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Editor's Picks Life Stories Life

The good fortune of being a nobody

It was the 90’s and Brandon Lee, son of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee was sitting on the stage of the black box theater in my acting class. Milton, our teacher, had a tradition of having us cheer each other on when someone announced a big win. The theater echoed with applause as Brandon told us he had gotten a three-picture movie deal, but with each clap, envy dripped from my fingertips.  

I wondered when it would be my turn to sit on that stage and announce a big win. I was unconnected and unrelated, a “nobody” by Hollywood standards, and wondered if it was possible to ever breakthrough.  

Brandon never spoke of his famous father and we never asked about him. It seemed tasteless to do so. As if we cared about his celebrity (we did). He was brimming with talent and while we never knew this, was also a martial arts expert. Despite that, it was difficult not to think that Brandon had gotten his film deal because of who his father was.  

Bruce Lee with his son, Brandon Lee as an infant. Via Wikimedia Commons
[Image Description: Bruce Lee with his son, Brandon Lee as an infant. Via Wikimedia Commons]
I wanted a famous father, but instead, I got Irwin. A Jersey guy with an at-home business and the flexibility to take me and my brother to the orthodontist. He designed drugstores so there was the occasional ten percent off of a tube of toothpaste, but that was it in terms of any special treatment.  

My dad wanted to be a voiceover actor who took the stage name, Don Lyons. Broke and unconnected he gave it up. I always wondered if I inherited his unfinished desire to be in entertainment. He would end our frequent phone calls with, “show biz is my life!” 

It seemed easy for Brandon, who was about to kick off the first of his three movies. Hollywood stories were centered around men while casting calls for women consisted of “size 0 sexy woman” and “size 0 sexy best friend”.  I was neither of those, so my gigs were few and far between. While Brandon was probably sipping on an espresso, in his double-wide trailer, I was walking onto the set of a bizarre acting job that would change the trajectory of my career. The gig was for The Playboy Network. There was no script (the audition was an improv) I didn’t have to get naked and all I knew was that my part was “saleswoman”.  

I was told we would be filming sexy vignettes and met the “star”. She was a beautiful, blonde bombshell playing the bride to be and an older actor was playing her father. The set was a wedding dress store and my job was to convince the dad that his daughter picked the perfect gown for her special day. 

We start the scene with the bride showing her dress to her dad as we convince him to buy it. Just as he is about to pull out his credit card, the actress twirls around to reveal that there is no back to the dress. She’s butt naked except for a tiny string holding the two sides together. “Oh my” says the actor playing the dad and…cut! 

This was not a sexy vignette. This was a young woman who gets naked in front of her “father” and all of us in the “store” were supposed to pretend this was “normal”.  It felt gross and humiliating and my heart wouldn’t stop pounding. I was deeply uncomfortable and since there was no script, I had to “improv” my way through. It was all made worse by the  sound guy announcing loudly, “Hey, I can hear your heart beating!” 

After a few more takes, I was unconvincing, so they fired me and replaced me with…the sound guy. He stepped in as if he had been waiting all his life to convince the naked bride to buy that dress.  I was devastated. The years of rejection were taking their toll and it seemed like I would never have the chance to prove myself in any kind of role that I could sink my teeth into. Reluctantly, I decided to move behind the scenes and found some success writing and producing at E! 

If I wasn’t going to be a celebrity at least I could still be around them. The environment wasn’t much better. We worked fourteen-hour days (low pay and no overtime) and had to regurgitate the words sex, sexy and sexiest at every turn.  I followed the careers of my former classmates and even found myself interviewing them during my time at E! In 1993, news broke that Brandon Lee was dead. He had been killed on the set of The Crow when a gun, used in a stunt, shot the tip of a real bullet into his abdomen. Despite hours of surgery, the doctors couldn’t save him.  

I was stunned and thought back to the night in class when my jealousy got the best of me. Brandon was dead. Maybe he wouldn’t be if he too had been unconnected.  

Despite his famous family, he had to film in extreme conditions. Worst of all, there was no firearms expert on set the day of the shooting. I imagine Brandon didn’t want to complain and have those around him think he was only there because of his legendary last name. Perhaps the legacy of being Bruce Lee’s son simply made him a commodity for Hollywood to exploit. 

The truth is fame can be a curse and being ordinary can be an enormous blessing. Ordinary isn’t just mundane or conventional or dreary and predictable. Ordinary is the privilege of building a life with a loving partner, having kids who morph into terrific humans or bringing your mom to a  doctor’s appointment because she is older and needs to take your arm while she walks. 

Fame is an elusive path that has made so many feel unhappy, unfulfilled and incredibly lonely.  Perhaps I was the lucky one.  

This year marked twenty-eight years since Brandon died, exactly as many years as he was alive.

It feels like yesterday that we were in class together. It never mattered that he had a famous father and I didn’t, for a brief moment, he was my friend.

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Book Reviews Books

‘The View Was Exhausting’ takes the fake dating trope to a whole new level

Those of us obsessed with celebrity relationship drama have often wondered if it’s all just for the cameras. After all, nothing in Hollywood is real, and since fans can’t help but obsess over the minor details of a movie star’s personal life, why wouldn’t they choose to take the narrative into their own hands and give people a glamorous love story? It’s obvious that they do, since some celebrity relationships are so obviously fake, *cough* Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello *cough*.

The View was Exhausting, co-written by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta, is about one such (fake) celebrity romance. It will appeal to fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and Crazy Rich Asians. In the novel, Whitman “Win” Tagore is an internationally famous British Indian actress. Given how difficult it is for women of color to make a name for themselves in Hollywood, Win is careful about her image and has fine-tuned her public persona down to the smallest detail.

After a humiliating scandal early in her career, Win has spent the last few years cultivating an on-and-off-again relationship with Leo Milanowski, the famous playboy son of a millionaire, to show the public she has a romantic and vulnerable side.

The novel proves that the “fake dating” trope is a practical move. Anytime Win’s career needs a boost, her publicist ropes in Leo, organizes a few paparazzi shots of them canoodling in exotic locales, and social media immediately goes wild for their perfect love story. At the start of the novel,  Leo meets Win in St. Tropez, because she is hoping to get a lucrative role and needs public opinion on her side after an ugly publicized breakup.

Despite the mutual attraction and friendship, Win has never wanted to jeopardize her perfect fake relationship with Leo by starting a real one. But just as she begins to want something more with Leo, a secret he has kept from her comes to light, creating the potential to out their fake relationship and cause a disastrous media spectacle. 

The story is told through a series of glimpses into Win and Leo’s past experiences, showing us flashbacks of how they met, their close friendship and the favors they have done for one another. the intricacies of staging a relationship, and the complex nature of all relationships: the undefinable one they’ve had with each other and the ones with the other people in their lives.

Most of the novel is deeply introspective and really works as a character study of Win and Leo. To be honest, I had some trouble making any sense of the plot because of this, especially since the first half of the story has a lot of exposition. If you’re looking for a quick romantic read, this may be better for another time. On the other hand, I did like that the story wasn’t just focused on the love story between the two of them, but also their families and friends, especially Win’s fraught relationship with her mother Pritha, who doesn’t support her career choice. 

As a woman of color in the entertainment industry, Win’s career is sometimes a losing battle. Her work relies on star power, and directors and the media paying enough attention to her that she gets lucrative roles for which she would normally not be considered. When a movie fails, directors blame the fact that they had to cast her based on “political correctness”. Sadly, many of us know all too well what its like to have people reduce your identity to the color of your skin instead of your abilities. 

