Friday, September 30, 2011

Enough with the Skeletons Already!

It's a situation we've tsked for years—probably decades. Women in show business are constantly being pushed to be thinner, thinner, THINNER!!! Society condemns it, outwardly everyone talks about health and taking the pressure off, but obviously, it has just increased.

Over the last seven years, I've watched it happen with guest stars of Supernatural. They appear on the show the first time, perfectly shaped, curvy and awesome. Then they come back on the show a couple years later, or show up somewhere else, and they're half the woman they used to be. (For viewers of the show, I'm specifically thinking of Tessa and Genevieve's Ruby, but there are others.)

Men aren't excluded from this, and I'll admit to being part of the problem. They don't have to be thin, though, they have to be buff. Anyone watch The Big Bang Theory? In a recent episode, Leonard took his shirt off. These guys are supposed to be scrawny nerds, but even he was pretty buff under there. Now, working out a lot to get nice muscles, and eating more protein and veggies and fewer carbs and fats isn't a bad way to live. It's far healthier than starving yourself to be thin. But the pressure has to still be immense, and I'm sure a lot of these guys go overboard, too.

This fall, though, some actresses have gone way past thin. When Julie Bowen went on stage to accept her Emmy for Modern Family, I almost called an ambulance. How did she even manage to hold that statue with those frail, bony arms? I can't enjoy Castle anymore because I'm totally distracted by Stana Katic's struggle to talk around her massive teeth. She has no facial muscles anymore. She's all skull. It's horrifying. Now, her character almost died, so maybe things will change a little as time goes on, but yikes.

I wish I knew what to do about it. I don't want to contribute to this awful trend, but how can I contribute to reversing it?

6 comments:

Jen B. said...

I can't watch Fringe because Anna Torv is so skinny it's all I can focus on. And don't even ask me about Warehouse 13's Joanne Kelly. Geesh! I actaully hurt when I watch her. It's ashame, too, because I think they are both decent shows!

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Yes! Anna Torv is another one. I haven't watched Warehouse 13 since season 1, but she looked incredibly different in the promos. I thought it was just her hair, but now that you say that...

It's frightening.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I was just watching Haven and noticed all three stars on there are super skinny.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

I was thinking about her when I wrote this, but forgot to include her. She was more on the healthy side to begin with, and has a round face that doesn't make her look as skeletal. But you're right, she's much smaller than she was last season.

The guys have always been lean, and Eric Balfour in particular of that "can't gain weight and not for lack of tryin'" body type, but yeah, I think Lucas Bryant has joined the skeleton crew, too.

Cindy Procter-King said...

They're just getting ready for Halloween.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

LOL Okay, so they'll all be fine by the end of November? :)