"It's unfortunate that we live in such a panicked, dysmorphic society where women don't even give themselves a chance to see what they'll look like as older persons.... I want to have some idea of what I'll look like before I start cleaning the slates."Cleaning the slates? As in wiping the slate clean, the slate being the face? If I get that correctly, I think she's saying you should initially let yourself age and see how that is going, then make a judgment about whether to erase the signs of aging.
And... does Julia Roberts really talk like that? Confounded... dysmorphic... These quotes are in a British newspaper and they sound like their were written by a Brit.
It's also interesting that she says she wants to keep her natural face so her children will see her emotions. We moviegoers need to see that emotion too. I say "we," but the truth is, my moviegoing habit has decreased over the years, seemingly in proportion to the destruction of the human face. I don't want to see it. Ah, but I don't know. I remember a few years back — in my peak moviegoing times — hating a halfway good movie because I got sick of the big closeups, and it was a Julia Roberts movie, "My Best Friend's Wedding." My reaction was: Yes! I get it! You have a face! Now, step back!
It was around the same time that I walked out on a movie because the closeups were inducing nausea. That movie was "Antz." And I don't know what I hate more, plasticized human actors or computer generated animation. But those 2 phenomena are a big part of why I almost never go to the movies anymore.
Posts
43 comments:
So, as I read that, she will go from being a woman to being an older "person". How does that work, exactly?
Botox isn't forever, apparently. An old friend's eye tic -- for which he was taking Botox -- is back. He said that the effect wore off after a while, requiring another shot, costing several hundred dollars, which he was loath to pay.
Starlets and other self-absorbed people assume their view of the world must be the default. Luckily, almost none of us live in a "panicked, dysmorphic" society; Julia is seeing her tiny slice of it and thinking it's the whole world.
My theory is that movies became a succession of close-ups and medium shots when vhs rentals and sales became a factor in studio thinking in the mid-1980s. They stopped shooting long shots and panoramic shots because they wouldn't look as good as a closeup on a 24-inch screen (in pan-and-scan!). Hopefully cheap, large full frame hdtv's will reverse this generation-long travesty.
Well to be fair, it's not the actors' fault if the director has you noticing that they still have their tonsils and their teeth are so bright it makes them visible in the dark.
That being said -- Julia pissed me off during the 2004 election when she so smirkily said Republican comes in the dictionary just after reptile and just above repugnant. Got her a lot of Hollywood cred, that. Cutesy.
I don't go to movies much these days, but I vowed not to pay to see another Roberts movie.
As for the language -- besides knowing the order of the alphabet in a dictionary, she is a smart woman (and seemingly a sensible parent who went off on the paparazzi - rightfully so - at her kids' school). I think she only graduated from high school but I do think she might have said that.
As for her opinion of Botox -- and her face -- refreshing.
The reason why you don't go to the movies is probably the reason why I seldom go the movies.
The movies have become our courtship ritual, replacing for the most part religious ritual.
So, the young people go to the movies to be indoctrinated in the sexual and relationship mores of movie producers and actors. Once you're older and partnered up, you no longer need the movies to define your sexual and relationship mores.
This is more than a little related to the parallel discussions of gay marriage. The moral discussion has largely been fought out in the movies.
So, most young people's views are formed by gay propaganda movies like "Brokeback Mountain," a movie that argued that gays face almost certain death by persecution at the hands of straight men. During the AIDS epidemic, young people's views were formed by propaganda movies like "And the Band Played On," which argued that Ronald Reagan was really to blame for the AIDS epidemic.
One of the reason I am so suspicious of the gay marriage hysteria is because it was created out of whole cloth by propaganda movies. Propaganda movies succeed by created pure martyred heroes and evil villains.
Why in God's name would anybody be interested in the moral or political pronouncements of movie actors? Well, when you're young, you're interested, because the movies are your church.
When you see screen filling face closeups it's because the movie was shot to look good on tv. Same for if everything happens in the center of the screen.
When you see screen filling faces or all the story take place in the center of the screen,it is because the movie was shot to look good on a tv.
"It's also interesting that she says she wants to keep her natural face so her children will see her emotions. We moviegoers need to see that emotion too."
Jeez, Ann, didn't you consider she might think her kids are more important than making movies?
You're amazing sometimes.
When I see Julia Roberts' face, btw, what I notice most is her amazingly wide mouth -- matched in movie actresses only by the late Martha Raye.
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2010/07/08/stars-whove-lost-looks/?test=faces#slide=1
Not the kind of thing I normally look at... but a lot of the "stars who've lost their looks" appear to have been ravaged by botox and other poor plastic surgery choices, including some formerly lovely women who would still be lovely women in their 40s now except they overdid it.
