The new Batman movie is coming out soon so I watched one of the trailers with my coworker. It will be starring Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman, and this sparked up an interesting conversation between my coworker and I. Modern movies and sex appeal.
The conversation started that we were excited for the movie, but we were worried about Anne Hathaway playing Cat Woman. My coworker said that she was probably in it for the sex appeal. I'll be honest, in most modern movies I despise the female leads. They always get in trouble and cause problems for everyone else because they have to be saved in their helplessness. Or they are totally hardened and have become these dark, mysterious women who always find it essential to wear tight, shiny clothing for their line of work. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but . . . well . . . no, actually I'm not.
This is perhaps why I enjoy the older movies quite a bit better than the newer movies, especially when it comes to the chick flicks. The female leads are genuine, and they don't rely on their bodies to keep the audience entertained. They're funny, quirky, and just enjoyable to watch. Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie), Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched), Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), and Doris Day are some of my favorite actresses. Why? Because they could actually act. They were spirited, original, and quite simply, amazing. They got where they were because of their talent. Take Lucille Ball, for example. She was absolutely hilarious!! Every episode she had some hair-brained scheme that left the audience in an uproar. She would ad lib and just have fun with it, sometimes leaving the other cast members trying to stay composed and not laugh. These were the shows that left a lasting impression.
Now I ask you (and I asked my coworker this as well), when was the last time you saw a female lead in a modern movie play in the comic relief? And the flirting with the male lead does not count. Usually it's the male lead and the male lead's supporting actor, right? Why? Because today's media is so focused on sex appeal that the role goes to the body, not the talent.
It use to be that people had to be able to sing, dance, or act to be able to get into the movies. Nowadays, they just have to have low standards. And that's how the media portrays how women should be. But it's not. That is why I'm so hesitant of modern movies even when people say it's so good, and why I despise the female leads and refuse let them influence me.
We, as women, are better than that. We should be funny and quirky. We should have talent. We should be ourselves. And we should never fall prey to today's media and rely on our bodies to take us places.