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She is privy to racial microaggressions, such as being labeled “exotic” by casting agents. Win feels that she cannot call out racist remarks because she is aware that she’ll be seen as the one who is overreacting. She is never allowed to act out, for fear of coming across as unlikeable, and even if she were to unabashedly put her career before a publicized social life, she risks the tabloids painting her as a prudish workaholic.

As we’ve seen from the way the British media treats Meghan Markle, there is really no end to the vitriol aimed at women of color in the spotlight. While I liked that the novel explored the discrimination Win faces, I do wish it also touched a bit more on her relationship with her South Asian identity, since it felt like she only viewed her background as an obstacle to her ambition.

Through Leo, the novel also comments on the unfulfilling bleakness of constant fame and wealth. Unlike Win, Leo as a character comes off as someone who is directionless in life. He has spent years wandering from one glamorous destination to another (I wonder if the authors named him after a certain famous Leo), partying with famous friends, taking care of his eccentric siblings, and carrying out every inane task his overbearing millionaire father sets for him.

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Leo enjoys a string of brief projects and so is happy to be Win’s fake boyfriend whenever she needs the media buzz. During the course of the novel though, it seems he is beginning to get frustrated by playing a part in the hoax and feels like he has to hide a secret from Win because it would jeopardize her career.

While this is definitely still a romance novel, even the real love story isn’t exactly about falling headfirst for someone, but more about the realistic problems that arise when two people who care deeply for each other have trouble communicating their feelings. Win and Leo have this vibe where they are each the only person the other can rely on in the world. Still, they don’t always say or do the right thing, and they don’t even always like each other.

The story explores how this is due to them being from different backgrounds: Leo coming from privilege and Win from an immigrant working-class family. Though Leo is empathetic about the struggles in Win’s career, he obviously cannot understand the extent of what it’s like to be a woman of color in a predominantly white industry. As Leo questions why Win doesn’t call out racist remarks, Win feels frustrated by his simplistic worldview, which in her opinion comes from a place of lifelong privilege and never having to fight for what you want. Though it takes them some time, they must each learn to communicate their problems in order to feel loved and supported. 

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The View Was Exhausting has an addictive, if somewhat meandering storyline. It takes some time to get into, but I was invested in learning more about Win and Leo, and watching them grow as people. The writing style combines dialogue with several flashbacks, which makes you feel like you’re being made to understand and empathize with the characters. On the other hand, the plot of the book is overwhelmed by the constant revelations in their internal monologues. You will come for the glamour, but you will stay because the double standards of Hollywood infuriate you, and because you want to know how Win and Leo will finally realize that they love each other.

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Celebrities Pop Culture

Joss Whedon has been accused of abusive behavior yet again

Followed by Ray Fisher’s allegations of abuse of power and misconduct by Joss Whedon, former Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars have come forward with their own experiences of alleged abuse by Joss Whedon. Much of these allegations repeat what others who have worked with Whedon have claimed over the years.

Earlier in July 2020, actor Ray Fisher reported allegations of abuse of power by Joss Whedon on the set of Justice League. He tweeted that Whedon’s behavior on the set was “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.” These allegations were followed by a subsequent internal investigation launched by WarnerMedia. The statement from the company provided little explanation of the course of action it would pursue. However, Fisher has since refused to appear in any DC films.

On Wednesday 10th February, Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia on Buffy, accused Whedon of abusing his power.

On Wednesday 10th February, Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia on Buffy, accused Whedon of abusing his power. Carpenter has previously claimed that she was “afraid” to go public with her allegations, as it could considerably impact her career. However, in the wake of the MeToo movement and increased awareness and advocacy for women’s rights, she admitted she feels much more confident today coming forward with these allegations. Carpenter recalls being body-shamed by Whedon during her pregnancy and subsequently dropping out of the show. 

Carpenter was motivated to come forward in solidarity with Ray Fisher’s allegations against Whedon that made rounds in the news last summer. Amber Benson who played Tara on Buffy also issued a note of support for Carpenter and backed up Carpenter’s claims regarding Whedon’s behavior. In a tweet, she wrote:

Even Sarah Michelle Geller who played the titular character Buffy Summers came forward in support of her co-stars. In an Instagram post, she stated that while she is proud to be associated with Buffy Summers, she does not want to be associated with Joss Whedon forever. 

 

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Geller’s partner Freddie Prinze Jr. said in 2003 that his wife has had to deal with a lot of nonsense behind the scenes on the show. We know that Whedon has publicly mocked Geller’s work in the past. He called her work in Cruel Intentions “a porny”, which Geller claimed to be “incredibly hurtful” to her. 

Michelle Trachtenburg, who played Buffy’s younger sister on the show, also asserted that Whedon did not display “appropriate behavior” around her as a teenager. However, Trachtenburg did not provide a detailed account of Whedon’s behavior. However, she did claim that there was a rule saying that Whedon “was not allowed in a room alone with Michelle again”.

Allegations about Whedon’s behavior have been surfacing for a while. The global successes of Marvel’s The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron directed by Whedon resulted in him being brought to direct competitor DC’s Justice League. It was a challenging production that was made worse by Whedon’s “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable” behavior according to Fisher.

Whedon has come under great scrutiny in recent years due to allegations of misconduct. He has had to leave several projects such as the Batgirl movie for Warner Bros., Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective for Freeform, and most recently The Nevers for HBO Max.

Whedon has yet to respond to the latest allegations made against him and his reps have refused to comment. However, what these recent allegations clarify is that toxic and abusive behavior by those who hold significant power is more prevalent than we imagine.

In the past, young actors were regularly villainized, it was Geller who bore the brunt of fan backlash, whilst Whedon always got a free pass and his career continued to grow. Whedon received praise and appreciation amongst fan circles for interacting with fans regularly through Buffy message boards. On the other hand, Geller was demonized for not accrediting Whedon and all that he did for her career.



In an increasingly evolving cultural climate, many people have come to realize that abusive behavior by those in positions of dominance is unacceptable. Those exploiting their power need to be held accountable. Despite being the victim, it took Carpenter almost a decade to gain the courage to finally share her story.

Abusers can have any gender, but most often in history, it’s been proven to be men who walk away with no consequences. We need to overcome the misogynistic patterns. Instead of being blindsided by the fame and praise of men in positions of power, we need to at the very least hear out the victims and recognize the existence of a pattern. Without this, we continue to fail the future generation of actors and actresses. 

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Categories
Gender Inequality

Here’s how I’ve come to terms with the #MeToo Movement

Trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault and PTSD

On October 10th, 2017, my whole life changed. I remember each of me social media feeds being bombarded with the breaking news that Harvey Weinstein – arguably one of the most powerful men in Hollywood – had been accused of sexually assaulting over eighty women.

I couldn’t identify what I was feeling then, but as I read each name and each interview, I felt like throwing up. But that was nothing compared to what was going on inside my head. While I ruminated over the article, I remember all my group chats that day pinging with coverage updates and as I read every message coming in – I still couldn’t process it.

Later on, when I think back to where I was in October 2017 when the reckoning began (I call this movement a reckoning because I regard it as one of the recent watershed movements in women’s history across the world), I always remember it as an out of body experience.