I think Botox has, on balance, made women less attractive. As the kids say, FAIL.
DO you really want to see Sylvester Stallone's facial expressions?
I like it when Hollywood types sound sensible. Julia Roberts was in Mystic Pizza, and that will buy her some tolerance from me about her political views. How old should my daughter be before I let her watch it?
Our church sends out daily devotions, sometimes written by parishioners. The other day, a scientist wrote about how, years and years ago, he had a chance to go to Africa but was discouraged from going because "it's all about AIDS" there. Recently, a friend returned from Africa and told him that AIDS is under control there because of Bush's policies. The scientist said, "I thought I knew politics, but..." He gave credit to Bono talking to Strom Thurmond about the Bible and then Strom going to Bush with the idea of helping with AIDS in Africa. The prayer was about hoping more discussions among our diverse population with diverse opinions would lead to more good...
I laughed. Do people really not know about Bush and AIDS in Africa? I guess not.
It is too bad watching Antz queered you on computer animation: The worst film by Pixar is immeasurably better than than that sorry film.
The "Queen" of vocabulary: "And... does Julia Roberts really talk like that? Confounded... dysmorphic... These quotes are in a British newspaper and they sound like their were written by a Brit."
Yeah, right.
While being interviewed (and I'm sure there were no cameras present) she had a "Brit" sneak in to provide her answers.
What is it with YOU and your local pack...that has such a problem with literally any celebrity...other than of course, the fat man and little closet Matt?
You act as if Roberts and others (especially in the entertainment industry) must be morons and any form of intelligent discourse has to have been provided by someone other than themselves.
It's just pure jealousy...and it's pretty sad.
When you see screen filling face closeups it's because the movie was shot to look good on tv.
I don't think this is true at all. When Gloria Swanson says, "I'm ready for my close-up" in "Sunset Boulevard," she's not talking about some new-fangled TV thing. Close-ups were, for all intents and purposes, sex. They weren't invented for TV. They were invented to thrill the audience.
In the Silent Era, close-ups were even more central and important to the storytelling, since the title cards only conveyed a relatively small amount of information compared with heard dialogue. Images were everything and the image of the human face conveying emotion communicates far beyond what words can say.
I think the problem here is that everyone is sick of Julia Roberts, even though she's less prolific than she used to be. The only movies I've liked her in lately were the ones where she played in more of a disguise, like in "Charlie WIlson's War."
So, most young people's views are formed by gay propaganda movies
Yeah, not so much. Twilight maybe (although I advised my little cousin that if she was ever in a relationship with someone who acted like Edward she should run).
I thought conscientious parenting consisted of not letting it all hang out in front of the kids. But I guess being authentic trumps that quaint old standard.
Compared to can't-draw-a-breath-without-spewing-invective-Jeremy we're all pretty sad.
"And I don't know what I hate more, plasticized human actors or computer generated animation. But those 2 phenomena are a big part of why I almost never go to the movies anymore."
Me too. But as to your point about the super duper close ups of Julia Roberts, the director had to have been just as responsible for that as she was. I can't say I know the movie well, as every time it is on TV, I hastily turn the channel.
Good for her. There might bemore roles for her in the future, if she lets her face age.
I cannot believe that there won't eventually be a backlash against all the surgery and botox. And besides, if all these actresses plasticize their faces, who will be around to play the grannies? Betty White's not going to live forever...
... my moviegoing habit has decreased over the years, seemingly in proportion to the destruction of the human face. I don't want to see it....
My moviegoing habit has decreased over the years directly in proportion to the leftist drivel emanating from those faces both on screen and off. I don't want to hear it.
Knox wrote: Betty White's not going to live forever...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Julia Roberts has had work done.
Just sayin.
I hope Julia Roberts does not fuck up Bali.
Then again, if thousands of drunk Australians have not screwed it up yet, Bali should survive just fine.
Most of us see Julia Roberts through the camera lens. When she insists Lancome not photoshop her image for their campaign, I'll believe she is absolutely interested in aging like the rest of us.
Also, actresses lie. They like to say what they think people in flyover country want to hear.
Remember when Gwyneth Paltrow told Oprah that she just kind of eats whatever she wants?
Julia Roberts is, perhaps, the most overhyped actress around, her career based on 2 or 3 movies that did well. And, of course, she's not that good-looking.
And I thought that before I heard of her politics.
Jeremy said...
...
