the be-all and end-all insult for Hollywood’s women. These days, being able to hold a conversation, having actual interests and being a real person are the criteria celebrities are starting to have to meet.
They aren’t defined by their bodies, and this is the message they are sending out to women across the world.
Lena Dunham, the star of Girls, said recently that she’s going to live until 105 and show her thighs every day. The attitude is indicative of this new phenomenon in Hollywood: the long-lost, near-mythical personality. Dunham is an award-winning filmmaker and actress; Lawrence is a celebrated actress and an Oscar-winner; Deschanel has starred in countless films and tv shows; Kaling has written, produced and acted for various high-profile TV shows. They aren’t defined by their bodies, and this is the message they are sending out to women across the world.
The point is no longer how closely they adhere to the thin-body norm. Instead, refreshingly, the things that are becoming most important – both in celebrity culture and the public sphere – are your smarts and your skills and your strength of character, and not the dress size you wear.