The names play on a loop, phrases jump out at random and each recollection felt like being dealt physical blows. Repressed feelings and memories began to surface, things I thought I had buried for good, leapt out. Feelings that I internalized because I couldn’t process them started to bubble within.

I began to spiral, and I let myself drown.

The year I turned 8 or 9 (I can’t remember the exact age, the years blur as I get older, but I was in elementary school), something bad happened to me.

I was assaulted in an apartment elevator while coming back from our local grocery store. I can clearly remember what I was wearing (it’s not lost on me that these are details I choose to fixate on), they were clothes my mother had recently bought for me.

A teenage boy from my building got into the elevator with me and ran his hands up my thigh while the elevator went up. I remember it so vividly at times that I wish I could forget how many times his hand slipped under my shirt. I don’t know how I managed to compose myself after my assault but when I got home, it was as if nothing happened.

I can’t understand why I never told my parents about what happened; I just pretended it never happened. But I remembered rushing to my room and changing immediately. After that, I only wore skirts to school, because it was a part of my school uniform and that outfit would mysteriously vanish weeks later. I stopped going to the grocery store and running errands for my parents. I avoided leaving home unless it was absolutely necessary.

And there began my complicated relationship with my gender and sexuality.

I began to resent being a woman. I told myself that if you were a boy. You were safe. You were fine.

I was wrong.

That wasn’t the last time I was assaulted and I developed unhealthy coping mechanisms. But to survive, I buried my feelings and carried on – it would be years later before I confronted any of those feelings.

In university, I took a class called ‘Film Studies’ as part of my degree and in this class, we studied the history of film, auteurs and their respective schools of thought. I had always felt a kinship for television and film. Art, especially of the cinematic kind, was a safe space for me. In a way it nurtures me.

My professor took us through a time machine and showed us everything from Godard to Soderbergh, when he spoke to us about Wong Kar Wai and Akira Kurosawa, it was like coming home.

Nothing quite got me like cinema, and I was in love with films and all that they stood for.

Which is why nothing quite prepared me for the rage I felt every time Roman Polanski or Woody Allen showed up in a lecture. I had complicated feelings about both, especially after watching The Pianist and having my heart broken over the movie. The more they were praised and the more they were revered by my professor and classmates alike, the more that same out of body experience returned.

I never put a name to that feeling but when that viral op-ed by Dylan Farrow was published on the Woody Allen allegations, I couldn’t bring myself to support or care for either of the directors. People would argue with me, “You have to separate the art from the artist.” and would eye-roll anytime I voiced how problematic they were.

Eventually, Weinstein popped up in the syllabus too, because, how could he not?

He’s produced over three hundred films that have all been Oscar-nominated and has had his finger in nearly everything I love. This was around the time in which rumors about him were circulating on the internet but there wasn’t anything concrete. Harvey was skeevy but he didn’t mean any harm, after all he voted for Obama and did fund-raisers for Hillary Clinton. The #MeToo article wouldn’t break for another four years and while we watched Weinstein Company funded movies, I couldn’t help but feel torn.

In retrospect, I wondered how much longer would it be okay to study people like this? How long would we have to disregard their stains because the legacy was so addictive.

Can we really divorce art from the artist?

I had so many questions at the time and I was just beginning to grapple with my identity as a feminist. The more “woke” I became, the more I found myself at war with the way the pop culture and society as a whole, cushioned abusers, made them seem above reproach just because they gave us excellence.

The more I asked questions, the stronger the legacy grew to protect them.

Is this how we treat victims?

When disgraced comedian Louis C.K decided to come back nine months after being outed as a sexual predator, there were of course, a set of people online who told all the women he abused that he’s been cancelled enough, let him be.

Isn’t nearly a year enough to forget the horrible things he did?

Do we really have to cancel everyone?

I found myself thinking about my role in society as a child sexual assault survivor, I thought of the secrets I carried within me, the years that were taken from me and the way I am today because of all my experiences.

How do you heal when the court of public opinion asks you to be magnanimous? If we’re trying to move past cancel culture, how do we then hold people accountable for their actions? I don’t think cancel culture is a wrong thing per se, I think we should have actual consequences for actions.

Feminist author Roxane Gay penned an excellent op-ed in the New York Times titled “Louis C.K. and Men Who Think Justice Takes as Long as They Want It To” which I find myself thinking about a lot and going back to. “Should a man pay for his misdeeds for the rest of his life?” she asks.

Yes, I think that whether you confront, come forward, forgive or don’t forgive your abuser is entirely up to the survivors’ discretion. There’s no statute of limitations with how long you can carry your trauma; we all heal differently but we can’t let these people live the lives they had and influence the ecosystem they exist in.

We should be paid reparations for the number of invisible scars we live with – our stories matter, and we aren’t just statistics or a cautionary tale told to young children. The Boogeyman is real and we’re all living with them, Weinstein maybe rotting in jail but what about Bryan Singer? What about all those academics named in Raya Sarkar’s #MeToo list? What about Alok Nath?

There should be no statue of limitations for consequences. Your story matters. You matter.

You can take as long as you want to forgive (or not) your abuser, you can implode the world till you are heard. There’s no turning back now, not anymore. We must speak-up, even if it hurts. We must make sure that there are no more ‘#MeToos’ and we’re just starting out.

 

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Categories
Movies Pop Culture

Netflix’s “Disclosure” looks at the cinematic representation of the trans community in Hollywood

Netflix’s 2020 documentary Disclosure takes a close look at the heartbreakingly misguided representation of the trans community in Hollywood films and describes their existence in this heteronormative, white, cis world.

The documentary features several famous trans people from the modern film industry—Laverne Cox, Jen Richards, Candis Cayne, Chaz Bono, Elliot Fletcher and others—sharing their experiences of leading trans lives, and how they in turn, molded their perceptions of the way their community has been depicted in American films over the years.

“Do you know that feeling when you’re sitting in a movie theatre, and everyone’s laughing at something, and you just don’t get it?”

Hollywood has repeatedly threaded trans identity in humorous plot lines and fictional contexts.

We’ve seen this in films like Flip (1971), The Jeffersons (1977), and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1959). In these films, gender non-conforming people were the butt of the joke in the story. As soon as a trans character appeared on stage, waves of deafeningly loud sounds of laughter broke endlessly among the audiences. However, the same jokes left the trans viewers unsettled and traumatized.

If we go back some years, cross-dressing was illegal. People who transgressed gender expectations—mostly for the purpose of comedy—were mocked, harassed, even arrested. In a different, more intersectional narrative, this portrayal of cross-gender acting also degraded womanhood and was stained with flecks of racism.

As shown in White Famous (2017), when a Black man wore a pink dress, it was perceived as an emasculating act. If we trace back history, Black men have typically been emasculated in American films, shrouded in similar contexts.

A couple of main subjects in the documentary say that such films made them wonder if the audiences were laughing with them or at them. Trans people were outsiders. They felt “othered”.

“Trans jokes. Really?”

Hollywood has taught people how to react to trans identity, and this reaction is mostly fear.

Trans characters in many Hollywood films are depicted as dangerous psychopaths, serial killers, deviants, and perverts. We’ve seen this in films like Dressed to Kill (1980), for example. As soon as Angie Dickinson stepped into the elevator, Michael Caine emerged in a wig, sunglasses, and a long trench coat and murdered her in cold-blood.

The ideas around trans identity and violence have mostly been erroneous from the beginning.

