Discuss: When an Actor's Look Gets in the Way
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Images
Are you finding it increasingly harder to take the changing physicality of Hollywood actors?Things change; they grow old, they morph, and sometimes even evolve. It's a fact of life, and usually a good fact of life. But lately, I find myself constantly having to try and ignore certain physical aspects to enjoy a trailer, an image, a film. Rather than absorbing the project, the mood, the plot, I'm trying to blur my eyes so Mr. or Ms. So-and-So doesn't look quite so silly.
On the one hand, of course, it's the plastic surgery. Practically everyone in Tinseltown does something. There's no way everyone has smooth foreheads and bright skin. But when the random nose job or improvement turns into new cheeks, chin, or balloonish lips until the original person is nowhere to be seen, it becomes too much. If this was happening to actors known for morphing into characters, whose performance shines much brighter than their own image or personality, fine. But when the stars whose name and faces are their fame, you can't ignore it. I simply cannot see Mickey Rourke without thinking back to The Pope of Greenwich Village, spot Meg Ryan without trying to recognize the girl from Innerspace, Melanie Griffith, Sylvester Stallone, Nicole Kidman... Can they really think that's better than a few wrinkles and some sagging skin?
And then there's an additional layer of utter goofiness. I feel like when the '80s fashions started to make a comeback a few years ago, the most dreadful styles went away, while leaving behind a love of the ridiculous. Or maybe Schumacher's damned nippled heroes gave us all a dose of the crazy. Nicolas Cage seems like less of an actor and more of a male Barbie doll for silly looks these days, between gigs like Sorcerer's Apprentice and Season of the Witch... "Fashion" flicks give us women wearing this or this.
Hollywood has always been image-crazy, but now it's like something out of a more brightly hued Tim Burton film. And my god, it even zips into our marketing with terribly Photoshopped pictures being sent on like professional movie posters. Has the industry lost their eyesight?
What do you think of Hollywood's increasingly distracting visual flair?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-22-2009 @ 4:02PM
Jared said...
The looks are getting out of hand. Most recent example is Lindsay Lohan, although she has not been in anything recently, her change is awful.
Nicole Kidman looks like a different person as does Rourke. What is the problem with aging? We all do it, we all have to and fighting it makes you look strange.
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10-22-2009 @ 4:10PM
C.A. said...
I hate photoshopped movie posters. Hate them!
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10-22-2009 @ 4:30PM
NP said...
The posters are truly the worst offenders. The one I keep seeing that really scares me (and I know this is television but the same overphotochopping applies) is the poster for USA's new show White Collar:
http://www.tvovermind.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/8x11FINAL_med.jpg
It's beyond looking photochopped to just looking straight up like a cartoon, like this is an animated show. What the what??
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10-22-2009 @ 8:57PM
Pretty Paula said...
Jessica Lange is not in a ton of stuff these days but she is frightful to look at....very distracting
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10-23-2009 @ 9:36AM
DAVID F said...
I recently saw a picture of Tom Berenger and wondered what happened. Hey, it happens I guess.
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10-23-2009 @ 10:08AM
lallaloolly said...
i think it's terrible. i am paraphrasing someone i heard in an interview once, who said, "the whole goal of all of it seems to be so they will continue to look good in still photographs and paparazzi shots, but they seem to forget that their livelihood depends on their mouths and cheeks and forehead actually moving."
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10-25-2009 @ 2:46PM
Anonymous said...
First of all, this article gives no real insight into the subject than personal complaining. I don't fully understand both sides of the point, especially the one you're trying to make: what exactly would be better about actors not doing themselves up? How does it effect you? If you can't get past their looks, maybe they weren't right for the part.
There's no question that Nicolas Cage looks ridiculous with his Divinci Code hair, but how does his dreadful hair make Bangkok Dangerous any worse than it actually is? I think your point is moot.
And regarding photoshopped posters... I can understand the reaction against making women look thinner, airbrushing out their flaws which adds to an impossible body image. But the example posted above for White Collar? That's hardly something to complain about. They touch-up photos to help contribute to the overall vision of the poster. You want to talk about distracting? If he had a giant zit on his cheek or massive wrinkles, THAT would be distracting.
What about the work done before the photo was taken for the picture? Should he not have kept his stubble kemp? Kept a spot on his tie without changing it?
I won't disagree that it goes overboard once in awhile. There was no need for so much airbrushing on Jason Segel in the I Love You, Man poster:
Poster: http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/desktops/movie/i_love_you_man01.jpg
Still from movie:
http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/956/956530/i-love-you-man-20090223060600778_640w.jpg
That's a little outrageous, but for the most part movie posters are an improvement. If you complain about them being photoshopped, then the only alternative is just a still shot from the movie with a post-it note attached to it with the name of the film written on it.
I'm all for discussions, but provide better insight to both sides of the story before you invite a conversation about it. Otherwise it's not writing, it's bitching.
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10-26-2009 @ 12:07AM
GL said...
Despite Anon's personal rant about nothing, I am willing to add my few cents to the discussion.
I can't see Mickey Rourke without bile rising in the back of my throat. I can't take him seriously.
The problem isn't actors "doing themselves up". The problem for me is actors that look prosthetic and almost comically fake due to their personal "enhancements". It's hard not to laugh.
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