"Ms. Stewart and her stylist, Tara Swennen, have taken the film’s carnality and covert politics and translated them for the promotional panopticon, forcing anybody watching to confront their own preconceptions about women’s bodies, their sexuality and exactly what empowerment means, while at the same time undermining the whole circus of branded celebrity dressing."
March 19, 2024
The promotional panopticon is forcing you to confront your preconceptions about exactly what empowerment means.
I encountered this sentence written by Vanessa Friedman, in "Kristen Stewart Uses Naked Dressing to Make a Point/Her press tour for 'Love Lies Bleeding' was something to see" (NYT):
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
43 comments:
Kristen is the circus.
Tangentially, the women’s empowerment schtick is tiresomely “me-me-MEEEEEE”!
Please. Only Fans was "empowerment" too. This is just her version.
The Britannia Panopticon in Glasgow is the world's oldest surviving music hall, dating from 1857. It was where a 16 year old Stan Laurel made his debut. Among the locals who had trouble pronouncing "panopticon" it was familiarly known as the Pots and Pans.
Women sells tits and ass.
This is a completely new thing. Probably first time in human history.
I accept the notion that watching Kristen Stewart is like being in a prison, thus I don’t watch. Sometimes a living hell is easy to see coming and avoid.
...have taken the film’s carnality and covert politics and translated them for the promotional panopticon, forcing anybody watching to confront their own preconceptions about women’s bodies, their sexuality and exactly what empowerment means, while at the same time undermining the whole circus of branded celebrity dressing."
Are these "anybodies" who are forced to watch: guards or prisoners?
In Bentham's panopticon, the inmates cannot see the guards.
So, by that measure, the film's audience is "forced" to watch these prisoners in the film?
Who are these prisoners, and whose prisoners are they?
The only worry with spending all that money to walk around half nude is that no one is watching. Who cares.
Celebrities are salads?
or was that just word salad?
Friedman favors the flowery flourish.
My own personal brand of empowerment includes the frequent exercise of choosing not to indulge others. I could call it the sans-opticon
I've seen a video of her, let's say, enjoying her own company. It's amazing.
She ranks through the roof on the Hot/Scuzzy matrix.
I shall avert my eyes, then.
Pantsless Privilege
Look at me! Look at me!
No.
Nice to see the habit of writing impenetrable prose has not been lost in the world of celebrity fashion. I was so concerned that this skill would die out.
Youth will be served. On a piece of lettuce.
Exhibitionist exhibits.
If only the politics in 90% of Hollywood movies were "covert."
Woman undressing: perhaps the oldest trope in the movies.
There seems to be a new trend in Hollywood: non-sexy sex scenes. That movie Saltburn was flat disgusting. "Poor Things" with Emma Stone was okay, and one of her nude scenes was sexy, but most of the scenes were disturbing rather than prurient. What's the point of being a naked movie star if you can't be prurient.....I guess it's got something to do with "the male gaze" which is some kind of offense against feminism.
“The promotional panopticon is forcing you to confront your preconceptions about exactly what empowerment means.”
Umm, that wasn’t exactly my reaction.
The waif type seem unattractive to me in general and Ms. Stewart in particular holds to that pattern. YMMV C'est la vie!
Just reading your post, I thought this was about salad dressings, like Newman’s Own. It wasn’t until I clicked the link that I understood the new trend is to be as naked as possible without getting arrested for indecent exposure. I am officially in Emily Littella territory now.
Sydney Sweeney could wear it much better. And she's just prettier in general. Stewart always looks miserable. I truly avoid miserable people because they always want one to join them in misery and tend to work at it.
She's got a smokin' hot body, but she always looked hollow to me...like a doll brought to life.
Quint:
"The thing about a shark, it's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When it comes at you it doesn't seem to be livin'... until he bites you, and those black eyes roll over white."