In The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Jodie Foster says, “there’s no correlation in the literature between transsexualism and violence. Transsexuals are very passive.”

To this, a subject in the documentary said that they’re not passive—they’re just not violent, psychopathic murderers. This shouldn’t be so hard to admit.

Other Hollywood films, such as The Crying Game (1992), propagate reactions to trans identity that edge on disgust, repulsion and riddance. When Jimmy found out that he made romantic contact with a trans woman, he retched in the bathroom. This created a ripple effect of men reacting with vomiting to trans people.

“It hurts. It just hurts.”

A study from GLAAD reports that 80% of Americans don’t personally know anyone who is trans—they learn about it from the media.

The same also holds for trans people. When they’re on the precipice of transitioning—there’s no one that they can turn to. They find themselves alone in finding their way and coming out to the other side. And that’s when media and films become their template for understanding their gender and sexuality. They learn ideas about themselves refracted through other people’s prisms.

The release of The L Word (2004) sparked feelings of excitement, anticipation, and hope among the trans community. It was going to bring a trans masculine character to the show for the first time. It was going to be different. Better. But then the lead character, Max, went from being nice and likable to raging and violent. His character was portrayed exactly like trans characters in other films—violent, frustrated, and dangerous. It spread transphobia.

Another problematic facet of trans depiction onscreen is the unequal representation of trans men and trans women. Trans women vastly outnumber trans men in terms of portrayals on media. In reality, however, the numbers are equally split, just like cis people. If anything, it shows that women are generally a more commodifiable asset.

GLAAD discovered after surveying 102 episodes of television that trans women are commonly shown as sex workers. This isn’t to say that there’s anything wrong with making a living out of sex work, but it’s just not all that trans women are. They’re so much more than what they’re shown to be. They live normal lives like all of us.

This is the paradox of our representation—the more we are seen, the more we are violated.”

Another aspect of being a trans that the documentary identifies is the questions that trans people are asked on private and public platforms. They’re personal, disparaging, and downright disgusting.

Interviewers have commonly been seen embarking on lines of questioning that revolve around surgery, cutting, and removing.

“The skin of the penis is used to create what appears to be a vagina. Is that correct?” “And is it acting like a penis?” “How do you hide your penis?” “What was your name before?” “Who do you have sex with?

Isn’t this exactly why trans people feel afraid of disclosure—questions, violence, marginalization, unacceptability?

This is exactly what the documentary is premised on. It uncovers what disclosure means for trans people—coming out to the other side, revealing their identity, disclosing their sexuality.

The idea is deeply problematic per se. It presupposes that there’s something to disclose. It means that trans people have a responsibility to say what their identity is because other people might have a problem with it. It undermines their feelings. It makes them feel excluded, othered.

Netflix’s Disclosure gives meaningful insights into the ravaged lives of trans people. It emphasizes the destructive impact that Hollywood has had on them as a community. It highlights their struggles. It’s a step in the right direction.

It’s an excellent documentary—informative, real, and heartbreaking. I suggest that all of you watch it.

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Categories
Celebrities Pop Culture

25 of the most iconic celebrity Halloween costumes of all time

In the mood for more spooky stories? Check out our Halloween series!

Halloween is around the corner and there’s usually one place most of us turn to for inspiration, Hollywood. The amazing transformations, the shocking outfits, the humorous get-ups, it’s all there and it’s a sight to see.

Here’s a list of some of the most iconic celebrity costumes of all time.

1. The Hallow-Queen

Heidi Klum as an old lady with white hair and prosthetic makeup.
Heidi Klum as an old lady with white hair and prosthetic makeup.

No one does Halloween better than Heidi Klum, and this disguise was probably one of her most iconic.

2. The funny punny couple

Sarah Hyland and Wells Adam as 'Taco Belle', with Wells dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Sarah as a taco.
Sarah Hyland and Wells Adam as ‘Taco Belle’, with Wells dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Sarah as a taco.

Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams as “Taco Belle”. Love a good pun on Halloween and these two are especially cute.



 

3. Pouty perfection.

Heidi Klum as Jessica Rabbit, with bright red hair, a voluptuous red dress and prosthetic makeup.
Heidi Klum as Jessica Rabbit, with bright red hair, a voluptuous red dress and prosthetic makeup.

Heidi Klum as Jessica Rabbit was such an iconic costume. Not only did she spend hours getting into the look, she pulled it off to perfection!

4. Barbie Bey

Beyonce as Barbie. She's wearing a black and white bathing suit in pink Barbie packaging, posing as the doll still in the box.
Beyonce as Barbie. She’s wearing a black and white bathing suit in pink Barbie packaging, posing as the doll still in the box.

Beyonce as Barbie was such a sight for sore eyes. To top it off, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

5. Go as a snack

Katy Petty looking funny, dressed as an orange Cheeto. She's wearing head-to-toe orange and holding a bag of Cheetos.
Katy Petty looking funny, dressed as an orange Cheeto. She’s wearing head-to-toe orange and holding a bag of Cheetos.

Katy Perry as a Cheeto isn’t something I’ll forget anytime soon. I mean, how creative is this costume?

6. The Troll family

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel with their daughter transformed into Branch, Poppy and Lil’ Branch from the Trolls. Justin is all blue in the leafy vest, matching his daughter, while Jessica is all pink wearing a teal dress and pink Troll hair.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel with their daughter transformed into Branch, Poppy and Lil’ Branch from the Trolls. Justin is all blue in the leafy vest, matching his daughter, while Jessica is all pink wearing a teal dress and pink Troll hair.

It was awesome to see Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel with their daughter as Branch, Poppy and Lil’ Branch from the Trolls. Especially since Justin is also the voice of Branch!

7. The 90s are back

Jessica Alba and Kelly Sawyer dressed as Romy and Michele from the movie with the same title. They're in shimmery blue and pink outfits respectively, with golden platform heels and big blond hair. Very 90s outfits, just like the movie.
Jessica Alba and Kelly Sawyer dressed as Romy and Michele from the movie with the same title. They’re in shimmery blue and pink outfits respectively, with golden platform heels and big blond hair. Very 90s outfits, just like the movie.

Jessica Alba and Kelly Sawyer as Romy and Michele just brought back the 90s while making this an awesome costume for besties.

8. A yum bun in the oven

Liv Tyler, looking cute, dressed as a stove with a bun in the oven, because she was pregnant during this Halloween.
Liv Tyler, looking cute, dressed as a stove with a bun in the oven, because she was pregnant during this Halloween.

This iconic costume by Liv Tyler back when she was pregnant with her son is such an iconic costume for any mom-to-be!

9. I’m a star

Lance Bass dressed in denim jeans and jacket, as himself during his N'Sync days. He has a #TBT poster pinned to his jacket, as a tongue in cheek reference to his costume.
Lance Bass dressed in denim jeans and jacket, as himself during his N’Sync days. He has a #TBT poster pinned to his jacket, as a tongue in cheek reference to his costume.

Lance Bass as himself was hilarious yet so on-point. Why go as anything else if you’re already famous, right?

 

10. Such a treat.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, the cute couple, are dressed as Avocado Toast. Gisele is the toast wearing a picture of one on her shoulder, as Tom stands behind her dressed as a giant avocado.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, the cute couple, are dressed as Avocado Toast. Gisele is the toast wearing a picture of one on her shoulder, as Tom stands behind her dressed as a giant avocado.