You act as if Roberts and others (especially in the entertainment industry) must be morons and any form of intelligent discourse has to have been provided by someone other than themselves.
Most, sad to say, are that dumb. Susan Sarandon is notable for actually having a BA. Many are high school or college dropouts.
ricpic - Ohhhh, did I say something bad about the "Queen's" ridiculous comment?
Keep on suckin'...maybe she'll give you a cookie.
She'll just use Barbara Walters' gauze filter.
I watched most of Aida on PBS last night. Aida, Radames, and Amneris were all butterballs. I don't know which looked worse: seeing each one fill the screen, or watching them waddle around the stage. The tall, muscular, half-naked Egyptian Army behind them only made them look fatter. At least "Live from Lincoln Center" has quit doing extreme closeups of people singing--no one ever looked good.
Remember when Gwyneth Paltrow told Oprah that she just kind of eats whatever she wants?
I'm sure she does--and barfs it up later.
A true Sex Kitten.
She is soon going to become an artifact of an earlier time. So she has no vote...it would not be rational to give an artifact a vote about today's legal categories.
The Sony website says that "Eat Pray Love" is rated PG-13 for "brief strong language, some sexual references and male rear nudity."
Would Botox do anything for that throbbing blue vein in Julia's forehead?
Come on Althouse, there's always "My Dinner with Andre" on DVD.
I for one adore the Julia Roberts smile.
My problem is that cosmetic surgery is subverting story telling. A good looking Miranda Richardson (52 and she looks to have had subtle work) is playing the widow of an obviously older man in Rubicon. I haven't a clue as to whether the character is a good looking 50 something or a 30ish gold digger. Who will play the grandmothers in a decade? Character appearance does much to fill in the exposition. Seems as though there will soon be only one model of actress.
I for one would prefer to age like Jessica Tandy than have that hard, unnatural Joan Rivers look. Julia lost me when she left Keifer Sutherland at the altar. Since then she has seemed totally self-absorbed and conceited, not as great an actress as she would like to think. Besides, when the press began comparing her to Audrey Hepburn, I began despising her. I know that wasn't her fault but she ain't no Audrey Hepburn- she is sorely lacking in the class department. Also, she has two lower lips. What's with her brother Eric, anyway?
The NewAge premise of "Eat Pray Love" was denounced by it's author in her very next book. I wonder if Julia plans on starring in, or if anyone is even planning on making, the sequel?
I've got my answer.
Besides, when the press began comparing her to Audrey Hepburn...
LOL. Reminds me of when Vanity Fair declared Matthew McConaughey the "next Paul Newman" years ago.
I wouldn't take steroids to look good, but I would take them to play another year in the major leagues. Likewise with movie stars. If it gets you another ten million dollar role, you pretty much have to go for it. It must be a hard thing to have movie star beauty and watch it unravel year by year......The uses of enchantment: non-existent as you get older. It's not just movies. The appetite for novels also seems to diminish with age. I read history, memoirs, and biographies for the schadenfreude factor. There have been very few successful lives, although some were so celebrated by contemporaries.
Crack Emcee wrote:
I've got my answer.
Sexy Sadie She's the latest and the greatest of them all
Wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah
Maybe it'll stick, but more likely it will be hinduism till her next movie where she discovers witchcraft.
I hardly go to movies anymore because between Netflix and Cable, I've seen too many damn movies. I think I may well have seen Every Movie On Earth.
I won't watch "Pretty Woman" though. Refused to watch it as a kid out of protest - same with "American Pie", and still agree with my decision. No, it wasn't the "immorality" of fairy tale prostitution. It was the young woman (23ish)/old guy (41ish) theme.
Grossed me out. Grosses me out less now, ironically, because I no longer care really what some jackass my own age does, but I cared very, very much when I was the target of aging guys' unfulfilled needs and fantasies. I
"Jeez, Ann, didn't you consider she might think her kids are more important than making movies?"
The issue is what her face looks like. She's an actress. She works with her face. I didn't say that was more important than how she can use that same face to relate to her children and only meant to imply that the face is important for both things and it's interesting that she only mentioned one.
Now, I'm not talking generally about whether one's career is more important than one's kids. I presume it's not. I'm only talking about the need for an expressive, natural-looking face. I think, without that, you shouldn't be an actress at all. A ruined face is a ruined acting career. But as for being a mother, you'll always be that, even with a completely screwed-up face.
In addition, Roberts chooses to present herself as a woman who is more concerned with her children that with anything else in life. This is typical PR for actresses. Don't assume it's because she really does value children above all, because it is also the best way to talk about yourself if you prefer your acting career over everything else.
Post a Comment