Ms. Stewart is 33 years old, and has extended her stay in the realm of the desirable sexual partner as an actress - a romantic lead - for the moment by extending her behavior into what would have been sexually scandalous only mere decades ago. She can do so in part because of good genetics and self-care, and in part because she is willing to try for supposedly shocking behavior in public, or at least on screen. At her age, many actresses are forced to stop roles of the desirable sex partner and play a more complete person, a mother, a wife, a working adult, competent in more than experiencing emotions for another and disrobing for fun. Congrats to her for accomplishing this role extension!
That said, she's no Diane Lane.
Sydney said...
“Just reading your post, I thought this was about salad dressings, like Newman’s Own.”
You’re not alone. I was thinking of Oil & Vinegar, or maybe a Lemon Dil.
Great. Now when I'm watching the next episode of "The New Look" tomorrow, I know there will be a time when Coco Channel's character is on screen talking about how magnificent her fashion designs are, and all I will be able to think about are those leg warmers.
They want to challenge my preconceptions? Too late. I have actual conceptions now.
When you’re young, you don’t realize how thin the line is between colorful and crazy.
The failure of the feminist movement to overcome the "women as sex objects" perception has cost more than 60 million unborn babies their lives and brought about a perversion of a good deal of American morality. After all, they had to claim victory somewhere besides the success of ambitious women.
And yet women still portray themselves as sex objects, even marginally appealing women like Stewart and Miley Cyrus.
"Are these "anybodies" who are forced to watch: guards or prisoners?"
Yeah, how is anyone ever forced to watch?
I can think of those eye clips used on the protagonist in "Clockwork Orange," but other than that, you can simply avert (or close) your eyes. People need to take responsibility. Watching may seem pretty inert, but it is willed behavior.
"Watching may seem pretty inert, but it is willed behavior."
Until the mandatory chip installation, sure...
All kidding aside, Kristen Stewart takes on weird roles. She will never go out of style. Plus she starred in a very sexy, very funny fake commercial:
Totino's Pizza Rolls
Stewart's promoting an extremely violent movie with a lesbian bodybuilder theme.
A lot like her movie "Lizzy" in which I got to see Stewart's boobies for the first time, except for the bodybuilding.
She has apparently gotten herself in pretty good shape since then and I look forward to checking in when this makes it to cable. Probably with the sound off.
The "word salad" and emphasis on empowerment and preconceptions are necessary because writing about the violence, murder, guns, blood and mutilations in the film would be kind of a downer for NY Times readers, and Stewart nearly naked helps with the distraction.
Works for me.
Also, "My Dinner With Andre" would have been a lot better with the addition of a few lesbian female bodybuilders and a murder or two.
'Stewart's promoting an extremely violent movie with a lesbian bodybuilder theme.'
When does it open?
Asking for a friend : )
Lily, a dog is right. The Totino's commercial is pretty funny.
"Rarely has an actress been so unapologetically, gloriously undressed."
I'm not sure that's accurate.
Strike one: "promotional panopticon."
Strike two: the horror of people being forced to confront their preconceptions of what empowerment means.
Strike three: three sentences jammed into one convoluted mess. If the compound predicate "taken...and translated" is split, then four sentences.
Such writing disrespects the reader. No soup for you.
==========
Free tip: avoid misplaced modifiers, often found in headlines. "Douchess of Sussex visits Reptile Farm/Chased by Alligator Wearing $890.00 Designer Hat."
Me, i'd rather see Kristen dressed that way than Patrick.
Using naked women - how sexist.
Naked women with a word salad of feminism - brava.
These garments leave no more square inches of flesh exposed than a 1969 Bikini. A Bikini requires even more hair removal, if the artiste wishes to remain "tidy".
In conclusion, the author claims that fashion; from Marlene Dietrich to the present day, is not realized in increasing exposure of sexual organs or their proximate domains per se, but in clothing that changes the drape and sag of the flesh thereof. This clothing is often custom made and not generally available until the Victoria Secret moment.
Rabel:I like the cut of your jib.
Post a Comment