The cute couple, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, as Avocado Toast was such a fun twist on costumes.

11. Oh no Anna!

Kirsten Bell is dressed as Elsa in a blue Frozen gown, with a crown. She has a sardonic expression on her face as she is actually the voice of Anna in the movie.
Kirsten Bell is dressed as Elsa in a blue Frozen gown, with a crown. She has a sardonic expression on her face as she is actually the voice of Anna in the movie.

Kristen Bell as Elsa was hilarious just because she’s actually the voice of Anna in the film. The things we do for our kids, right?

12. Modern Markle

Eric Stonestreet dressed up as Meghan Markle is worth a double take! He's wearing a blush pink skirt suit with a wide brimmed pink hat, and a dark-haired wig.
Eric Stonestreet dressed up as Meghan Markle is worth a double take! He’s wearing a blush pink skirt suit with a wide brimmed pink hat, and a dark-haired wig.

Eric Stonestreet as Meghan Markle is everything. I love him in any role, but this costume was a clear winner.

13. You’ve got good jeans

Meredith Vieira, Savannah Guthrie, and Jenna Bush Hager are dressed as 'Mom Jeans'. The Today's hosts are wearing actual mom jeans, matching white sneakers and posing coyly with their derrières sticking out.
Meredith Vieira, Savannah Guthrie, and Jenna Bush Hager are dressed as ‘Mom Jeans’. The Today’s hosts are wearing actual mom jeans, matching white sneakers and posing coyly with their derrières sticking out.

Meredith Vieira, Savannah Guthrie, and Jenna Bush Hager as Mom Jeans was such a tongue-in-cheek costume. The Today’s hosts really nailed the look.

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14. Double trouble

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka dressed up as the Olsen twins, with all-black outfits, long blond wigs, pouty makeup and cigarettes in hand.
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka dressed up as the Olsen twins, with all-black outfits, long blond wigs, pouty makeup and cigarettes in hand.

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka as the Olsen twins is a look I won’t forget anytime soon.

15. Whatever!

Lupita Nyong'o dressed up as Dion from Clueless. she's wearing the iconic black and white tartan mini skirt and jacket set, with a red cardigan over a white t-shirt. Her hair is braided and she's wear Dion's signature nose ring and black and white hat, as she pretends to talk on a mobile handset from the 90s.
Lupita Nyong’o dressed up as Dion from Clueless. she’s wearing the iconic black and white tartan mini skirt and jacket set, with a red cardigan over a white t-shirt. Her hair is braided and she’s wear Dion’s signature nose ring and black and white hat, as she pretends to talk on a mobile handset from the 90s.

Lupita Nyong’o as Dion from Clueless was such a simple yet iconic look. I mean, who doesn’t love that movie?

16. Klum again.

Heidi Klum transformed into Fiona from Shrek, wearing the velvet gown, red wig, little tiara and the green full body green prosthetic makeup.
Heidi Klum transformed into Fiona from Shrek, wearing the velvet gown, red wig, little tiara, and the green full body green prosthetic makeup.

Heidi Klum as Fiona from Shrek was the stuff of hours of makeup and so much creativity.

17. Rita who?

Rita Ora transformed into Post Malone with his signature tattoos, curly hair and full beard. she's wearing a denim embellished jacket over a yellow shirt, cigarette and beer in hand. It is almost impossible to tell that it's Rita under the get-up.
Rita Ora transformed into Post Malone with his signature tattoos, curly hair and full beard. she’s wearing a denim embellished jacket over a yellow shirt, cigarette and beer in hand. It is almost impossible to tell that it’s Rita under the get-up.

Rita Ora transformed into Post Malone and almost impossible to recognize! Now that’s a great look.

18. Absolutely heavenly

Michael Kors dressed up as the The Garden of Eden, wearing a suit with apples and leaves on it, a snake around his neck, a red mask with horns, while holding an apple.
Michael Kors dressed up as the The Garden of Eden, wearing a suit with apples and leaves on it, a snake around his neck, a red mask with horns, while holding an apple.

Michael Kors was amazing as The Garden of Eden. Who would’ve thought this would have made such an epic costume?

19. Costume as art

Natalia Vodianova as a Jeff Koons balloon animal, was unique and beautiful. She's wearing a red outfit made up of baubles, headgear with the same, and green leather knee-high boots to complete the look.
Natalia Vodianova as a Jeff Koons balloon animal, was unique and beautiful. She’s wearing a red outfit made up of massive baubles, headgear with the same, and green leather knee-high boots to complete the look.

Natalia Vodianova as a Jeff Koons balloon animal is the stuff of artsy dreams. So iconic!

20. Mr. and Mrs. President

Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry dressed up Bill and Hillary Clinton. The prosthetic makeup completely transformed their faces and Orlando is wearing a grey suit, while Katy is wearing Hillary's iconic red suit with short blond hair.
Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry dressed up Bill and Hillary Clinton. The prosthetic makeup completely transformed their faces and Orlando is wearing a grey suit, while Katy is wearing Hillary’s iconic red suit with short blond hair.

Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry as Bill and Hillary Clinton was scary and fascinating all in one.

21. Channeling Chanel

Josh Duhammel and Fergie as Karl Lagerfeld and Choupette was beautiful! He's wearing Karl's iconic white wig, black suit, with a fan in one hand. Fergie is in all white, with cat ears, a metallic white wig and a megaphone in one hand.
Josh Duhammel and Fergie as Karl Lagerfeld and Choupette was beautiful! He’s wearing Karl’s iconic white wig, black suit, with a fan in one hand. Fergie is in all white, with cat ears, a metallic white wig and a megaphone in one hand.

Josh Duhammel and Fergie as Karl Lagerfeld and Choupette is just so creative and completely out of the box.

22. Jackson 2

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy dressed up Janet and Michael Jackson in their most iconic outfits. Beyonce is in all black with a baseball cap as she kisses Blue Ivy, who is dressed in MJ's red jacket, black fedora, silver socks and a microphone in hand.
Beyoncé and Blue Ivy dressed up Janet and Michael Jackson in their most iconic outfits. Beyonce is in all black with a baseball cap as she kisses Blue Ivy, who is dressed in MJ’s red jacket, black fedora, silver socks and a microphone in hand.

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy as Janet and Michael Jackson created such a cute mom-son look.


23. Girl you’ll be in costume soon

Carmen Kass as Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction, wearing the iconic blunt cut black wig, open white button-down shirt with the black bra showing, the black mini with black tights pantyhose and heels. She had a cigarette in her hand and the signature nose bleed as in the movie.
Carmen Kass as Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction, wearing the iconic blunt cut black wig, open white button-down shirt with the black bra showing, the black mini with black tights pantyhose and heels. She had a cigarette in her hand and the signature nose bleed as in the movie.

Carmen Kass as Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction. This costume is so easy to do but so iconic.

24. Old school

Cher as Cleopatra was a vision. She wore the elaborate glittering headdress, the sequinned harem pants and matching crop top.
Cher as Cleopatra was a vision. She wore the elaborate glittering headdress, the sequinned harem pants and matching crop top.

Cher as Cleopatra in 1988 will forever be one of my favorite looks.

25. What a transformation!

Heidi Klum as a multicolored butterfly was a work of art. She's wear prosthetic makeup, with bug eyes, giant translucent wings and a colorful bodysuit.
Heidi Klum as a multicolored butterfly was a work of art. She’s wear prosthetic makeup, with bug eyes, giant translucent wings and a colorful bodysuit.

