Althouse: The Cannes Film Festival discriminates against women in flat shoes.

May 19, 2015

The Cannes Film Festival discriminates against women in flat shoes.

"Everyone should wear flats, to be honest, at the best of times" said Emily Blunt. "You kind of think that there's these new waves of equality."

MEANWHILE: Men still have to wear ties.

31 comments:

BarrySanders20 said...: The war on women continues.

What is the purpose of high heels anyway, other than to prop up the rear end to trigger Laslo's imagination?; 5/19/15, 9:39 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Frankly, if you're in a wheelchair, then you've got no good excuse for going without high heels.; 5/19/15, 9:39 AM
Etienne said...: It was my understanding that butt implants didn't work without high heels.; 5/19/15, 9:47 AM
Bob Boyd said...: "Everyone should wear flats..."

Except for guys who smoked too much pot as boys.; 5/19/15, 9:47 AM
rehajm said...: Encule, inequality! Fashion is a full contact sport in many parts of France.; 5/19/15, 9:48 AM
mikee said...: Heels for women, black tie & black shoes for men.

If any of those movie stars or their sycophants had a drop of gorm, I'd expect to see women wearing heels - and nothing else - and men wearing black tie & black shoes - and nothing else - in protest of gender inequality.

Instead we get Benicio in tux & heels.

Charlize Theron, where are you when we need you!; 5/19/15, 9:49 AM
Known Unknown said...: I'm with Cannes. Heels or GTFO.; 5/19/15, 9:54 AM
rhhardin said...: They're such nice people in their roles.

$ grep blunt dvds.txt
five-year engagement emily blunt
sunshine cleaning amy adams emily blunt
the adjustment bureau emily blunt
the jane austen book club kathy baker emily blunt maria bello
wild target emily blunt
your sister's sister emily blunt rosemary dewitt

None of them struck me as particularly awful. Some I don't remember by name.

None live up to my very high standards, namely that all rom coms ought to be about anatagonistic opposites discovering that they fit, rather than a clunky difficulty falling from the sky in the middle of the plot.; 5/19/15, 10:00 AM
Paddy O said...: The Cannes Film Festival discriminates against all sorts of people.

That's sort of the point, isn't it? That it's elitist?; 5/19/15, 10:01 AM
Brando said...: I'll trade "let them wear flats" for "let them get rid of neckties".; 5/19/15, 10:03 AM
Paddy O said...: I think ties are silly, but it's a marker of style, so in a place where there's really nothing other than style and elitism to give it credence, put on the costume, do your dances, sing the songs so everyone can clap adoringly.; 5/19/15, 10:03 AM
Rob said...: There's something very wrong about screening a lesbian romance and barring women in Birkenstocks.; 5/19/15, 10:05 AM
Paddy O said...: Personally, I think everyone should be required to dress in the style of the court of Louis XIV.; 5/19/15, 10:05 AM
rhhardin said...: Lesson from college: don't date actresses.; 5/19/15, 10:05 AM
Big Mike said...: MEANWHILE: Men still have to wear ties.

Not necessarily. The practice of wearing a suit or conservative sport coat with an open-collared dress shirt and no tie has filtered into our engineering organization from Silicon Valley, and taken our engineering managers and us engineers by storm. I have some wonderful ties gathering dust in my closet.; 5/19/15, 10:22 AM
Kyzer SoSay said...: Women belong in heels on occasions like that. Don't like it, don't go. Have one of your loyal servants carry your flats for the after party. But these women (and the men) are overpaid circus monkeys that can mostly read. They should dress the part.; 5/19/15, 10:57 AM
Ann Althouse said...: The heels in that location are the kind of shoe that inevitably is described as "strappy." That is, the upper is basically nothing but straps. Put that on a flat sole and you've got sandals, and they look really, really casual.

I think that's the real problem here.

If the skirt is long enough to cover the shoes you could be wearing sneakers. You could be barefoot.; 5/19/15, 11:11 AM
Sebastian said...: No heels, no picture. Deal?; 5/19/15, 11:17 AM
harrogate said...: "If the skirt is long enough to cover the shoes you could be wearing sneakers. You could be barefoot."

Neither of which is so terrible even if the skirt is short. is it?; 5/19/15, 11:25 AM
n.n said...: Sorry, ladies. You should wear high heels to emphasize your feminine figure and wonderful plumage. Let's keep humanity alive.

Men, put down those shorts. The ladies don't approve. It's a biology thing.; 5/19/15, 12:12 PM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: Emily Blunt is one of the only actresses I consider truly charming. I dare any heterosexual man to watch The 5 Year Engagement and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and not fall just a lil' in love with Blunt. She was funny in Wild Target, believably action-y in Edge of Tomorrow, and did just fine as an object of lust in Charlie Wilson's War.
Emily Blunt can wear whatever she wants.; 5/19/15, 12:38 PM
Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...: Ties are just silly and mildly uncomfortable. Heels are silly and cause permanent bone problems. Both have safety issues, but heels the much more so.; 5/19/15, 1:19 PM
David said...: It also discriminates against flat women in shoes.; 5/19/15, 1:59 PM
Birches said...: believably action-y in Edge of Tomorrow,

That movie did not get enough praise.; 5/19/15, 2:32 PM
Joe said...: If men have to wear ties, women should not only have to wear heals, but have them nailed to their feet.; 5/19/15, 3:20 PM
Shanna said...: Put that on a flat sole and you've got sandals, and they look really, really casual.

That was my first thought, that the other shoes were too casual.

A dressy occasion almost requires heels. (I guess in this occasion does require them). I can't think of much that would look dressy enough. Maybe ballet flats with certain outfits?; 5/19/15, 3:23 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: harrogate said...

Neither of which is so terrible even if the skirt is short. is it?

On an attractive woman, if the skirt is short enough most men won't notice if you have feet or not.; 5/19/15, 3:40 PM
readering said...: My impression is that these women are lent or even given incredibly expensive dresses to show off the designer (and them) on the red carpet. High heels generally flatter the general appearance and so I would expect pressure to wear heels coming from the designer's outfit. But if the woman is not acting as a mannequin for a dress, who else should care what she wears on her feet?; 5/19/15, 6:41 PM
CStanley said...: I think it's weird that the shoes are a big deal (maybe I'm just less bothered by heels than are some women.) but these women are all tightly bound in spandex and have their breasts taped, and they are bothered by wearing heels?; 5/19/15, 7:47 PM
Fred Drinkwater said...: Where oh Where is The Manolo when he is so so needed?
(of course I know where he is, hence my lament.); 5/19/15, 8:12 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: What happened to the Manolo?; 5/21/15, 5:20 PM