Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Hype Over Black Swan

The Black Swan has been getting lots of hype lately. Everyone wants a great movie to escape the Holiday madness. And I’ll admit, Black Swan seems to be something that people are defiantly enjoying. However, as an eating disorder awareness advocate I look at this movie in a different light. I find it very hard to watch emaciated stars prance around the big screen. My pulse quickened just viewing the trailer.

Natalie Portman’s already uber restrictive vegan diet was reduced even more for her training as a ballet dancer. To top that off she was working out for 5-8 hours per day. My heart just hurts for her little body! Director Darren Aronofsky became so worried about Natalie Portman's weight loss on the set of new movie Black Swan; he begged the skinny actress to eat. Aronofsky states "Portman took the role very seriously. These dancers get really, really skinny... At a certain point I looked at her back and she was so skinny and so... I was like, 'Natalie, start eating.”

Image obtained from Access Hollywood
Image obtained from gloss.com

Mila Kunis, who also stars as a ballet dancer in Black Swan, told E! Online, that her weight loss was so extreme it concerned her family. "My mom freaked out," Kunis said. "She was like, 'You have to promise me this isn't going to affect you.' I was like, 'I promise it won't, but it might take me a little time to be OK with having a little more fat on me.'"

Kunis also admitted she hated looking at her shapeless body in the mirror. "I could see why this industry is so f****d up, because ... I would literally look at myself in the mirror and I was like, 'Oh my God!' I had no shape, no boobs, no ass ... all you saw was the bone. I was like, 'This looks gross. In real life, I looked disgusting, but in photographs and on film, it looked amazing."

Both Portman and Kunis reportedly lost around 20 pounds off their already thin frames. I wish that these were not the images we as society feel are beautiful. I wish we could have watched these actresses dance without them pushing their bodies to near skeletal existences. I don’t think it was necessary for Portman or Kunis to turn to such extreme dieting for their roles, and I wish they could have withstood the pressure to lose so much weight.

Instead of discussing the dangers of dieting to the point of starvation we are reeling in the “beauty” and talent of these actresses. I simply feel differently…in fact, with my oopposing viewpoints I sometimes feel like an alien in our society. But this isn’t the first time I have stood up to what the media deems worthy of our respect. And it won’t be the last.

10 comments:

lindsay said...

this is a beautiful post miss...and i couldn't agree more. it is so sad the things that people think is beautiful because of media.

the light you shine on this issue is admirable. i agree with everything you have said here whole heartedly...when everyone else does as well it will be a beautiful thing!

Turning the Clock Back said...

it is scary the pressures put on young girls to be thin. Having a 9 year old daughter, this is a big issue!

Following you from the Wednesday blog hops! Hope you can stop by and follow back!

Diane
www.turning-the-clock-back.blogspot.com

Meg O. said...

Ugh. Just reading this is making me sick! I don't want to see this film just because of this. But thank you for writing this post because more people need to read things like this instead of not eating.

Maria said...

Natalie Portman surely does look sick in those photos. I feel very badly for her. It hurts to even see a body like that much less watch over an hour of it in the theater. I will not be buying a ticket for this one.

Vulnerable said...

I have seen this film its very good and a hot topic for blogs it seems.

its true what you say though , I have a sister who struggles to keep at a regular weight and another who struggles to keep her weight down.

i find these situations heartbreaking as they are often jealous of each other i relate to this vert well .

Alida Sharp said...

oh my goodness... I so agree with you bringing this issue to the forefront. I had no idea that either actress lost so much weight. I pray that neither one of them suffers any ill affects.

I found you on the blog hop and am your newest follower.

Joy & Blessings,
Alida from Blackpurl's Knitpickings

Vivianne's Vista said...

Well said! This is a great issue to be discussed especially since our teens are watching these movies and fabricating unrealistic ideals in their head.

Eriva said...

I've had issues concerning my eating as well, and when i watched the movie I did feel like it had a triggering effect- I (and I hate to admit this) was jealous of how thin the actresses were (but I knew it wasnt me but the disorder talking...)

Because of the films theme of perfection at the cost of life happiness and sanity- their weight was relevant and I understand why they did that for the film, and I thought it had a good message- since in the end her search for perfection was her demise

I do agree with you about how dangerous it could be for people who (like me) have pass issues with food though

Anonymous said...

I'm fairly sure you mean emaciated - emancipated makes not a lick of sense. Amusing word-misuse, but you're facts could use re-checking.

Anonymous said...

as in you are facts?!