And lastly, Heidi Klum as a butterfly. Just look at the work that has gone into this costume. She really is the queen of Halloween.

No one does Halloween better than the celebs right? From the transformational makeup to the tongue-in-cheek, Hollywood knows how to up the game, every single year. So with just a few days left for Halloween, do you think this year will be as interesting? I’m thinking there will be tons of quarantine looks, so let’s see what Tinseltown serves up on the 31st.

Still unsure of what to wear yourself to your Zoom party yourself? Check out some fantastic ideas here, some more for history nerds, and some not-so-fantastic ideas to avoid here.

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Categories
History History of Fashion Ancient Practices

The evolution of Halloween costumes: how did we go from eerie spirits to Wonder Woman?

In the spirit for more spooky stories? Check out our Halloween series here!

Thinking of ideas for who you want to impersonate this Halloween? Or, thinking of how much you want to spend on a costume for a night out, a parade or a party? Think $87 dollars. Well, that is the amount The National Retail Federation estimated each American was willing to spend per outfit last year. That makes up for a whopping $3.2 billion on Halloween costumes in total. So where did this creepy appeal of Halloween originate from? The festive occasion finds its roots in some sinister antiquity. And this is how an ancient pagan festival transformed into a multi-billion dollar industry.

The purpose of Halloween costumes was not originally to channel your inner Catwoman or sexy nurse

The festival could be traced back to the pre-Christian era. Halloween, then known as Hallow’s eve, was a Celtic tradition of the Samhain which lived on earth about 2000 years ago. It was the eve demarcating summer from winter. And the arrival of the “darker months” was said to begin with spirits and ghosts visiting the earth. It was the eve when the paranormal and the mortal realms overlapped. With these two worlds colliding, it was important for humans to camouflage as supernatural beings. 


Hence, the first Halloween costume ever worn was not for decorative or festive purposes, but was actually for protection. So, the Samhain wore animal heads and skin on their own to disguise themselves. They painted their faces and wore blurry silhouettes. It was thought that this would also give them a chance to connect with their lost ancestors. 

Angels and Demons. Fairies and Witches.  

[Image Description: Photo taken in 1905 of a person wearing a ghost costume in a rural schoolhouse. Credit: Historic Photo Archive/Getty Images.] via CNN
With the advent of Christianity, there was a need to erase Pagan rites and rituals. But old traditions die hard. Eventually, the influx of Christian values merged with existing Pagan traditions. 

So the costumes were now eschewed by Biblical terms. Animal heads and skin paved the path for people dressing up in all forms of Biblical binaries: angels and demons, saints, and the devil.

So basically Halloween became a religious event. Even what we know as trick or treat today had a religious connotation to it. People would go door to door chanting verses in exchange for baked goodies. 

Americanizing Halloween costumes 

The infamous Irish potato famine in the 18th century resulted in the diaspora of the Irish community to the New World. With this, came the import of Irish traditions. They brought with them superstitions, myths, and of course, costumes. And Americans, especially the rural population, loved it. And who wouldn’t? Finally enjoying anonymity through costumes along with leisure and pleasure after decades of Puritanical domination must have been liberating.

But still, one thing remained consistent: though the purpose of costumes was now ornamental, the look remained the same – scary and frightening. The masquerades and town events held in the 19th century still revolved around the same theme: death masks, white sheets, and an obsession with the grotesque and gory. The costumes, of course, were still homemade. 

Hollywood, pop culture and fandom

[Image Description: Elvis Presley (left) opts for a subtle Halloween costume, wearing only a mask to a party in 1957.] via Getty Images
Through the 19th century, the costumes detached even more from the original context. The festival was secularized. Capitalism took over. And, the Industrial Revolution allowed for the costumes to be commercially produced. An entire industry for costumes now began to emerge. 

Enter Hollywood. Many pop-culture figures were now fair game to dress up as. And this allowed people a chance to express their fandom. Thanks to horror movie marketing, there were more and more pop culture horror icons such as Frankenstein and Scream which became popular costume choices. But as the case with mass-produced products always is, there were fewer DIY costumes. 


With the sexual revolution of the 1970s, sensual costumes were all the rage. And this gave birth to the sultry witches, the Wonder Woman, and the Medusa, an all-new Halloween aesthetic. 

This was also around the time when the queer community was facing vulnerability due to homophobic violence and Halloween proved to be one occasion which allowed fluidity: of gender, sexuality, and costumes. It was then that Halloween became an explosion of booze, glitter, music, and dynamically experimental costumes, particularly in San Francisco. This was true only for America, where Halloween costumes became the physical space where gender politics could be negotiated. In many other parts of the world, Halloween costumes remain predominantly spooky to this day.

[Image Description: A woman wearing a black costume for Halloween. She is holding a skull which is acting as an accessory.] via Unsplash
Over time, the (all-American) frivolity of Halloween also resulted in some problematic transgressions. This obsession with dressing up as something you consider “exotic” could be a form of cultural appropriation. Remember Justin Trudeau’s blackface moment? Well, such stereotypical representations have often come up. In the past years, Caitlyn Jenner costumes have popped up at several retailers along with some native American headgear. Considering these transphobic and racist costumes, just shows how exploitative the industry can sometimes be. 

So this Halloween make sure your costume does not offend anyone. 

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Categories
Aww Nostalgia Movies Pop Culture

Are the Disney live-action remakes necessary?

There’s a lot I don’t understand about the recent slew of live-action remakes from Disney.

The fact that these remakes rarely live up to the original is just a fraction of my confusion. A child seeing live-action Beauty and the Beast may get the same joy as someone who saw the animated version decades ago. I’m not here to deprive future generations of quality entertainment. I just question why their entertainment is watered down remakes of what previous generations got. 

[Image Description: dancing scene from the live-action Beauty and the Beast, with Belle in a yellow dress dancing with the Beast] via Disney.
[Image Description: dancing scene from the live-action Beauty and the Beast, with Belle in a yellow dress dancing with the Beast] via Disney.
The whole point of fairytales is that they’re handed down through folklore and retold over and over again through the generations. Disney themselves adapted these stories from other, far grimmer (pardon the pun) sources. But live-action remakes just aren’t the same as sharing these timeless stories for the sake of entertainment and keeping these narratives alive.

The whole point of fairytales is retelling through the generations.

While I realize that these films may bring a new generation of viewers the same joy as watching the originals, it just feels like Disney wants a repeat box office performance way more than it wants to define the magic of childhood for a whole new generation. 

The fact that the original films are established, iconic classics pushes the bar that much higher. Live-action remakes were bound to be received more critically with constant comparisons being made to the original.

They seem to openly invite these comparisons because most of the live-actions are also shot-by-shot remakes of the original. This means that the pleasure a lot of us derive from watching these remakes are driven by nostalgia for the original movies. If the goal of remaking a cinematic classic is to update the content for an all-new audience, polish up some plot inconsistencies, and improve the viewing experience and the story as a whole, then why would you choose to make an identical movie?

[Image Description: photo of baby Simba from "The Lion KIng"] via Disney.
[Image Description: photo of baby Simba from “The Lion KIng”] via Disney.

Most live-actions are shot-by-shot remakes of the original

At their best, these movies are nostalgic and give us new renditions of Disney songs. At their worst, they make us miss the originals and do a disservice to the classics. For example – the genie in Aladdin will always be Robin Williams. While Will Smith is great, funny, and seems to embody the same energy that the genie’s known for, he just can’t live up to the genie that Robin Williams breathed life and soul into.

The live-action remake should have had a brand new concept that Will Smith could truly make his own…if their intention was for a new generation of audiences to experience the magic of the original Aladdin.

These movies also don’t usually add value to the story in any way. Jon Favreau’s Lion King (2019) wasn’t live-action but a more realistic animation. Because the flaw in the beloved 1994 classic was that the lions weren’t realistic enough…..?

While technically sophisticated, the realistic animals didn’t have the same emotional capacity as the original, big-eyed characterization. Sure, we can see each individual strand of fur, but it also feels like a lucid dream when the Animal Planet lion cub’s words don’t quite synchronize with his mouth movements.

And don’t even get me started on the mess Mulan was

[Image Description: photo of Mulan dressed in red and holding a sword] via Disney.
[Image Description: photo of Mulan dressed in red and holding a sword] via Disney.
On other hand, the Frozen series, Moana, Tangled, and The Princess and the Frog are all Disney films released in recent memory that aren’t remakes and were hugely successful.

Audiences want to experience new stories

The success Disney found with its recent original content proves that audiences want to experience new stories. The reception of the first Polynesian princess Moana is proof of that. Continuing on expanding their range and breadth of storytelling to include better representations of other cultures can only improve the success of Disney worldwide.

For those of you saying “of course Disney’s just doing it for the money! It’s a huge corporation, what do you expect?” I say, it just seems like a poor use of resources. All the money that went into the live-actions are a far riskier investment than developing original material. One need only look at the misguided attempt at a Cats movie as an example. What started off as a (probably) well-intentioned project to make the Broadway play more accessible to the masses. quickly turned into the stuff of nightmares. 

I’ve come to accept that Disney remakes are here to stay. All I ask is that maybe they try to build on the legacy of the original to make it stronger instead of profiting off nostalgia.

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Categories
Bollywood Movies Pop Culture

You’re not going to believe this, but Noah Centineo changed the way I see Bollywood romance

I, like many other South Asians belonging to the Indian subcontinent, always floated on the periphery of Bollywood. I never understood the point of the huge musical numbers; that is until I heard Noah Centineo talk about them. 

As someone who doesn’t speak or understand the language, I rely solely on subtitles. Even subtitles fail me, however, when it comes to Bollywood dance numbers. Bollywood famously breaks into song quite often and gives you full value for money every single time. Everything is big, bright, and a feast for the eyes. But it doesn’t always make a lot of sense.

Some of this is because the lyrics translated verbatim don’t actually convey the same meaning that the song intends. A lot of it, however, is because it doesn’t seem like the movie progresses during the song or that it signifies anything for the characters.  

Thed most elaborate musical numbers have one purpose: introducing the Love Interest. 

I had long since dismissed these sequences as entirely cheesy plot interrupters that don’t drive the already criminally lengthy movie forward. Naturally, the aforementioned translation of the lyrics didn’t help me make any more sense of it. So that was that. I would have to be in the mood for something ridiculous to be able to pay attention the next time The Love Interest dance number unfolded.

This all changed one night in the not too distant past.

While inanely scrolling through YouTube, I came across a video of Noah Centineo and Lana Condor reacting to Bollywood romance scenes. I started to tune out, scrolling through my phone, wondering when dinner would be, would curfew ever end, when suddenly I heard it. 

Out of nowhere a flash of perspective knocked me over and questioned everything I thought I knew about my own opinions. 

At one point during the video, Noah Centineo says: “It literally feels like they’re displaying how each of these people feels on the inside”. Lana Condor then clarifies: “so you’re saying that they all feel something on the inside,” to which Centineo responds “but they actually show like a representation of it for the viewer to look at as opposed to like a subtle thing on” and he gestures at his own face.

My mind was blown, my worldview was shaken. This simple observation that a white boy made casually had never crossed my mind in many years of watching Bollywood movies with passion and interest.

“They’re displaying how they feel on the inside” he said.

This was the perfect and simplest explanation: an external performance of a person’s innermost feelings. It suddenly made it all make sense to me. The illogical costume changes, orchestral performances, and the slo-mo. All this time I had seen it as a performance of an instant love connection playing out in a heightened reality. Instead, Centineo saw it as an effort to portray an inexplicable rush of internal human emotions on the external world. 

That, friends, is how Noah Centineo, an American actor best known for his roles in Netflix films, changed how I thought about Bollywood. His perception has given me a new appreciation for these scenes and an entirely different understanding of them.

It’s strange to think that my opinion of Bollywood movies, a genre I have been exposed to far more than Noah Centineo, could shift with just one passing comment. For me, this foray into YouTube has reinforced the value of having an open mind and being exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking. In my particular case, this perspective may only be of superficial value and applicable to very niche moments in my life, but I’m still glad it happened.

While I’m not sure I’ll ever look at Bollywood movies the pinnacle of romantic portrayals and I might still find some humor in the spectacle of it all, I’m more open to the idea that the elaborate musical numbers are not about the spectacle, but the portrayal of feelings that maybe can’t be expressed any other way. 

Where words fail, music speaks. And in this case, where words fail choreography, lip syncs, slo-mo, costumes, backup dancers, whole bands, and elaborate location changes speak.

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History Pop Culture

I adore ’20s aesthetic, but its depiction in pop culture is deeply troubling

Remember the months leading up to this year, where everyone was ready to pull out all the stops to ensure our generation gets to live through our own Roaring ’20s with endless parties and extravagance? And how quickly that went south when the year began? 

Oh, the ’20s. There’s no period in history that has been so loved by writers, filmmakers, musicians, and, of course, audiences. A century later, we still fawn over for in the glitz and glamor.

I cannot pass a thrift store or vintage outlet without looking at the cloche hats and beaded gloves without wondering what it would be like to live as a flapper girl, a whole new world ahead of her. It has long been an idealized aesthetic for me. Maybe that’s because the romantic image of a pining Gatsby is at the forefront of our memory of the ’20s.

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The fact that the latest Great Gatsby adaptation, starring Leonardo Di Caprio, has consistently been available on Netflix since 2014 is a sure sign that everyone is feeling nostalgic for that long-gone period. What better time than now, then, as we live through our own ’20s of the 2000s, to pick apart the way this period has been glamorized in pop culture and entertainment. Despite having tragically dark elements that lurk in its corners.

There are countless movies and TV shows set in this era, as well as themed costume parties, but can we ever excuse this period of history? Racial oppression, the mistreatment of women, there is so much that happens behind the glamour. For that reason, I can’t bear to entertain anything that doesn’t at least hint at the dark parts of this sought-after aesthetic.

Of course, at the center of it all is The Great Gatsby with its flapper girls, pearls, and swinging jazz music. Who doesn’t dream of dancing the night away at one of Gatsby’s extravagant parties or being yearned for by the man himself? This story has long been my guilty pleasure.

The reason behind my guilt is that it completely overlooks any of the questionable and outright terrible parts of that society. Other than the class divisions that spurred the tragic love story, the story neglects entire populations of people. There’s a cleverly titled review of the book, “I Love The Great Gatsby, Even if it Doesn’t Love Me Back”, in which a self-proclaimed “small town, Black girl” tries to see herself in the story she loves but feels so alienated.

None of the named characters in any of the adaptations are people of color. It is almost like people of color would be anachronistic to the time setting, which is unfortunately what most producers for period pieces seem to believe. Blackness has no presence in this time period, they seem to say. The Gatsby story acts like race doesn’t exist, despite the rising xenophobic sentiment among the American public during the particular time period following the First World War.

[Image Description: An African American flapper girl sits on a chair, wearing a fur hat, coat with feathery trim and extravagant dress.] Via See Jane Sparkle
[Image Description: An African American flapper girl sits on a chair, wearing a fur hat, coat with feathery trim and extravagant dress.] Via See Jane Sparkle

And why should the story acknowledge any of that? It doesn’t seem to interfere at all in the lives of the white central characters. Even though they enjoy the jazz and Charleston dance, they’ve disentangled those things from their roots in the Black community.

Wrapping the story in a Jay-Z soundtrack doesn’t negate the fact that it is devoid of any African American representation. As for its treatment of women, the Roaring ’20s was a time of increased sexual liberation for women. There was a gradual public acknowledgment (not exactly acceptance) that sexual desire was not only limited to men, that women possessed strong sexualities.

In the growing urban environments, men and women mingled much more freely with less supervision. Automobiles were becoming a staple to American society, serving as a private place for young couples. “Brothels on wheels”, a court judge called them – not as a humorous quip but a condemnation. Because, at the end of the day, women were still conditioned to accept that fulfillment came from adeptly performing their duties as a housewife. 

It’s too easy of an excuse to say that “the times were different” during the ’20s. As if it was only recently that we gained awareness of intolerance and how to present it on screen. If F. Scott Fitzgerald couldn’t see the importance of including the surrounding society in his story, maybe his work can be written off as a product of its time.

[Image Description: A vintage portrait of two women smiling at the camera, dressed in flapper style.] Via See Jane Sparkle
[Image Description: A vintage portrait of two women smiling at the camera, dressed in flapper style.] Via See Jane Sparkle

But how did the 2013 adaptation miss that whole part of history? Is historical accuracy second to aesthetic? Or even worse, the classic argument of supposed historical accuracy, the claim that ‘those groups didn’t exist within those circles’, that it would be “untruthful” to try to weave in diverse characters to historical time periods. 

That’s laughable, of course. But many are still surprised when they see the – frankly, stunning – photographs of African American or Mexican American flapper girls. Pop culture’s adoration for this story and this period is concerning because it has been flagrantly whitewashing history

Representing an era like the ’20s just for the aesthetic is just lazy. On top of that, it is a form of historical erasure. Telling a story is a responsibility. For many people, watching The Great Gatsby will be their only exposure to the 1920’s time period. They’ll hear the jazz and see the beautiful men and women in all their extravagance and pine for the time period, wishing they were part of it. But the reality is far from the truth.

[Image description: Black flappers enjoying a football game at Howard University, 1920.] via Pinterest
[Image description: Black flappers enjoying a football game at Howard University, 1920.] via Pinterest

It’s like a century from now, someone told the story of our Roaring ’20s, focusing on nothing but two (white, privileged) lovers split apart by the pandemic. No mention of the Black Lives Matter movement, the reformations, or any other international affair.

Doesn’t that feel so thoroughly disappointing? 

You would think, surely there has to be a more complex way to memorialize this time by…

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Categories
Fashion Lookbook

Here’s why reusing Oscar dresses won’t make much of an impact on sustainable fashion

During the 2020 awards circuit, sustainable fashion was the headline of the hour. Vogue’s announcement read, ‘At This Year’s Oscars, Stars Turned the Red Carpet Green’. The article featured an array of the movie industry’s biggest names in vintage gowns (Margot Robbie), gowns that repurposed cut-offs from previous dresses (Saoirse Ronan), organically made gowns (Léa Seydoux), recycled fabrics (Timothée Chalamet), and the list goes on. 

Yet another headline-making fashion move this awards season was the actresses who opted to re-wear their old gowns. Cate Blanchett and Jane Fonda are two actresses who have done this many times over the years, but the 2020 season saw Elizabeth Banks, Laura Dern, Arianna Huffington, and Joaquin Phoenix (who wore the same suit throughout the awards circuit) join the ranks.

Trends like these send out a message that we, feeling far removed from the immediate periphery of these events, don’t immediately recognize. When big-name stars take it upon themselves to make environmentally friendly clothing choices and are celebrated for it, brands take notice. It’s likely that in the coming years we will see many fashion houses and designers make more eco-friendly decisions and innovate new, greener fashion. The change is already visible now as more and more labels recognize sustainability as the only way forward. This will hopefully trickle down the chain and become a regular expectation of all clothing in time to come, but it will, without a doubt, take time. 

Despite this positive progress, however, there are a lot of reasons why greener fashion on the red carpet won’t necessarily make that much of an impact on fast fashion. It all boils down to one main instigator – Instagram. 

Fast fashion brands rarely draw from events like the Oscars, and tend to pull more from a source much closer to home – Instagram. While actors and actresses in the public eye do define current fashion trends to some extent, their influence has nothing on everyday celebrity culture. While Jane Fonda, Laura Dern, and Elizabeth Banks are well-known by the public, they don’t fit under the ‘influencer’ umbrella. And ‘influencer fashion’ is synonymous with ‘fast fashion’.

Moreover, these actresses are veterans in the industry, allowing their side-by-side comparisons of the same gown over the years to seem more nostalgic than it does ethical or sustainable.

Instagram and fast fashion, on the other hand, share a symbiotic relationship in which fast fashion extracts from the users of the platform and the platform itself enables the industry to better sell their products. The design strategy of Missguided and Boohoo “is to comb social media, study the fashion of celebrities and influencers, and identify looks that are trending”.

Tweet by @22anddmean, which says "the devil works hard but fashion nova works harder". Another caption reads, "What kind of wizardry is this @fashionnova".
[Image description: Tweet by @22anddmean, which says “the devil works hard but fashion nova works harder”. Another caption reads, “What kind of wizardry is this @fashionnova”.] via MEME.
Fast fashion both caters to and helped create the Instagram culture of dressing for your feed. A new outfit for each photo – clothing that is meant to be worn once, photographed, and then discarded. A UK survey from 2018 revealed that nearly 10% of shoppers buy clothes to post photos on social media before returning them. In an unexpected twist, the 35 to 44-year-old age bracket revealed that nearly 1 in 5 of these shoppers “bought clothes to wear once for the hashtag moment”.

Instagram’s swipe and shop features make it even easier to cop the same clothes as Instagram personalities, while countless Instagram style accounts chart their every outfit and offer alternative lookalikes at a much cheaper price point that are often made by – you guessed it – fast fashion brands. 

Despite concerns over labor practices, environmental impact, copyrights of the designs fast fashion brands are ripping off, and the overall ethics of fast fashion practices, these brands are going from strength to strength. 

Every day we learn more about the value of sustainability and the small changes that can make a big difference to the environment, including extending the life of your clothing by just 9 months. However, without considerable change in the breeding ground of fast fashion, the appeal of the price points coupled with its flexibility that bends to every new trend won’t fade.

Reusing Oscar dresses and headlines that bring ethical fashion to the forefront are important and necessary steps. However, until Instagram adopts a more environmentally-friendly ethos when it comes to fashion on social media, the enthusiasm of fast fashion brands is unlikely to be curbed.